Penny Allman-Payne (Queensland, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

Every day, millions of Australians feel the crushing stress of living on Centrelink. They're not turning on the heating to save on bills, they're foregoing necessary medication and they're choosing between paying rent and eating. Families are being evicted into homelessness. Pensioners are sleeping in their cars. Parents are skipping meals to keep a roof over their kids' heads. In a wealthy country like ours, no-one should have to live like this. Labor promised when they came to power that no-one would be left behind. Yet people on income support are starving while Labor turns a blind eye. Expert after expert, report after report, inquiry after inquiry, the evidence is clear, and it has been for years. The government must raise the rate of JobSeeker. Poverty is a policy choice. I'm sick of hearing this do-nothing-government list of excuses for why it can't help people. This government has spent hundreds of billions of dollars on stage 3 tax cuts for the rich and big corporations, on AUKUS submarines and on tax breaks for fossil fuel companies, all while leaving the most vulnerable Australians to suffer. It's time to get real about the cost of living and make a difference to people's lives. Raise the rate, freeze and cut rents, build public housing, and tax wealthy corporations.