The Catholic Welfare Australia Awards provide a unique opportunity to herald the outstanding work of the social services sector in Australia and the calibre of this year’snominations were no exception. The winners of the Catholic Welfare Australia Awards for 2005 are:

Award for Excellence in Service (Organisational)

Heritage and Information Service, MacKillop Family Services: This is a free service provided to the community of “Forgotten Australians” whose lives were shaped by family separation: people who spent their lives as children in institutional care, people who as infants were separated from their mothers and people who as young mothers were separated from their children. Through this service, MacKillop Family Services preserves records, releases records, helps search for separated family members and supports former residents. The Award was accepted by the Manager of the Service, Ms Jenny Glare.

1 SEPTEMBER  2006

FRANK QUINLAN, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, CATHOLIC SOCIAL SERVICES AUSTRALIA

After months of deliberation with Government and other church and community groups, Catholic Social Services Australia, the welfare arm of the Catholic Church, has recently recommended its 61 members not participate in the Financial Case Management program to provide managed income support whose social security payments have been stopped for eight weeks under the new Welfare to Work arrangements.

We share the Government's objective of moving people from welfare to appropriate work according to their capacity.  We support the principle of mutual obligation.  We remain partners with Government in many of the successful programs it has implemented to achieve this objective.

Catholic Welfare Australia’s Executive Director, Frank Quinlan, said Treasurer Peter Costello’s tax inquiry provides an opportunity to examine the inequities and disincentives in Australia’s tax system, especially in light of new research released today which shows that the richest one percent of the population has almost doubled its share of national wealth since 1980.

Releasing Catholic Welfare Australia’s letter to the Treasurer’s inquiry, Mr Quinlan said there is scope for the inquiry to lead to small, but significant changes ahead of this year’s budget.

“But a more comprehensive investigation of Australia’s complex and outdated tax system should be released in the lead up to the 2007 election,” Mr Quinlan said.

Catholic Welfare Australia says that the level of poverty in Australia today and in the future can be reduced, if not eradicated, by making the choice to do so.

Catholic Welfare Australia will be representing the experiences and interests of its membership of over 53 Catholic social welfare organisations when it delivers its message to the Senate Community Affairs Committee at 1.15pm today during the Public Hearing of its Inquiry into Poverty and Financial Hardship being held in Canberra. 

“There are some think-tanks at the moment publicly espousing the view that poverty is a result of the availability of welfare,” said Spokesperson for Catholic Welfare Australia, Fr Joe Caddy. “This is simply not true. Poverty is the result of a number of factors such as the lack of decent and appropriate employment, affordable housing and rising household and services costs.”

The 40 year 'vision' outlined in tonight's Budget poses a frightening future for tomorrow's battlers.  Rather than setting the foundations for an inclusive Australia, with employment and social opportunities for all, Costello’s vision implies more of the same.  While the well-off continue to make hay in the economic sun, the unemployed, disabled and other welfare recipients are again expected to bear the burden of savings to preserve the nation's low-interest lifestyle.

“This Budget fails to deliver a social dividend” said Mr Toby O'Connor, National Director of Catholic Welfare Australia.  "A focus on increased labour market participation for people with disabilities and the long-term unemployed is worthy enough.  But the glaring omission of any strategy to create jobs for these pensioners and beneficiaries will see the compliance focus of welfare reform coming to the fore.

The Prime Minister described the debate over work family balance as “a BBQ stopper”. Today Catholic Welfare Australia will tell the Standing Committee for Family and Human Services that life is no BBQ for low skilled, casual and part-time employees, particularly in light of the Federal Government’s Workforce Participation Agenda.

Catholic Welfare Australia is appearing before the House of Representatives Standing Committee for Family and Human Services at 11:00am as part of the first day’s Public Hearing into the Inquiry into Balancing Family and Work, taking place today in the Jubilee Room, NSW Parliament House, Macquarie Street in Sydney.

Nominations are now open for the 2003 Catholic Welfare Australia Awards which aim to recognise and promote the work of Catholic Welfare Australia Member Organisations and individuals working within the social welfare sector.

This is the second year that the Awards are being held.

“Recent research indicates that there are over 8,000 people employed within the Catholic Social Welfare sector and these awards provide an ideal opportunity for Member Organisations to showcase their best employees, programs and overall service, said Spokesperson for Catholic Welfare Australia, Fr Joe Caddy. “We are also pleased to be able to extend the Perkins Award outside of our Membership network.

