Month: May 2023

The Albanese Labor Government is committed to helping single parents balance their work and family responsibilities.

The Federal Budget 2023-24 will expand access to financial support by raising the age cut-off for the Parenting Payment (Single) from 8 to 14.

Many single parents – overwhelmingly women – face difficulty balancing caring responsibilities and work.

These difficulties do not end when their child turns eight.

We also know that many single mothers have experienced violence from a previous partner and are at greater risk of financial hardship.

They need more support.

This Budget will extend the Parenting Payment (Single), so eligible carers can access that support until their youngest dependent child turns 14.

From 20 September 2023, and subject to the passage of legislation, single parents will no longer have to transfer to JobSeeker when their youngest child turns eight.

These parents will continue to receive the higher support, with a current base rate of $922.10 per fortnight (95 per cent of the Age Pension), until their youngest child turns 14.

With these changes, eligible single parents currently on JobSeeker will receive an increase to payments of $176.90 per fortnight.

By 14, children have typically settled into high school and need less parental supervision, and single parents are in a much stronger position to take on paid work.

More than 90 per cent of parents who will benefit from this change are single mothers.

Labor’s Budget changes will provide additional financial support to at least 57,000 single principal carers, including 52,000 women and around 5,700 First Nations carers.

This represents a $1.9 billion investment through to 2026-27.

Mutual obligation requirements will remain in place for recipients of Parenting Payment (Single) to encourage single parents to participate in employment, study or training, and maintain connections with the labour force so they can return to work when their children are older.

Our Budget is all about helping families deal with day-to-day financial pressures while creating more economic security for them over the long term. This change extends that support to some of the families who need it the most.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said:

“Single parents carry the world on their backs.

“They sacrifice so much to give their children a better life.

“This is about giving them the greater security and better support they deserve.

“No one held back and no one left behind has always been the principle that guides me.

“This change to single parent payments is about making things fairer for parents who are already doing it tough.

“I know this will make a big and immediate difference for tens of thousands of mums, dads and children right across Australia.”

Minister for Social Services, Amanda Rishworth said:

“No parent should have to choose between meeting their children’s needs and their family’s safety or economic security.

“Reduced opportunities to participate in paid work, coupled with the additional costs associated with raising children, make single parent households more vulnerable to economic insecurity.

“Labor’s changes will support more single parents and their children to ensure they have the safety net they need and that they are supported to re-enter the workforce when their children get older.

“We will always seek to do more to provide a safety net to those who need it.”

The Greens welcome the abolition of ParentsNext and congratulate all the advocates and parents who have won this hard-fought battle. 

The Greens have been calling on the federal government to abolish ParentsNext for years, and while this is a positive step, Labor has flagged a new co-designed program set to replace ParentsNext. The devil will be in the details, and the Greens call on Labor to commit to a transparent co-design process.

Senator Janet Rice, Greens spokesperson for Social Services, said: 

“The co-design process must be transparent and lead by affected parents.

“Though a welcome announcement, it’s yet another example of Labor tinkering around the edges ahead of a budget that will likely do nothing for the vast majority of people on Centrelink payments or single parents. 

“Mutual obligations are punitive and coercive for everyone on income support, not only parents with kids under 6. Jobseeker and all Centrelink payments are woefully inadequate, not just for people on Jobseeker that are over 55. 

“No one deserves poverty. That’s true whether you’re 20 or 60, a parent or childless, a renter or student or living with a disability. No one. 

“Labor is spending $368 billion on nuclear submarines and $254 billion on tax cuts for the rich.

“Budgets are about choices. Instead of doubling down on leaving people without heating or food or medicines as they struggle to pay the rent, Labor can choose differently.

“Labor must axe the Stage 3 tax cuts, end punitive mutual obligations, and raise all Centrelink payments above the poverty line.”

Senator Larissa Waters, Greens leader in the Senate and spokesperson on Women, said:

“Around 95 per cent of ParentsNext participants are women, and this program has been allowed to punish and stigmatise them since its introduction in 2018 – which the Greens tried to disallow at the time.

“Rather than supporting women to get back to work, ParentsNext often meant women had to skip paid work, endure stress and stigma, and were left unable to feed their kids when their payments were cut. It should never have been approved and we’re glad to see the back of it.

“The Government must now deliver on all of the recommendations of its Women’s Economic Equality Taskforce, including restoring support to single parents until their youngest turns 16.

“The upcoming budget must fully reverse the Gillard government’s shameful decision to cut off Parenting Payment Single when kids turn 8, not tinker around the edges with a lift to 13 or 14.

“Budget savings should never have been made by pushing people into poverty. If Labor are serious about taking a gendered lens to this budget, they could start by scrapping the Stage 3 tax cuts, which mostly benefit rich men, so we could fund things that will actually help the people who need it.

The Greens have responded to reports that the government’s planned changes to the Petroleum Resource Rent Tax will increase revenue by only $3B over the next four years.

Comments from Greens Treasury spokesperson, Senator Nick McKim:

“Labor’s changes to the PRRT look like they have been designed by the gas industry.”

“Labor is still raising more from student debt increases than they are from gas giants.”

“Under Labor’s minimalist reforms, the increase in student debt will still be higher than the total PRRT.”

