Uniting Church in Australia President Dr Deidre Palmer and national church leaders respond to the 2019 Budget
The President of the Uniting Church in Australia Dr Deidre Palmer has encouraged Australians to put the urgent needs of others ahead of short-term self-interest, after the Federal Government delivered its 2019 Budget.
The Budget has promised, all going to plan, $158 billion in income tax cuts
over a decade on the back of projected Budget surpluses.
Despite the positive projections though, the foreign aid budget has again
been cut, and there is no improvement for Australians relying on welfare
payments, particularly the Newstart allowance.
“As the contest for hearts and minds begins ahead of this year’s Federal
Election, I urge Australians to give priority to justice, compassion and
inclusion,” said Dr Palmer.
“The Budget, if passed by a future government, may offer some welcome tax relief. But at what cost?”
“The bottom line in this Budget is there is less support for the most vulnerable people in the most vulnerable nations, and less support for the most vulnerable at home.”
Aid agencies noted that foreign aid would drop to 0:19% of Gross National
Income in 2021-22 – well below the short-term target of 0.3% supported by the
Uniting Church and other advocates.
National Director of UnitingWorld Dr Sureka Goringe said the Budget failed both generous open-hearted Australian people and the vision of genuine regional partnership.
“We need to build trust and solidarity with our regional neighbours, working together to address inequality and injustice, not just pursue a narrow self-serving agenda,” said Dr Goringe.
Dr Palmer strongly criticised a $1.6 billion underspend on the National
Disability Insurance Scheme in the coming financial year.
The Uniting Church President did however welcome a number of measures
confirmed in the Budget.
“I applaud the boost for mental health and suicide prevention. This is
important and timely. As is the confirmation of $328 million in funding to
reduce violence against women and children.”
“I also welcome the funding set aside for a Royal Commission into the abuse
and neglect of people with disability,” said Dr Palmer.
President of the Uniting Aboriginal and Islander Christian Congress, Rev.
Garry Dronfield welcomed the allocation of $5 million for prevention of youth
suicide in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.
“Unfortunately, it’s not enough to address the scale of crisis that we know
exists,” said Rev. Dronfield.
“There needs to be funding for diversionary programs to keep our vulnerable
young people from the dangers of incarceration.”
Rev. Dronfield also was concerned about the lack of self-determination in
the extension to other Northern Territory and Queensland communities of the cashless
debit card. “Choice should always be given to First Peoples,” he said.
Funding for co-design of the Indigenous Voice to Parliament was welcomed by
Rev. Dronfield. However he noted: “If the Government had accepted the Statement
from the Heart this would have been unnecessary.
Frontier Services’ National Director, Jannine Jackson welcomed extra funding
of $5.5m over four years for mental health services for people in Tasmania,
Victoria and Queensland who have been affected by natural disasters.
“Given our recent and ongoing experience with drought, fire and floods we’re
continuing to express our concern for the growing disparity between metro and
remote Australia.”
“We hope that some of this funding and the overall increase on mental health
spending will be accessible to those living and working in remote Australia,”
said Ms Jackson.
UnitingCare Australia National Director Claerwen Little has queried the
Government’s priorities.
In a media
statement issued on Budget night, Ms Little said:
“A ‘surplus’ gained at the cost of allowing children to live in poverty,
people with disabilities to go without the basic support they need, older
Australians to die waiting for home care packages, and homelessness to reach
record levels, does not measure up.”
Political commentators expect a Federal Election to be called as early as
this weekend.
Last month, the Uniting Church in Australia published its 2019 Federal
Election resource titled “Our
Vision for a Just Australia.”
The Vision Statement outlines seven broad policy areas covering First
Peoples, the environment, social inclusion, wellbeing, human rights, healthy
communities and peacemaking.
“Our vision, grounded in the life and mission of Jesus, is for Australia to
be a just and compassionate nation in a world, where all can flourish.” said Dr
Palmer.
“I urge all Australians to examine closely the policies on offer at the coming election, and hold those asking for their vote to account in building a just. compassionate and inclusive Australia.”
This statement has been republished from the Uniting Church in Australia Assembly article, ‘Shaping a Just, Compassionate and Inclusive Australia: UCA 2019 Budget response’
