17th Oct 2018, 4:01 PM – Senate Motions - Anti-Poverty Week - Condemn Government

The majority voted in favour of a motion introduced by Labor Senator Jenny McAllister, which means it succeeded.

Motion text

That the Senate—

(a) notes that 14 October to 20 October 2018 is Anti-Poverty Week;

(b) recognises that all people have a right to a standard of living that is adequate for their health and well-being;

(c) acknowledges that, according to a 2016 ACOSS report, 2 million Australians are living below the poverty line;

(d) commends the work being done by the community to address poverty nationally and internationally;

(e) urges the Federal Government to commit to working towards an Australia where nobody lives in poverty; and

(f) condemns the Federal Government for:

(i) failing to act on the housing affordability crisis,

(ii) years of budget cuts that have left essential services crippled, and

(iii) failing to support Australian families who rely on penalty rates.