[Greens-Media] Food plan neglects people struggling on income support

[Redman, Chris (Sen R. Siewert)]

29 May 2013


Food plan neglects people struggling on income support


The Australian Greens say the Government's recently released Food Plan ignores the problems of food insecurity for vulnerable people, including people on Newstart and single parents.

"It is very disappointing that the Government has not taken meaningful action to alleviate the severe financial stress being faced by so many people on income support, despite their statement in the food plan that no-one should go hungry," Senator Rachel Siewert, Australian Greens spokesperson on families and community services said today. 

"I raised this issue in Senate Estimates last night. The plan is used by the Government to trumpet their delivery of an increase to the aged pension, but did not address the hundreds of thousands of people on other payments like Newstart.
 
"The Minister said that the Food Plan is about drawing together agencies to address food issues, including food security, but it is unclear how this will be achieved while people remain so far below the poverty line.

"It is indicative of Labor's current attitude towards single parents that insufficient attention is being  given to the food insecurity they are facing. 

"This is especially timely given the release last week of the Salvation Army's survey of 2705 clients, which found 51% of them had gone without meals.

"The Government's Food Plan states that 'Regardless of what the level of food insecurity is, in a country as wealthy as Australia no-one should go hungry', and yet the reality is that people are having to go without.

"Anglicare's 2012 report, When There's Not Enough To Eat, found that 45,000 of the households using their emergency relief services were unable to feed their families properly. 

"While the food plan report references the pension reforms from 2009 , which have seen the age pension increase by 34%, they ignore the fact that other payments, such as Newstart have remained dangerously static for an extended period time. 

"Yet the plan says the Government is 'committed to the social safety net and have improved support for those who need it'. This commitment has not been realised in any concrete manner.

"People on income support are the most food insecure people in Australia and the Government is taking no action to alleviate this burden," Senator Siewert concluded.