Senate debates

Tuesday, 25 February 2020

Motions

Poverty

4:08 pm

Photo of Rachel SiewertRachel Siewert (WA, Australian Greens) Share this | | Hansard source

I move:

That the Senate—

(a) notes that:

  (i) the 2020 Poverty in Australia Overview released last week found that poverty rates have remained at much the same level for the past decade, despite economic growth,

  (ii) the report found that more than 3 million people including 774,000 children under 15 are living below the poverty line and that more than 1 in 8 adults and 1 in 6 children live below the poverty line in Australia, and

  (iii) the Government's continued failure to act has meant that those trying to survive on Newstart are falling even further behind, prompting the Australian Council of Social Services to call for an urgent $95 increase in Newstart; and

(b) calls on the Federal Government to make it a priority to help address poverty in Australia by immediately raising Newstart and Youth Allowance and to implement a Government strategy to address poverty.

Question agreed to.