Senator Ursula Stephens, Parliamentary Secretary for Social Inclusion and the Voluntary Sector, opened the Major Church Providers’ Summit this morning reiterating the Rudd Government’s firm commitment to social inclusion despite tougher economic times.
The four major church organisations providing social welfare in Australia convened the summit at Parliament House this morning to launch their jointly commissioned discussion paper The Impact of the Global Financial Crisis on Social Services and discuss its implications for their work.
Senator Stephens acknowledged the work of the four eminent organisations – Anglicare Australia, Catholic Social Services Australia, Salvation Army and Uniting Care Australia – and thanked them for commissioning Access Economics to undertake a preliminary analysis of the impacts of the current economic climate.
“Let me reassure you that everyone in the Rudd Government understands that when we face hard times we need to be even more vigilant that people don’t fall between the cracks.” Senator Stephens said.
She highlighted recent government action to help those in need: investment of $10.4 billion for Australian families and those living on low incomes, the $300 million local community infrastructure fund to help boost local spending in facilities and community amenities, and the recently enacted $662 million National Rental Affordability Scheme, which will work to address the housing shortages for low income families.
Senator Stephens noted that the report’s recommendation for coordinated and collaborative processes that involve all levels of government and the social services sector is embodied in the government’s Social Inclusion Agenda.
“This is the social inclusion agenda that we in government are working to build. It is a transformative agenda – one that is about breaking entrenched cycles of disadvantage and investing in policies and programs that make a significant difference in people’s lives.
“Our commitment to social inclusion will gain momentum in the face of the challenges facing us as a nation and as a global community,” said Senator Stephens.