“The Greens have proposed a comprehensive overhaul of the PRRT that would collect almost ten times as much additional revenue than Labor’s fiddling at the margins.”

“By introducing a baseline 10% royalty, wiping out accumulated deductions and applying a conventional depreciation schedule to PRRT expenses, the Greens plans would net an additional $29B over the next four years and an additional $94B over the decade.”

Comments from Greens spokesperson for Resources and First Nations, and Yamatji Noongar woman, Senator Dorinda Cox:

“We all heard Woodside’s Meg O’Neill warn the government about tax ‘overreach’ during her Press Club address, but Jim Chalmers must have pretty short arms if this is considered overreach.”

“Australian taxpayers expect transparency and integrity in parliament not the insidiousness of state capture becoming standard practice.”

“These fossil fuel companies need to pay their fair share, so the government can properly invest in housing, healthcare, and take real action on the climate crisis that these companies are accelerating.”

“Considering there’s $284B in unclaimed tax deductions that gas giants have accumulated under the PRRT, the Treasurer prying only $3 billion from them is a pitiful drop in the ocean.”

“You know the PRRT is utterly broken when Woodside and Santos are set to record massive profits in the next financial year.” 

“How much longer will the Albanese Government continue to allow mining companies to take resources that don’t belong to them, for free, and sell them off for unimaginably large profits, when the money raised from PRRT could address the cost of living crisis impacting everyday Australians?”

The Australian Greens have announced Deputy Leader Senator Mehreen Faruqi as their new spokesperson on the Republic.

Senator Faruqi has criticised Prime Minister Albanese for his decision to attend King Charles’ coronation and pledge allegiance to the new monarch.

Senator Faruqi said:

“The only reason Prime Minister Albanese should be going to the UK to meet King Charles is to tell him that we are finally cutting the apron strings. 

“Now would be the perfect time to double down on becoming a republic, but instead the Prime Minister is swearing loyalty to an outdated institution. 

“During a brutal cost of living and housing crisis, it is disgusting that the Prime Minister has made it a priority to fly to the UK to bask in the excesses, pomp and pageantry of an institution so out of touch with everyday people. 

“The British Monarchy and their obscene wealth is a racist, colonial institution built on the blood, backs and stolen wealth of brown and black people. The violent legacies of British colonialism are felt by people and countries all over the globe, including here in Australia, a nation born of dispossession and violence.

“More and more of us are waking up to the historic crimes of the British Royal Family and wanting to cut ties with the British Monarchy. But while nations like Barbados are becoming a republic and speaking truth about empire, the Prime Minister is taking us backwards with his cringeworthy behaviour.

“Pledging allegiance to the head of another country is woeful. We should have an Australian head of state.

“Becoming a republic is an important step towards achieving racial justice on this continent. Moving to a republic has to be done hand in hand with truth-telling and Treaty for First Nations people.

“Prime Minister Albanese’s tepid commitment to the republic movement is yet another example of Labor trying to have it both ways.”

Today I am pleased welcome Malaysia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, His Excellency Dato’ Seri Diraja Dr Zambry Abd Kadir, to Adelaide for the fifth Australia-Malaysia Annual Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (AFMM).

I was born in Malaysia, and as Australia’s Foreign Minister it is a privilege to host the AFMM in my hometown of Adelaide. Australia is a multicultural and diverse nation, home to more than 172,000 Malaysian born people.

Australia and Malaysia are close friends and partners. Our strong partnership is grounded in a shared history of friendship and cooperation, and people to people ties.

The AFMM provides an opportunity to enhance bilateral engagement under our Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. This includes advancing our trade and investment, green economy, education, and science and innovation ties, and our cooperation on defence and regional security, including under the Five Power Defence Arrangements.

I look forward to building on the discussions I had with Foreign Minister Zambry in Kuala Lumpur in February. We share an interest in a peaceful, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific region.

Australia is committed to working with Malaysia to support ASEAN’s vital contribution to regional peace and security.

This is the first time the AFMM has been held in Adelaide. Foreign Minister Zambry’s visit coincides with celebrations to mark 50 years of sister city relations between Adelaide and George Town, Penang.

The Australian Government will provide an initial $6 million in humanitarian assistance in response to the conflict in Sudan.

Australia’s assistance includes $1 million to the International Committee of the Red Cross to provide immediate relief including medical supplies, food, water and sanitation, emergency shelter and protection for the most vulnerable people affected by the crisis.

A further $5 million will be provided to Australia’s international partners delivering lifesaving humanitarian assistance in the region.

We are deeply concerned by the loss of life and destruction that is taking place in Sudan. We call on all parties to agree to a permanent cessation of hostilities.

A negotiated solution is the only path forward for the people of Sudan.

The conflict has exacerbated the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Sudan, which was already suffering high levels of food insecurity with large numbers of displaced people.

We urge all parties to the conflict to uphold international law and protect civilians, including health and humanitarian aid workers.

It is essential that humanitarian agencies are given safe access to deliver life-saving assistance to the people of Sudan.

The Australian Government extends its deepest condolences to the people of Sudan, and the Australian-Sudanese community.

Australians in Sudan are advised to register with DFAT through DFAT Crisis Portal Registration.

For consular assistance, contact the Australian Government 24-hour Consular Emergency Centre on 1300 555 135 in Australia or +61 2 6261 3305 outside Australia.