Joint statement from EJA and @ACOSS rejecting any suggestion organisations were consulted on Schedule 5: buff.ly/3xoCatz @SenKatyG @senatorpennyqld @SenatorThorpe @DavidPocock @DavidShoebridge @TammyTyrrell

@ej_australia and ACOSS rejects any suggestions that organisations were consulted on Schedule 5: acoss.org.au/media-releases…

Both EJA and ACOSS would like to make clear that we were at no point consulted on the Schedule 5 amendment.

EJA and ACOSS confirm that, from the first notification from the Government about the proposed Schedule 5, both organisations have made clear we oppose the Schedule 5 amendment. We continue to urge all parliamentarians to reject Schedule 5 in its entirety.

🚨 1,000+ orgs from over 100 countries tell #COP30 governments:

stop treating climate action like a numbers game and make a #JustTransition happen.

Put people before profit.

climatenetwork.org/2025/11/10/100…

#JustTransitionRising #BAM

We urge the Federal Government to scrap Schedule 5 of the Social Security and Other Legislative Amendments (Technical Change No 2) Bill that could see innocent people have their social security payment cancelled.

Changes will have devastating impact on First Nations communities. Prof Thalia Anthony at UTS notes: "First Nations men, women and young people will be disproportionately affected by these laws because they are more likely to be over-policed and suspected of committing offences."

Read more in Jenna Price opinion piece for The Canberra Times: canberratimes.com.au/story/9106075/…

Read ACOSS joint response with @ej_australia to the Home Affairs Minister: acoss.org.au/media-releases…

See the response from @NATSILS_ here: linkedin.com/posts/natsils_…

The latest report from the ACOSS/UNSW Poverty and Inequality Partnership shows that 3.7m people are experiencing poverty. That number represents 1 in 7 people. Read the report at bit.ly/povertyovervie…

@UNSW @SPRC_UNSW @JesuitSocialSer @SSI_tweets @savechildrenaus @MissionAust @SmithFamily_org @LWBAustralia @ACFinspires @davidmorawetz

“Cutting rates again isn’t without its risks, but the risks of keeping them too high appear more damaging right now.” – @CallamPickering, Senior Economist at @IndeedAU.

ACOSS agrees. Interest rates that remain too high for too long are pushing more people into financial stress. There are already 50,000 more people unemployed since the start of the year. Without immediate rate cuts, we will only see that number grow.

Read more: smh.com.au/politics/feder…

There are now two people unemployed for every job vacancy - the highest ratio since 2021.
Rising unemployment means more people on brutally low-income support payments, and more people trapped in a failing employment services system: acoss.org.au/media-releases…

Underlying inflation remains well within the RBA’s target range. There is no justification for maintaining interest rates at punishingly high levels.

Interest rate cuts alone won’t resolve the ongoing living standards crisis.

We need:
- #RaiseTheRate of income support payments like JobSeeker
- Fix the punitive employment services system
- Invest in social housing
- Expand energy efficiency programs to lower household bills

2 years since National Cabinet’s promise of a Better Deal for Renters, most governments have not delivered meaningful reforms, and millions face unfair rent hikes & evictions - a new report from the National Association of Renters’ Organisations (NARO) and @NationalShelter finds.

See NARO and National Shelter's report card released today: tenants.org.au/news/better-de…

NARO and Shelter call for robust Federal oversight of the Better Deal for Renters reforms, incentives for states & territories to implement the reforms and NARO’s National Nine principles, and Federal funding for NARO to give expert advice and ensure renters’ voices are heard.