Media release – Andrew Wilkie, independent MHR for Clark, 9 May 2023

FEDERAL BUDGET GOOD AS FAR AS IT GOES BUT CRITICALLY WOUNDED BY STAGE 3 TAX CUTS & AFL STADIUM

The Federal Budget goes some way to improving the situation in a myriad of important areas like Jobseeker, Parenting Payment, energy bill relief, aged care and Commonwealth Rent Assistance. The $498m to address vaping and smoking is especially welcome considering the sky rocketing rate of deadly vaping in schools and colleges in the Clark electorate.

The Budget’s welfare and health investments are especially important for Tasmania because, regrettably, we remain the country’s sickest, oldest and most disadvantaged state population. Also welcome is the inclusion of funding for Hobart Airport.

But the Budget forward estimates also reflect the enormous festering sore that is the planned Stage 3 personal income tax cuts. Unfathomably the Government remains firmly committed to the cuts, due to start in the 2024-25 financial year, despite them being such an outrageous handout to Australia’s most wealthy at the expense of everyone else. Remember Stage 3 will cost the Budget more than $20bn in the first year, rising to $31bn by 2030 and increasing indefinitely beyond then. And the most junior federal parliamentarian will pocket some $9,000 in their pay packet alone. That’s unconscionable.

The Budget also contains funding for Tasmania’s Macquarie Point AFL stadium despite it being opposed by state Labor, federal Liberal, Greens, Jacqui Lambie Network, Independents and the vast majority of the community. Why on earth the Federal Government thinks it’s a good idea to build the State’s third AFL stadium, in sight of one of the others and with just 3,000 more seats, when Tasmanians are confronting so many challenges including health and housing truly beggars belief. You couldn’t make it up. It’s just bizarre.

The scandalous wastage on the tax cuts and AFL stadium, not to mention other potential savings, would go some very considerable way to increasing government pensions and payments to more effective levels. For example, even with the increases announced tonight, Jobseeker is still way below the poverty line and Commonwealth Rent Assistance remains woefully inadequate, especially in places like Hobart which holds the unenviable title of Australia’s least affordable rental market. Moreover the GP Medicare rebate is languishing at half its real value compared to when it was introduced, ensuring that Australia’s chronic shortage of GPs will continue for the foreseeable future.

Media release, TasCOSS, 9 May 2023

2023/24 Federal Budget

The following may be used as direct quotes from Dr Charlie Burton, Acting CEO, TasCOSS:

  • This Budget demonstrates the Government has heard the needs of Tasmanians on low incomes, but its response falls well short of the Prime Minister’s core promise that ‘no one is left behind.’
  • The daily struggle for 120,000 Tasmanians to keep a roof over their head, food on the table, pay their rising bills, and afford medical care has been met with nominal relief, but overwhelmingly for people on the lowest of incomes the Budget won’t change much.
  • The loose change increase to JobSeeker ($2.86 a day) must be called out for what it is: hopelessly inadequate and instead of being a safety net traps people in poverty.
  • The Government has chosen to give people who don’t need it a tax cut at a cost of $275 billion, instead of raising the rate of JobSeeker and related payments to a liveable level of at least $76 a day. If you can find money in a budget for high end tax cuts and a stadium, you can find money to make sure that people have the basics of life.
  • The Government’s decision to increase Commonwealth Rent Assistance by only 15% doesn’t come close to matching the skyrocketing increase in rents. We were looking for a 50% increase.
  • We welcome confirmation that the Parenting Payment Single will be expanded to support single parents until their youngest child is 14. This measure will help the 6,250 single parents in receipt of the payment currently in Tasmania — the time and care required to nurture children does not change when a child turns 8.
  • We welcome expanding energy bill relief to 140,000 Tasmanian households, but without further action such as capping electricity price rises, this payment will be quickly eaten up by anticipated price increases from 1 July.
  • With the lowest rates of bulk-billing in the country, it is our hope the tripling of the Medicare bulk-billing incentive will go some way to increasing access to GP services in Tasmania. However, it is disappointing that the targeted approach will further undermine a truly universal health care system.
  • The substantial wage increase of 15% to aged care workers across Australia is a positive step forward in recognising the essential services provided by the aged and community care workforce. We would like to see this recognition expanded to cover the broader community services workforce who are on the frontline of supporting those most in need.
  • Budgets are about choices — surely there is no fairer or more responsible choice than to give people enough money to afford the basics of life

Dr Jim Chalmers MP, Treasurer, Member for Rankin; Senator Helen Polley, Senator for Tasmania, 9 May 2023

BUDGET DELIVERING FOR NORTHERN TASMANIA

Tonight, the Albanese Labor Government has handed down its Budget, and families and businesses across Northern Tasmania are set to benefit says Senator Helen Polley.

“This is a Budget that delivers on our promises, and provides cost of living relief for our community,” said Senator Polley.

In addition to its existing initiatives on cheaper child care and cheaper medicines, Labor has announced a new Energy Price Relief Plan that will provide relief for more than five million households.

“Labor’s Energy Price Relief Plan will provide local residents with a rebate of up to $500 and businesses with a rebate of up to $650 off their energy bills,” said Senator Polley.

“I know that this will make a real difference in household budgets – helping families in our community to get ahead.”

“We are also making an historic investment to strengthen Medicare, tripling bulk billing incentives, which will see immediate benefits to more than 11 million Australians.”

Labor’s Treasurer, Dr Jim Chalmers, said that the program was just one example of how the Albanese Labor Government was delivering for Tasmanians.

“We made a promise to the Australian people, that after a wasted decade we would work hard every day,” said the Treasurer.

“This Budget is about delivering a stronger foundation for a better future.”

“Labor is delivering the positive and lasting change that Australians voted for, by making child care cheaper, expanding paid parental leave, delivering fee-free TAFE, saving households money on their power bills, making medicines cheaper and getting wages moving again.”

Media release – Shelter Tas, 10 May 2023

Shelter Tas Federal Budget Update

Please see below links to Federal Budget analysis from our colleagues at National Shelter and the Community Housing Industry Association (CHIA).

National Shelter, the national peak body representing the housing interests of low-income households, says now is the time for Government to adopt more ambitious measures to address the root causes of the housing and cost of living crises. National Shelter Media Release

The Community Housing Industry Association provides a short overview of the housing related elements of the Federal Budget. CHIA Briefing

Shelter Tas will provide more information on the Federal Budget once we have had an opportunity to analyse in more detail.