Building a fairer Australia
- Workplace relations
- Support for new parents, low income earners, pensioners, seniors, carers, people with disabilities and veterans
- Housing affordability
- Homelessness
- Indigenous disadvantage
- Reducing violence and promoting social inclusion
Workplace relations
Fair Work Act: The Fair Work Act 2009 creates a new legislative framework for workplace relations in Australia, which balances the needs of employees, the unions and employers. The new system will deliver a balance that allows Australia to become more competitive and prosperous without taking away workplace rights and guaranteed minimum standards.
Support for new parents, low income earners, pensioners, seniors, carers, people with disabilities and veterans
National paid parental leave scheme: In the 2009-10 Budget, the Government announced that it would invest $731 million over five years to implement - for the first time - a paid parental leave scheme. The scheme will be available to parents for births and adoptions that occur on or after 1 January 2011.
Single age pension: The global economic crisis is a timely reminder of the importance of an adequate safety net. The Government is reforming the pension system to provide greater financial security to Australia's 3.3 million aged, carer, disability, war widowers and service pensioners.
Permanent carer supplement: The Government's secure and sustainable pension reform also delivers a new, permanent carer supplement to help around 500,000 carers across Australia meet the significant financial challenges they face.
Relief for working families: The Government is standing up for working people, against the massive threat of this global economic crisis, including through tax relief for working Australians involving:
- Income Tax Cuts: In the 2008-09 Budget the Government delivered $46.7 billion in income tax cuts for working families and low income earners. This means an extra $60 per week for families on a combined income of $100,000 with the primary earner on an income of $60,000;
- A Child Care Tax Refund: The Government has also committed $4.4 billion over four years to increase the Child Care Tax Rebate from 30% to 50%, to assist with families' child care costs; and
- An Education Tax Refund: The Government has provided $4.4 billion for a 50 per cent Education Tax Refund on eligible educational expenses from 1 July 2008, which will benefit 2.7 million children from 1.3 million Australian families.
Housing affordability
Housing affordability: The Government has acted decisively to improve housing affordability for all Australians, including through:
- National Rental Affordability Scheme: The Government has established a $622.7 million National Rental Affordability Scheme to help increase the supply of affordable rental dwellings by 50,000 by 2012;
- Housing Affordability Fund: The Government has established a $512 million Housing Affordability Fund to lower the cost of building new homes; and
- COAG housing agreement: A new $6.2 billion National Affordable Housing Agreement between the Government and States and Territories.
First Home Owners Boost: The First Home Owners Boost is helping young Australians realise their dream of home ownership. It is also helping to sustain Australia's housing and construction industries during the economic downturn.
First Home Saver Accounts: First Home Saver Accounts are the first of their kind in Australia and will provide a simple, tax effective way for Australians to save for their first home through a combination of government contributions and low taxes. Young Australians saving for their first home will attract a government contribution equivalent to a 17 per cent contribution on the first $5,000 of individual contributions made each year.
For more information see Budget 2009-10
Homelessness
Action to halve homelessness: In December 2008 the Government published a White Paper setting out a plan to halve homelessness by 2020. The plan focuses on three core strategies:
- Better prevention of homelessness;
- Improving and expanding services to help more homeless people; and
- Breaking the cycle of homelessness by providing long-term housing and support.
Expanded social housing: The Government's Nation Building for Recovery Plan includes an investment of $6.4 billion to build 20,000 new social housing units and repair around 45,000 units of social housing. This forms part of the Government's investment in medium-term infrastructure and represents the single largest investment in social housing ever undertaken in Australia.
For more informtion see the White Paper on Homelessness: The Road Home: A National Approach to Reducing Homelessness
Also see:
Prime Minister establishes independent Council on Homelessness - Press Release
$69 million social housing investment in Townsville
Indigenous disadvantage
Apology to Indigenous Australians and agreed a national 'Closing the Gap' strategy: The Prime Minister pledged that the Government would lead a new national effort in closing the gap in disadvantage between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians after delivering the National Apology last year. The Government has made a $4.6 billion investment in closing the gap in Indigenous disadvantage in life expectancy, health, education and employment outcomes, including initiatives focusing on:
Indigenous health: This will tackle chronic disease in the Indigenous population by reducing the biggest risk factors such as smoking, improving access to health checks and essential primary care services, improving chronic disease management and follow up and expanding the capacity of the health workforce.
Remote Indigenous housing: This will involve major reforms to Indigenous housing in remote Australia. By upgrading up to 4,800 existing houses and 4,200 new houses, the impact of overcrowding and sub standard remote housing in key communities will be significantly improved.
Indigenous economic participation: This investment ($228.8 million over five years: Commonwealth $173 million, States $56 million) will assist up to 13,000 Indigenous Australians into employment and boost employment through public sector Indigenous employment and career development strategies and strengthened procurement policies to maximise Indigenous employment, skills development and business creation.
Remote service delivery: This investment ($291.2 million over six years: Commonwealth $187.7 million, States $103.5 million) will allow governments to deliver better coordinated services (such as early childhood, health, welfare services) in 26 priority remote communities. This will also strengthen the capacity of Indigenous organisations and will support improved health, education and employment outcomes.
Entering into an indigenous early childhood development national partnership with the States and Territories: The National Partnership delivers $564 million over six years to deliver integrated services that offer early learning, child care and family support programs and increase access to ante natal care, teenage reproductive and sexual health services, and child and maternal health services.
Appointing a Coordinator-General: The Government is creating the new position of Coordinator-General for Remote Indigenous Services to drive the implementation of reforms in areas such as remote Indigenous housing, infrastructure and employment. The Coordinator-General will act to ensure that remote services work together, cutting through blockages to get things done.
For more information see:
Overcoming Indigenous Disadvantage: Key Indicators 2009
Prime Minister's Parliamentary Speech on closing the gap 2009
Prime Minister's Parliamentary Speech on closing the gap 2010
Reducing violence and promoting social inclusion
Reducing violence against women and children: For the first time, the Government is leading long-term national action to reduce violence against women and children, with two land-mark agreements finalised with the States and Territories earlier this year:
- A national plan to reduce violence against women, and
- A national framework for protecting Australia's children 2009-2020
Promoting social inclusion: The Government is committed to working with local communities to tackle the causes of disadvantage and build capabilities and opportunities for all Australians to:
- Learn - participate in education and training;
- Work - participate in employment or unpaid or voluntary work, including the provision of family and carer responsibilities;
- Engage - connect with people, use local services and participate in local cultural, civic and recreational activities; and
- Have a voice - influence decisions that affect them.
The Government has also established an expert Social Inclusion Board to bring together community leaders with a mix of networks, experience, expertise and entrepreneurial skills to provide advice on new and practical ways to help disadvantaged people around the country.
For more information visit the Social Inclusion website
See also: Time for action to reduce violence against women and children
