The PALM scheme, which aims to fill labour shortages in Australia’s agricultural and horticultural sectors with workers from Pacific Island nations and Timor-Leste, has come under increasing scrutiny for the mistreatment and abuse of workers it was designed to protect.
The 2024 Federal Budget has been met with both anticipation and scrutiny, particularly regarding its response to the escalating cost of living crisis in Australia.
The Australian Catholic Council for Employment Relations (ACCER) has written a submission calling for an increase to the minimum wage.
Those who are committed to the Church’s social mission will be particularly interested in that section in the Synthesis Report of the first assembly of the Synod on a Synodal Church which considers the Church’s relationship with people who are poor.
The Australian Council of Social Service (ACOSS) has led a national campaign to urge the Federal Government to raise the rate of income support payments made to Australians on job seeker and some other payments. We update you on the campaign and the just released Budget.
The Australian Catholic Council on Employment Relations recently made a submission to the annual minimum case. It recommended a wage increase of 7.2% for Australia’s lowest paid workers. We look at some of the key points in the submission.
Peter Arndt, Director of the Office reflects on Advent and particularly on seeing God with us each day. The hustle and bustle of this time of year can stop us seeing and hearing God in our day-to-day lives. He urges us to keep Christ in our celebrations of Christmas by remembering and including people excluded from society and our brother and sisters in the environment in our celebrations. Peter farewells Patrice Moriarty who is moving on from her support of the Office.
Peter Arndt, Director of the Office reflects on Advent and particularly on seeing God with us each day. The hustle and bustle of this time of year can stop us seeing and hearing God in our day-to-day lives. He urges us to keep Christ in our celebrations of Christmas by remembering and including people excluded from society and our brother and sisters in the environment in our celebrations. Peter farewells Patrice Moriarty who is moving on from her support of the Office.
The Federal government released their 2022-2023 budget after the election. Although there is new funding available to speed up visa processing which is years behind, and there is a review on Australia’s multicultural policies and more support for people learning English, there was no commitment to permanency for those on temporary visas and no increased refugee intake.
Anti-Poverty week (16-22 October) is being observed this week, and we are being called on to raise awareness and taken action against poverty and organisations such as Vinnies Australia are calling on all parliamentarians to halving child poverty by 2030. Recent reports show 761,000 children live below the poverty line. Pope Francis’ message for World Day of the Poor (Nov 13) states, “This is the moment for us not to lose heart but to renew.”