Nominations are now open for the 2005 Catholic Welfare Australia Awards which aim to recognise and promote the work of Catholic Welfare Australia Member Organisations and individuals working within the social services sector.

“These Awards, now in their fourth year, are designed to give special recognition to outstanding people, organisations and programs working tirelessly, and often quietly, to achieve a better life for vulnerable, marginalised and disadvantaged Australians,” said Executive Director for Catholic Welfare Australia, Mr Frank Quinlan. “These Awards are not about competition, they are about telling the untold stories – highlighting innovation, excellence and leadership.”

Catholic Welfare Australia has changed its name to Catholic Social Services Australia.

Speaking at the launch of the new name in Canberra today, CSSA Executive Director, Frank Quinlan, said Catholic Welfare Australia, the Catholic Church's national peak body on social issues, has undergone substantial change over recent years. He said the name change better reflects this new identity.

Catholic Social Services provides around 500 different services to over a million Australians each year through its 60 member organisations.

Through the Job Network, many of these organisations helped thousands of people find meaningful, long term employment in the last year.

Catholic Welfare Australia has welcomed the internal review of Centrelink's breaching and penalty regime, announced by the Minister for Community Services, Mr Larry Anthony. However, in view of the inherent difficulties of Centrelink reviewing its own processes, CWA has endorsed the calls of the Australian Council of Social Service for an independent review.

Mr Toby O’Connor, National Director, stated: "Catholic Welfare Australia has long-held concerns about the removal of income support from vulnerable citizens, many of whom already live well below the poverty line while receiving benefits.

Catholic Welfare Australia welcomes the release of the Government’s Discussion Paper “A New Approach to the Family Law System: Implementation of Reforms” made public today by the Attorney-General, Mr Philip Ruddock and the Minister for Family and Community Services, Senator Kay Patterson.

Catholic Welfare Australia is one of three Industry Representative Bodies providing services to families with the assistance of funding provided by the Department of Family and Community Services within the Family Relationships Services Program.

“As a national network, Catholic Welfare Australia has been providing services to families for over 60 years and we welcome the opportunity to contribute to the national debate around the future of the Family Law System in this country,” said the Executive Director of Catholic Welfare Australia, Mr Frank Quinlan.

Catholic Welfare Australia today welcomed the Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee Report into Family Law but Executive Director, Mr Frank Quinlan, cautioned that “the law only takes us so far - community organisations will do the work on the ground and must formally be engaged in its planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation.”

“The Committee has rightly identified the need to ‘introduce a system of accreditation and evaluation for all Family Relationship Centres and all family dispute resolution practitioners as a matter of urgency’”, said Mr Quinlan.

Catholic Welfare Australia commends the Federal Government for responding to the growing community need for the Personal Support Programme and looks forward to working in partnership with the Government to bring about even better outcomes for participants.

Operating under the name, Choices PSP, Member Organisations of Catholic Welfare Australia provide individualised care and assistance to over 4,000 people throughout Australia who are experiencing multiple or severe barriers to social, vocational and economic participation in their community.

“The demand for this program has been consistently high and these additional places will go some way to meeting community need,” said Chairperson for Catholic Welfare Australia, Fr Joe Caddy. “We know these places will be filled as quickly as they are released so it will be interesting to see when and how the Government intends to roll out other places within the program – especially given its success and the positive outcomes it is achieving.”

Catholic Welfare Australia encourages the Federal Government to ensure vigorous community debate around the issue of ‘rebuttable joint custody’.

With its network of over 50 Member Organisations involved in family and relationships services, including Centacare agencies across Australia, Catholic Welfare Australia knows only too well the complex and sensitive issues about parenting after family breakdown.

“We wholeheartedly support the view that fathers are parents too and that children should have male role models and active fathering in their life following the breakup of a relationship,” said Spokesperson for Catholic Welfare Australia, Fr Joe Caddy. “No one can dispute the important role fathers play in their children’s life.”

“However, having equal parenting may not be the best solution in many cases,” he said. “After family breakdown, children are caught up in the complex and competing needs of family readjustment and the reality of living between two households.”

“From our work we know that complex situations cannot be solved by simple solutions,” said Fr Caddy. “The question needs to be asked ‘whose best interests does ‘rebuttle joint custody’ arrangements serve?’. We believe that it will not be in the child’s best interests in all situations,” he concluded.

