Welfare not war: Albanese must prioritise support for people struggling with high living costs
The Antipoverty Centre is urging the Albanese government to withdraw material support and diplomatic cover for the US and Israel’s imperial wars and to instead prioritise investment in welfare, education, healthcare and other essential supports that benefit the public.
It is not possible to be against poverty without being against war, and we mourn the deaths and other casualties of everyone subjected to military aggression. But this is not only a matter of principle.
Increasing defence expenditure and supporting military action harms Australians both here and abroad, and disproportionately hits people on low incomes. This is indefensible from a government that claims to be serious about addressing the enormous financial strain many of us are suffering in the face of rising living costs.
War in West Asia is already hurting people here with sharp petrol price increases. Prices will only continue to go up and spread to more and more necessities if this continues.
Before the latest attack on Iran, millions of people across Australia were struggling to make ends meet in the face of lagging wages, skyrocketing rent, rising interest rates, predatory supermarket pricing and dramatic increases in energy bills. We cannot absorb more financial pain, and the prime minister must begin acting in our interests rather than those of war profiteers if he is to avoid further loss of credibility with the public. The government must prioritise meeting the material needs of people in Australia, including by:
- Increasing all Centrelink payments to at least the poverty line and ensuring everyone who needs income support can access it
- Directly investing in public housing and increase funding for public education and healthcare
- Abolishing tax breaks that cost the public tens of billions of dollars each year and fuel inequality such as negative gearing for property investors and the Capital Gains Tax discount
We call on all civil society organisations that claim to represent community interests, from trade unions to think tanks, from welfare organisations to the climate movement and everyone in between: join us in publicly opposing war and demanding economic justice at home.
Quotes attributable to Antipoverty Centre spokesperson and JobSeeker recipient Jay Coonan
The RBA is punishing mortgage holders with the aim of pushing more people out of paid work. People in poverty are having calls disconnected when trying to access paltry Centrelink payments. Wages are falling behind inflation. Parents are feeling the pinch of rising education costs. Everyone is being hit by higher grocery and energy bills. We fear the damage that will be felt across our communities as the cost of war hits home.
It is absurd for the prime minister to claim he is taking action on the cost of living, while also increasing military expenditure.
Anthony Albanese said he is powerless to act against genocide in Palestine, yet he is vocally supporting this war regardless of the harm it does here. What does he stand for, US and Israeli interests or those who elected him and are struggling to make ends meet?
In the interests of us all, the only responsible option is for the prime minister to oppose this war and ensure everyone he was elected to serve has their needs met.
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