April 2021
Are we all in this together?
1 April 2021 Article by Ursula Stephens, as published in Eureka Street At the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, the government reassured Australia ‘We’re all in this together’ but the truth is that the end of JobKeeper and the Coronavirus supplement payments will leave more than 2.6 million people in poverty. The end of the $90 billion...
March 2021
More children will suffer under ‘unjust’ JobSeeker payment
Media Release 19 March 2021 Catholic Social Service Australia has denounced the Government’s JobSeeker legislation, which will set the JobSeeker payment at just $44 a day from next week, saying it will push families into poverty. “More than three million people are affected by this decision, which will see almost one million children condemned to living below...
February 2021
The value of the worker
25 February 2021 Article by Ursula Stephens, as published in Eureka Street 'It's the value of the work, not the worker.' So said a government backbencher to me last week while I was speaking to him about the omnibus industrial relations (IR) Bill that has just passed the House of Representatives. He went on to argue that his...
$3.57 a day won’t lift anyone out of poverty
Media Release 23 February 2021 A $50 increase to the fortnightly Jobseeker payment and Youth Allowance will do nothing to lift Australians out of poverty and will perpetuate long-term disadvantage, Catholic Social Services Australia CEO Ursula Stephens says. Dr Stephens said today’s decision is “deeply disappointing” to the large network of Catholic social service agencies, calling the...
Christian organisations back post-COVID recovery
Media Article 22 February 2021 As published by CathNews “We vow to provide service and love to all in need without prejudice or judgment — to share our common table with the hungry, to bring warmth and care to the frail, and to proportion our common wealth among the poor and destitute,” said organisations including World Vision,...
Church groups, Unions take job reform concerns to Parliament
Media Release 19 Feb 2021 Catholic Social Services Australia has joined its voice with the St Vincent de Paul Society, Anglicare and the Australian Council of Trade Unions in opposing proposed changes to industrial relations law. CSSA chief executive officer Ursula Stephens, Vinnies CEO Toby oConnor, Anglicare’s Kasy Chambers and Michele O’Neil from the ACTU have spent...
The Australian Union movement stands with faith organisations in rejecting dangerous elements of IR Omnibus Bill
Media Release 17 February 2021 The Australian Union movement joins with leaders of faith organisations to reject the IR Omnibus Bill proposed by the Morrison Government, which will see a rise in insecure work and further casualisation of the Australian workforce. These measures will disproportionately affect young people and women, and will be detrimental to Australia’s post-pandemic...
Failure to ‘raise the rate’ could entrench disadvantage
Media Release 16 February 2021 Catholic Social Services Australia CEO Ursula Stephens says the failure to retain the higher Jobseeker rate provided during the pandemic will create financial pressure on families that could last for generations. “In a matter of weeks, people forced to rely on unemployment benefits during the COVID-19 crisis will be plunged into poverty...