For an interview please call:  Jackie Brady, Communications Officer, 0417 220 779

Catholic Social Services Australia Executive Director, Frank Quinlan said today that Mal Brough's call for welfare payments to some parents to be garnisheed in order to provide for their children was offensive and shortsighted.

Commenting on a speech delivered by the Minister for Families, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs in the Hunter Valley on Friday, Mr Quinlan said there is a dangerous trend toward blaming low income earners and people on welfare payments for their own circumstances.

"But this is not usually the case," Mr Quinlan said.

Catholic Welfare Australia welcomes tonight’s announcement of a range of family friendly initiatives and commends the Government for delivering a strategy that will help Australian families deal more effectively with relationship issues and relationship breakdown.

Through our Member Organisations, Catholic Welfare Australia assists over a million people a year. We are the largest provider of family services in rural and regional Australia and we administer family relationship services in excess of $70 million every year.

“Catholic Welfare Australia is particularly pleased to see the emphasis given to pre- marriage education and relationship support and early intervention programs. We strongly believe that education and prevention is much better than a cure,” said the Executive Director of Catholic Welfare Australia, Mr Frank Quinlan. “Australian families deserve all the help possible to get through rough patches they might face in life – preferably before they reach the point where separation or divorce is the only solution.”

The Catholic Welfare Australia Awards 2003 received a total of 23 nominations across the three award categories.

The Judging Panel comprising Mr John Andrew, Board Member, Centacare Australia Ltd; Ms Margaret Deerain, Senior Policy Analyst, Catholic Health Australia; and, Mr Terry McCarthy, National President, Social Justice Committee of the Society of St Vincent de Paul have pleasure in announcing the three finalists in each category:

Award for Excellence in Service (Organisational)

• Making a Significant Change (MASC), Centacare Ballarat
  
  

Catholic Welfare Australia welcomes today’s announcement by the Prime Minister that the Government will seek to establish 65 community-based family relationship centres aimed at promoting more positive relationship outcomes in the resolution of child custody arrangements following separation.

Catholic Welfare Australia represents 29 Church based organisations - including Centacare agencies – which provide a range of relationship services to families at particularly difficult times in their lives.

“The Government is to be commended for proposing an integrated approach to service delivery where mums, dads and their children will be able to access all the services they need to deal with their family’s separation at the same location,” said Chair of Catholic Welfare Australia, Fr Joe Caddy. “We look forward to working co-operatively with other services providers in this integrated approach and we are hopeful that with expert assistance and timely information families will manage to stay out of the court system and have a greater control over their own lives.”

Australia’s largest fridge magnet will be delivered to Parliament House, Canberra on Wednesday 5 November conveying a call for Parliament to adopt a strategy to reduce poverty in Australia.

Opposition Spokesperson on Family and Community Services Wayne Swan MP and Independent Tony Windsor have agreed to receive the magnets. The Minister for Family and Community Services, Senator Key Patterson has also been invited to receive one of the three magnets.

Signatories to the message include Anglican Archbishop of Sydney, Dr Peter Jensen, Director of the Melbourne Institute Professor Peter Dawkins and former AFL footballer Jim Stynes. Signatures were collected during Anti-poverty Week in Melbourne, Sydney and Canberra.

Responding to the release of the Report "Working for Australia's future: Increasing Participation in the Workforce", Catholic Welfare Australia called on the Government to address high effective marginal tax rates for the poor and national coordination of strategies to increase workforce participation (including agreed national definitions for employment and workforce participation and better integration across existing employment programs) as its highest priorities.

The Report was released today by the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Employment, Workplace Relations and Workforce Participation.

Catholic Welfare Australia commends Minister Larry Anthony’s foresight concerning the possibility of secondary trauma amongst Australian children from graphic images of the War in Iraq currently hitting our television screens.

Through its 52 Member Organisations, Catholic Welfare Australia will be providing additional services and advice to parents concerned their children may be suffering the ill-effects of these images of war.

“The war may well be on the other side of the world, but it is clear from the Minister’s announcement yesterday the Government has recognised that the effects of war will most definitely be felt here in Australia,” said Mrs Margaret Roots, Manager of the Family Relationships Services Program for Catholic Welfare Australia.

Catholic Welfare Australia calls on all parties to take the time in the final week of the election to clearly outline programs to help Australia’s most disadvantaged: the homeless, the hungry, the mentally ill and the chronically unemployed.

