Submission to the Senate Community Affairs Legislation Committee inquiry into the Economic Inclusion Advisory Committee Bill 2023

The Economic Inclusion Advisory Committee Bill 2023 in its current form is unacceptable to groups that are run by and for people in poverty. It does nothing to alleviate concerns the Antipoverty Centre has raised repeatedly: that this committee is little more than a tool to distract from criticism of government inaction and to set low ambitions.

When the treasurer dismissed these recommendations it showed utter contempt for our right to
have our needs met. It showed the government’s intention was that this committee be used as mere window dressing to satisfy Senator David Pocock’s good faith efforts to improve the lives of people in poverty and secure his vote for industrial relations reforms.

We have advocated for a year now for the government to make substantive changes to this
committee that would better reflect the wishes and needs of those in poverty, and to make it
something that would have credibility and utility in the eyes of people affected by economic
exclusion. We will continue to do so as long as necessary, as we continue our push for income
support payment rates to be taken out of politicians’ hands entirely so us and our ability to survive
are no longer used as a political football. People in poverty are the most important stakeholders for the exclusion committee because we are the ones the government is failing the most. Past approaches to consultation have either completely excluded, marginalised or tokenistically included us.

You can read our submission in full below and see our related media release here and here.