Antipoverty Centre submission to the Senate Standing Committees inquiry into amendments of the income control reform bill 2023

The Antipoverty Centre condemns this bill and urges the senate to vote it down and instead, commit to ending income control in all its forms. We use the term ‘income control’ rather than ‘income management’ because these programs control and ration how an individual can spend their income. The stigma associated with such programs are underpinned by an apparent bipartisan belief that people in poverty must be criminalised.

Antipoverty centre Recommendation on this bill;

1. We do not believe that income control should be carried out in any form and are opposed to this program, the current bill and the rationalisation of income control. This bill should not be “reformed” or “amended” and the only bill to mention income control should be the one that repeals all legislation enabling such programs.

You can read the full submission below.