Not one but seven priorities for the third Howard Government

We are alarmed that the Australian Government has used the lever of Australian aid to coax Pacific Island countries to take asylum seekers heading for Australia. Pacific Church leaders have said they do not want to be treated as a "dumping ground for the benefit of industrialised countries."

In this vast and wonderful country of ours, there is "room at the inn". We believe that Australia’s annual intake of refugees should be raised to 25,000, the level of 15 years ago.

The issue of asylum seekers is a global one and cannot be solved by Australia alone. Australia has a major opportunity to encourage its ally, the United States, to develop a method of putting this and other global issues on the table for open discussion and resolution in a way which the UN cannot achieve.

Aged Care

Australia’s residential aged care services are in crisis because Government funding is insufficient to maintain high quality care. The quality of care is therefore declining. La Trobe University has estimated underfunding of up to $158.6 million over the last three years.

The 160 Anglican aged care homes around Australia report that current funding levels bear no direct relationship to the actual costs of providing adequate care. Their CEO’s say that the decline in funding undermines their ability to maintain, let alone improve, the quality of care at a time of rising demand for aged care services.

There is also a serious shortage of skilled staff available to provide high quality care. The ever-increasing lack of trained nurses and other staff who are prepared to work in residential aged care facilities has reached a crisis point. They are underpaid, with some earning up to 25% less than their colleagues in general hospitals. Appropriately skilled and motivated staff are essential to the provision of quality care for older Australians who are in need of nursing home care.

The Coalition’s election promise of $100 million in additional capital funding for small aged care homes in rural, remote and urban-fringe areas is welcome, as is its commitment to provide more funds to enable the pay and conditions of aged care workers to be improved. We call on the Government to implement these initiatives urgently.

Social Housing

All Australians have a fundamental right to adequate and affordable housing. Housing is essential to people’s health and wellbeing, and their participation in the economic and social life of the community. Yet homelessness in Australia is rising, in part due to the lack of affordable housing.

There is an urgent need to increase Federal and State funding and private sector investment in affordable housing. We call on the new Government to begin negotiations immediately for the next Commonwealth State Housing Agreement (CSHA) due to be agreed by July 2002. A new commitment is needed urgently to increase public and community housing through capital grants, thereby reducing the unacceptable number of households who cannot afford housing.

Reducing Unemployment

Increasing employment must be a top priority for the new Federal Government. Inequality in Australia has risen over the past decade and the lack of full-time jobs is a key factor in increasing levels of disadvantage and poverty. .

Between one and two million jobless Australians need meaningful work and an adequate income. They also need training and skills to get jobs in the changing labour market. The unemployment rate for indigenous and younger Australians is estimated to be 26%, more than three times the rate for the whole community.

We call on the new Government to give priority to boosting expenditure in education and training, health, and community services– all labour-intensive areas where increased expenditure will significantly increase job opportunities. A meaningful job that pays a living wage is the key to eliminating poverty and providing security for Australian families.