Rachel Siewert (WA, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

I move:

That the Senate—

(a) notes that:

     (i) the week beginning 11 October 2015 is Anti-Poverty Week,

     (ii) the main aims of Anti-Poverty Week are to strengthen public understanding, and encourage research, discussion and action to address these problems, and

     (iii) poverty and severe hardship affect more than a million Australians;

(b) acknowledges the very important work undertaken by a large number of organisations across Australia in providing crucial services, such as food-banks, housing, social services, counselling and legal support among others, which make an invaluable contribution to Australian society; and

(c) calls on the government to:

     (i) increase Newstart and youth allowance payments by at least $50 a week,

     (ii) provide adequate support to people struggling with poverty, including young people accessing income support,

     (iii) provide appropriate support to service delivery agencies, including stable and adequate funding, and

     (iv) develop a national anti-poverty plan with clear targets and measures to address poverty in Australia.