In ACTCOSS’s Federal Election Priorities 2022, we call on all ACT candidates for the 2022 Federal Election to affirm and state their positions on six policy priorities. ACTCOSS has identified these from national analysis and research by our peak body the Australian Council of Social Service (ACOSS) and the key drivers of poverty and social disadvantage in the Territory.
Addressing these priorities will benefit the whole ACT and Australian community by ensuring that no-one is left behind and all can contribute equitably to society and the economy. The six priorities are:
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Income Support: Increase the rate of JobSeeker, Youth Allowance, and other income support payments to at least $70 a day, further supplement the incomes of people with disability and single parents and index to CPI and wages.
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Housing Security: Increase national social housing stock by 25,000 homes per year and build at least 425 new social housing dwellings per year in Canberra in line with the best research and the Everybody’s Home campaign.
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Quality Community Services: Provide adequate federal funding for services provided by the community sector, including aged care, disability, homelessness, and domestic violence services, ensuring appropriate remuneration of the community sector workforce at rates which are regularly and adequately indexed.
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Fair, Fast, Inclusive Climate Action: Commit to reducing carbon pollution 75% by 2030 (on 2005 level) and net zero by 2035 by implementing a fair and inclusive plan to achieve the targets.
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Self-Determination for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people: Begin to address deep and ongoing wrongs inflicted against First Nations people, through commitment to the implementation of all recommendations of the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody; a constitutionally guaranteed Voice to Parliament; and a commitment to Closing the Gap. Also, raise the minimum age of criminal responsibility to 14 nationally as the ACT Government has already committed to doing.
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Revenue: Rescind unaffordable tax cuts for people on higher incomes to invest in public services and provide support for the people who have the least.
ACTCOSS has shared these priorities with the candidates for the election.
Authorised by Emma Campbell for the ACT Council of Social Service.