[Greens-Media] Federal Government to blame for growing burden on Australia's community sector

[Redman, Chris (Sen R. Siewert)]

8th December 2014

Federal Government to blame for growing burden on Australia's community sector

The Australian Greens said today that the Federal Government must act to address the high levels of unmet need and help with the burden being placed on the nation's not-for-profit sector.

A new report from the Australian Council of Social Services shows that 80% of frontline community service organisations are unable to meet current levels of demand.

"This report comes after a year of hard-line policies, budget cuts and threats from the Federal Government. Tony Abbott and his cabinet are responsible for Australia's increasingly ineffective social safety net," Senator Rachel Siewert, Australian Greens spokesperson on family and community services said today.

"Practically every decision the Government has made this year makes things harder for the most vulnerable members of our society, and they are the people who most rely on charities, emergency relief organisations and other community services.

"In addition to their cruel budget cuts, the Government is also taking vital funding from organisations, stripping $240 million out of the discretionary grants program and $534 million out of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander programs.

"Making the situation even worse for the community sector is the uncertainty over their future, with the so-called broad banding of funding streams and decisions on funding delayed until just before Christmas.

"In spite of this growing pressure, the Government remains wedded  to plans to axe the ACNC, which will throw a greater administrative burden onto service providers.

"I have been disgusted with the Government's attitude to the community sector this year. We have seen them use the Prime Minister's Parliamentary Secretary to attack organisations for speaking out against the budget, with other organisations too afraid to speak out for fear of losing their funding and having to close their doors.

"This bullying is nothing more than a sign of the Government's policy weakness and their inability to justify their actions.

"Last week, I tabled the report of the Senate Inquiry into income inequality, which clearly establishes that inequality is growing in this country and will be exacerbated by the budget.

"Rather than punishing our poorest people and undermining the community sector, the Government should focus on investments in affordable housing, employment, education and skills development, health and income support," Senator Siewert concluded.