With a softening labour market, it is time for the government to focus on job creation and targeted fiscal stimulus. The government would be wise to lift Newstart and home in on families with children by increasing Family Tax Benefits. Finally, we should pilot a jobs guarantee program for those over 50 and people...
There has been growing attention to the declining levels of public trust in our politicians, public, and democratic institutions. Recently, Prime Minister Scott Morrison claimed that trust in politics is worst among middle-income Australians. At the time, he described the public sector as central to addressing this through service delivery for “quiet Australians” who are not represented in the...
The Australian Catholic Church’s ongoing effort to see Newstart payments raised for the first time in over 20 years appears to be gaining ground. According to SBS, the adequacy of Newstart and related welfare payments will be examined in a wide-ranging Senate inquiry as calls grow for an increase to the unemployment support payment. Chairman of...
The Church has made submissions on the minimum wage since 2003 with a focus on low-paid workers and their families, arguing for a decent standard of living for wage-dependent families. Megan Kavanagh, a member of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference Employment Relations Reference Group, said there has been a tradition in Australia – dating back...
