UnitingCare Australia congratulates Anthony Albanese and the Australian Labor Party on their re-election to form the 48th Parliament of Australia. National Director of UnitingCare Australia, Claerwen Little, said Labor’s return to Government represented a renewed opportunity to ensure that no Australian is left behind, as economic inequality persists.

“Labor has been delivered a fresh chance to implement a true wellbeing agenda and ensure that people are situated at the heart of policy and budgetary decision making”.

UnitingCare Australia is urging the Albanese Government to use its election mandate to take decisive action on addressing systemic drivers of poverty and inequality.

“There’s never been a more crucial time to push for the structural changes needed to improve the wellbeing and circumstances of so many in our community”, said Ms Little.

“Strengthening the safety net through aligning income support payments with actual living costs and properly indexing payments are essential reforms that we’ll be pushing the Government to enact this term”, said Ms Little.

UnitingCare Australia has also highlighted the need for funding to the care and support sector to be prioritised, by way of enhancing capacity of overwhelmed services.

“The cost-of-living crisis is translating to unprecedented demand for care and support services across the community. Services are being stretched beyond their limits to provide critical support to all in need”.

UnitingCare Australia recognises we’re at a critical juncture with the implementation of a new rights-based Aged Care Act on 1 July. Therefore, it is imperative that the Government does everything it can to get it right. This includes ensuring a smooth transition to the Support at Home Program and adequate funding so that all Australians, regardless of means or geography, can access the care they need.

“It’s time for Government to put money where it matters and make sure vital services, including aged care, have what they need to support everyone in the community”, said Ms Little. “In this moment of renewal, we’re calling on the Albanese Government to re-align economic policies with the values of equity, care and wellbeing and ensure that every Australian shares in the wealth of our nation and economy.”

Ms Little concluded, “as the nation looks towards a new chapter over this next term of government, it is critical that we work together and take full advantage of the opportunities to address both current issues and future challenges—towards building a fairer, stronger Australia for tomorrow”.

About UnitingCare Australia

UnitingCare Australia is the national body for the Uniting Church’s community services network and an agency of the Assembly of the Uniting Church in Australia. We give voice to the Uniting Church’s commitment to social justice through advocacy and by strengthening service provision.

The UnitingCare Network is the largest network of social service and aged care providers in Australia, delivering 5.8 million interactions annually across 1,600 service locations in urban, rural and remote communities, with over 55,000 staff and 17,000 volunteers. Over 80% of our workforce and 60% of our service recipients are women.

Media Contact – Fay Mound | 0467 093 754