How local councils rank the political parties

A coalition of local councils has released a federal election scorecard ranking the Liberals, Labor and Greens on their level of support for asylum seekers living in the Australian community.

The Federal Government has been widely criticised for the policy introduced last year which has seen highly vulnerable individuals and families with children as young as six cut off from all income support and denied assistance in areas like housing, mental health, disability and the basic costs of clothing, food and school costs.

This support was provided through the Status Resolution Support Services (SRSS) program. The largest numbers of people supported by SRSS live in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.

If elected, the Federal Minister for Immigration, David Coleman, has indicated he will continue to expand these cuts to include families with even younger children.

The scorecard will be disseminated through the councils supporting the Back Your Neighbour Campaign, which represents 3.5 million Australians – many in marginal electorates.

It will also be shared through a large number of other supporters via email, social media and posters/materials shared through local organisations.

The Shadow Minister, Shayne Neumann, has committed to restoring this funding and reviewing the entire SRSS program if Labor wins the election. However, he has so far failed to provide a clear timeframe, raising concerns among some refugee advocates and communities.

The Greens spokesperson, Nick McKim, has committed to advocating in parliament and the community to expand the financial and other kinds of support available to people seeking asylum in the community.

The full responses received from each party are available at www.backyourneighbour.com/election.

Back Your Neighbour campaign manager, Daniel Scoullar, said the campaign had broad reach in local communities and that he hoped voters would think about the way the parties treat vulnerable people in their local areas when they vote on 18 May.

“Our group of local councils represents over 3.5 million Australians across suburbs and regional areas. Our message is simple: Leaving individuals and families with nothing to survive on is cruel. It is important voters understand the positions of the parties before they vote.

“These cuts hurt people who are our neighbours and friends. They live in our streets, their kids go to our kids' schools, and they are part of our local communities.

"Targeting a harmful policy at people who have come to Australia for safety from violence is not fair. It is pushing people into deep poverty and crisis while putting incredible pressure on material aid, homelessness and emergency health services. That has to stop.”

6 comments

It's pretty clear from that who NOT to vote for.

I have voted with a heart thankfully!

If that's the case and the finding is clear and then why do we keep voting the present government which we all know are for the rich people only. Have so many experience with the Liberals starting from where I came from and all countries with a Liberal Political party or Democrats. Liberals, Nationals and Democrats conive together to bring their evil policies into action which the lower class suffers the most. I have never voted to any of this political parties except now that whether we like it or not we have to put the number and so I put them last and hope to work. People who do not number their chosen parties will be decided by the ruling party of course. That is what I recon why they keep winning for decade/s when they are in power. So now that people's group have soken and made their own verdict maybe this time we will stop voting the Libs

Interesting that only 3 comments have been made so far.

I just don't understand why this Government wants to be so cruel and make people suffer more.

While the rich keep getting richer, the poor and vunerable are suffering more. 

 

Personally, I would like to see less political party involvement in local government. They should be politically independent because they are representing all members of the community and should not try to sway people one way or another. Former state MPs are even running for council, which IMO is not helpful because they have their own agendas, they come with a bias. Issues that a council has to deal with are not or should not be left-right, they cross all areas of politics, so councillors owe it to the community they serve to be impartial.

Well said.  

Plenty of money is directed to overseas aid but the LNP scrimps on helping asylum seekers. Scott Morrison’s dumb “You get a go if you have a go” pretty well sums up the attitude of this government.

6 comments



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