April 2022
CSSA supports Labor commitment to review of National Disability Insurance Scheme
20 April 2022 Labor’s commitment to undertake a major review of the National Disability Insurance Scheme is an important first step in ensuring the sustainability and operation of one of the country’s most important social support services, Chair of Catholic Social Services Australia, Francis Sullivan said today. “The $30 billion system, which delivers services to more...
Prime Minister dismisses social security portfolio as something ‘that can be dealt with’ later
18 April 2022 Prime Minister Morrison has today given the clearest indication yet of how little the Coalition cares for Australia’s marginalised and disadvantaged when he dismissed the Social Services portfolio as secondary to Defence, Treasury, Finance, Foreign Affairs and Health. Mr Morrison made the comments this afternoon when he announced current Families and Social Services...
Labor decision not to review Jobseeker payments disappointing
14 April 2022 The decision by Labor not to review the JobSeeker payment ahead of its first budget if it wins the May federal election is disappointing, according to one of Australia's peak social services groups. Francis Sullivan, Chair of Catholic Social Services Australia, said the decision is a real blow for 1.5 million people struggling...
Australians need to vote for fairness and the party that will act on entrenched hardship and poverty
10 April 2022 The entrenched poverty, loss of opportunity and inequality that nearly 3 million Australia live with every day has not been adequately addressed by either of the major political parties as we enter the official election campaign, according to the head of one of Australia’s leading social service groups. Mr Francis Sullivan, Chair of...
Open Letter to all Federal Candidates
Major Church Social Service Providers: Anglicare, Catholic Social Services Australia, The Salvation Army and Uniting Care. 10 April 2022 Australia’s major Church providers* have come together ahead of the upcoming election to call on all parties and candidates to commit to policies that will make a real difference in the lives of the most vulnerable....
Budget big on politics, but light on for fairness
5 April 2022 Article by Francis Sullivan, as published in the Daily Telegraph Last week’s budget speaks loud and clear to where the Coalition government sees itself and who it needs to talk to in the lead-up to the May general election.It is a budget that puts politics before fairness and the “comfortable middle” before the...
March 2022
Budget delivers little for underprivileged and families living in poverty
29 March 2022 The Morrison Government has yet again failed to provide any focused funding to assist the most marginalised and underprivileged Australians in its 2022/23 budget. Chair of Catholic Social Services Australia, Francis Sullivan, said that while some of the Government’s initiatives might flow through to people living on or below the poverty line, there...
What can the under-privileged hope for in the Budget … not much?
28 March 2022 Article by Francis Sullivan, as published in Pearls and Irritations In a civilized country, where we pride ourselves on a fair go for all, a very significant part of our community is missing out. As Josh Frydenberg puts the final touches on next week’s Budget it is fair to say that the millions of...
