Sharon Claydon (Newcastle, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to acknowledge that this week is Anti-Poverty Week, a week that's designed to raise awareness of the diabolical levels of inequality and poverty.

Australia is a wealthy country, which makes it all the more unconscionable that hundreds of thousands of people are struggling to keep their heads above water. Over 16 per cent of Australians are living below the poverty line. More than one million people are being forced to work more than one job to make ends meet. And, thanks to the cruel and heartless government policies, those who are forced to rely on Centrelink are being trapped in a vicious cycle of poverty where they can barely survive, let alone find work.

I'd also like to take the chance to give a shout-out to the formidable advocates of fairness who have been running the strong antipoverty campaign in Newcastle, especially Nova for Women and Children, the Unemployed Workers Union, the Fair Go for Pensioners, Compass Housing Services, the Everybody's Home campaign and Hunter Workers. It should not be a radical idea that government has a responsibility to ensure that every Australian has a roof over their head and food on the table. On Friday at the Hunter Workers' Poverty in the Hunter rally, I'll be speaking out against this terrible, divisive government and the policies that are intentionally keeping millions of Australians poor. I encourage anyone in Newcastle to attend and stand in solidarity with us.