TONIGHT: Inside the welfare compliance scandal + mini documentary launch (online event)
Rick Morton joins welfare rights campaigners to discuss the moral and legal questions hanging over the regime of compulsory activities that dominate poor people’s lives
The Antipoverty Centre invites welfare recipients, unemployed people, our supporters and members of the media to join us online at 7pm AEST tonight for the first screening of No Room to Breathe, a mini documentary about the impact of “mutual” obligations, and for a discussion of how to assert our rights while penalties are still being used to harm people despite a damning Commonwealth Ombudsman’s report. Following the community screening, we will be taking the film to parliament next week.
Event information
Rick Morton will join Cheyanne – who contributed to the Commonwealth Ombudsman’s investigation into the Targeted Compliance Framework and features in the documentary alongside Jesse – to discuss the background to the investigation, what welfare recipients need from policies that affect us and how both the media and government are failing to grapple with the unfair and unlawful use of penalties affecting millions of people. We will share information about:
- how people subjected to compulsory activities can assert their rights in the current system;
- what actions we are taking, and what other welfare recipients can do, to reveal more evidence of harmful and unlawful penalties; and
- employment minister Amanda Rishworth’s recent (un)employment services announcement, what it means for welfare recipients, and the “consultation” process.
Time: 7pm AEST / 6:30pm ACST / 5pm AWST
Date: Wednesday 17 June 2026
Accessibility: This event will be Auslan interpreted and a live captioner will transcribe.
Location: Online. Register here: events.humanitix.com/profit-from-punishment-inside-the-welfare-compliance-scandal-online
Cheyanne is available for interview about her views on and experiences with employment services, and her contributions to the Ombudsman’s investigation. Media contact: 0413 261 362 / 0403 429 414 / media at antipovertycentre.org