This speech was given by Luke Skinner, an Anti-Poverty Network SA member, to our Housing Emergency Rally, on March 19, 2023.
“We have seen the devastating effects of poverty in our communities, our cities, and our country. Poverty is a social problem, not just an economic one, and it affects so many Australians, regardless of their socio-economic background.
Yet, our government continues to do very little about the issue, claiming that they simply can’t afford to lift Centrelink payments above the poverty line. They say that they have to prioritise the economy, and the budget doesn’t allow more for social security. Well if the government can’t afford to help those in need, then I’d love for them to justify how can they afford to throw away 244 billion dollars to the wealthiest people in the country and 368 billion for weapons of mass destruction.
It is frustrating to see that organizations across our country and around the globe like the Anti-Poverty Network, the Salvation Army, and Oz-Harvest, have to pick up the slack and are forced to take on the work that our government refuses to do. It makes me angry that so many have to rely on these organisations to provide essential services, when it’s the government’s responsibility to ensure that every Australian has access to an adequate standard of living. I mean it’s in the job description.
We have a government that claims to be for the working class, but they continue to fail us by putting politics first and people last.
Aussies are struggling to keep a roof over their head, people are suffering, families are living in cars and we have tent cities emerging, where does it end. When everywhere we go, there are people living, AND dying in the streets? What will it take for our state and federal governments to really deliver a country where nobody gets left behind?
Anthony Albanese talks about his experiences growing up with a single mum in social housing as a way of relating to people in similar situations. Still, the truth is that Albo is a multi-millionaire, one of the richest politicians in this country. He owns a 5 million dollar property portfolio and makes hundreds of thousands off those properties alone. Now it would be unfair to disregard his background in public housing, but it disgusts me that he continues to use the hardships he faced decades ago as political ammunition whenever the topic of poverty arises.
Now, today marks the one year anniversary of the Malinauskas Labor government here in South Australia, and I’m sure that their party room is celebrating today, however for the rest of us, today doesn’t mark a day to celebrate, it marks yet another year of inaction, another year of broken promises and another year of hardships that impoverished people suffered through.
Our government needs to take real action to lift people out of poverty. This means increasing Centrelink payments above the poverty line, investing in PUBLIC affordable housing, and creating job opportunities that pay a living wage. We need to ensure that everyone has access to the basics, like food, water, shelter, healthcare, and education. We need to demand that politicians in this place and in Canberra prioritise the needs of their citizens above their political interests.” – Luke.