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

I seek leave to amend general business notice of motion No. 1187 standing in my name for today relating to the funding of Foodbank.

Leave granted.

I move the motion as amended:

That the Senate—

(a) notes that:

(i) in the last 12 months, four million Australians have experienced food insecurity, and three quarters of these people were categorised as having very low food security,

(ii) more than one and a half million people living in remote and rural regions have experienced food insecurity in the last twelve months, and Australians in regional and remote areas are 33% more likely to experience food insecurity than those living in major and capital cities, and

(iii) people who are most likely to be food insecure are people looking for work or who are in insecure/casual employment, renters, those in remote and regional areas and single parents;

(b) recognises that our income support rates are so low, charities and the social service sector are left to provide vital community services, such as access to food; and

(c) calls on the Federal Government to assist with addressing food insecurity by committing to long-term funding to organisations such as Foodbank, OzHarvest and Second Bite; and

(d) calls on the Federal Government to stop trying to make savings out of the Social Services budget and ensure that organisations and individuals receive adequate and appropriate funding.