SUPPORT MUST START NOW FOR MOST VULNERABLE

Representatives of frontline service organisations and members of the crossbench are calling on the Albanese Government to go further than the temporary fuel excise halving this week to deliver urgent support to Australians most vulnerable to the economic impacts of the conflict in the Middle East.

Increases to fuel costs, interest rates and inflation are ramping up pressure on already stretched household budgets, increasing rates of food insecurity, housing stress and the risk of homelessness.

A month into the conflict, frontline services providers have been in Canberra this week asking the Albanese Government for a range of urgent non-inflationary supports to help Australians most in need.

ACT Independent Senator David Pocock said on this last sitting day before the Federal Budget, the Albanese Government was being urged to show leadership and compassion.

“People in my community, from those on fixed incomes like pensioners to emergency services personnel are finding it harder and harder to get by,” Senator Pocock said.

“For people in remote and regional Australia, those challenges and the impacts of cost increases from the Middle East conflict are even worse.

“We’ve seen the Albanese Government move to temporarily halve the fuel excise which will help many Australians but this support must go further for those most in need.

“I’m joining frontline service organisations in calling for tightly targeted supports to stop food and housing insecurity spiralling out of control for the most vulnerable Australians.

“The Prime Minister repeatedly promises to leave no Australian behind, now is the time to deliver on that.

“An immediate 25% tax on gas export revenue can fund the cost-of-living relief many Australians are increasingly desperate to receive.”

ACOSS yesterday called for measures to target relief to people doing it the toughest as well as support for the frontline services they depend on, especially in regional, rural and remote communities. They are calling on the government to provide immediate, targeted income support, including lifting JobSeeker and the Remote Area Allowance, fuel security measures and other support that protect frontline community services, and responsible revenue measures to fund immediate relief.

They are urging the government to recognise frontline community services as ‘critical services’ under the National Security Fuel Plan and ensure the sector is part of the response, given its crucial role during Covid and the 2019/20 bushfires.

The food relief sector is collectively calling for the release of $5 million in surge funding following a spike in demand and operating costs to enable them to keep delivering meals.

Senator Pocock said that $5 million is what a 25% tax on gas export revenue would raise in 2.5 hours.

Foodbank has seen a 6 per cent increase in demand for their services in just the past fortnight due to the combination of the interest rate rise and increased fuel costs. At the same time, they’re seeing an immediate increase in their operating expenses with Foodbank Victoria reporting their fruit and vegetable costs have gone up 10 per cent while their volunteer numbers - to help pack orders - are threatened as people say they can’t afford to fill their tanks to get to the warehouse sites.

Homelessness Australia said homelessness services already can not meet demand and frontline homelessness workers are on relatively low incomes and cannot absorb additional expenses, but many services have to be delivered face to face.

They are calling for surge funding to:

• provide people at risk of tenancy loss with brokerage services for rental arrears to help prevent evictions;
• expand frontline staff capacity so they can see an increased number of clients; and
• provide additional payments to workers who meet the increased cost of travel to work.

Senator Pocock said the Housing Australia Future Fund spends $500m per year which is equivalent to ten days worth of a 25% tax on gas export revenue.

Senator Pocock also called on the Government to do more not just to penalise but actively intervene to stop price gouging not just on fuel but across the supply chain, to coordinate with the states and territories to deliver free public transport for pensions and those on fixed incomes and discounted public transport for the rest of us to save fuel for farmers and the regions.

For those essential workers who can’t take public transport, for the tradies, the parents doing drop off, the shift workers additional targeted support measures will need to be considered alongside longer term solutions too including a viable second hand EV market, help with the energy transition so everyone gets the benefits of things like rooftop solar and home batteries.

“We are confronting a huge challenge but it is also an opportunity to provide not only immediate support but longer term policy changes that set us up better for the future,” Senator Pocock said.