“The fact that we are seeing the huge Federal Budget surplus being whittled down with no assistance to the very poor is a disgrace,” said Executive Director of Catholic Welfare Australia, Mr Frank Quinlan. “The majority of financial spending has not been well targeted and, unless we have missed something to date, those who suffer the most poverty and disadvantage in this community will continue to suffer. Yes, there has been some tinkering around the fringes but this is not enough.”

Catholic Social Services Australia's Executive Director, Frank Quinlan, today repeated the call for two months of deliberation and consultation on the Bills to enact the Federal Government's Northern Territory ‘intervention' and to change welfare payments.

"The Inquiry process has been inadequate and the lack of consultation in the lead-up to the tabling of the legislation last week ahead of the one day Senate Committee hearing last Friday is to be condemned," Mr Quinlan said.

Catholic Welfare Australia is calling on all its Member Organisations to stop at 11:00am on Thursday, 15 May and do something special to celebrate the International Day of Families.

The work of the Catholic Welfare Australia 53 Member Organisations is clearly committed to providing support and services to families throughout Australia.

The National Secretariat of Catholic Welfare Australia has prepared a Resource Paper, International Day of Families 2003 Something to Celebrate, suggesting a number of ways in which Member Organisations can mark the occasion. The ideas are all simple but do promote a focus on families ranging from morning tea with a multicultural flavour, a suggested reflection and discussion questions to invigorate a dynamic discussion on family life.

It would be hoped that Member Organisations could also seek the involvement of the families for whom they provide support and commitment.

The Resource Paper is now available on the Catholic Welfare Australia website.

For further information please call: Jackie Brady, Communications Officer, 0417 220 779

“New initiatives in Job Network designed to assist the long-term unemployed may be overshadowed by the new regime to automatically suspend welfare payments,” Executive Director of Catholic Welfare Australia Mr Frank Quinlan said.

“The whole Job Network will welcome wage subsidies and increased places for special needs programs such as Open Employment. These initiatives will provide more options for the very long term unemployed.”

“We join other church providers in expressing our grave concern that the new ‘three strikes and you’re out’ welfare payment suspension regime including immediate and automatic suspensions, administered by Job Network members, may leave the poorest in the community vulnerable to real risks,” said Mr Quinlan. “‘Three strikes and you’re out’ means exactly that - you are out of home, out of food, out of clothes and even further excluded from society.”

Catholic Welfare Australia welcomes the renewed attention being given to the poor and disadvantaged in our community in this Election campaign. Our current level of economic prosperity puts this nation in a unique position to provide much needed assistance and support to those most in need.

“Catholic Welfare Australia is encouraged by initiatives in the Labor Party’s Tax policy that will assist jobless families to return to work without penalising their eligibility for the Family Tax Benefit,” said Chair of Catholic Welfare Australia, Father Joe Caddy. “This policy needs to assessed in the light of other welfare payments which may have a bearing on the Effective Marginal Tax Rates which play their own part in creating disincentive for people to return to the workforce.”

“Today’s announcements are welcome changes to the original proposals, as they show that the Government is listening, but they fail to address the major concerns we hold about the package - the lack of incentive for people to move from welfare to work, and unduly harsh penalties for those who get into trouble” said Mr Quinlan.

Mr Quinlan was responding to an announcement made earlier today by Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations, Mr Kevin Andrews, regarding the Government’s proposed Welfare to Work package.

“Let’s take a single parent with one child and call her Jenny1. Under the current system, if Jenny takes up work of 15 hours a week at $13.30 an hour and is a recipient of Parenting Payment Single – her disposable income will increase by $146.00. If she takes up the same work, for the same wage, under the proposed system and is a Newstart recipient – her disposable income will increase by only $83.00. She earns less – not more. So how does the new system provide a greater incentive to move from welfare to work?” said Mr Quinlan.

24 January 2002

The Rt Hon Phillip Ruddock, MP
Minister for Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs
Fx: 026 273 4144

Re: Leading Welfare Organisations Offer to Care for Woomera Refugees in the Community

Dear Mr Ruddock,

We are writing regarding the crisis in Woomera Immigration Detention Centre seeking to assist the Federal Government in resolving the situation. We are aware that for the majority of the detainees, their protest action is not currently about obtaining visas but about their strong feeling that it is inhumane to incarcerate them in a harsh desert location for lengthy periods of time as if they are criminals. The merits of individual cases are not the issue here, their absolute despair and in many cases the profound trauma they are suffering is driving their determination to persist with this protest. We are highly concerned that there will be deaths soon in this DIMIA facility.

The Minister for Family and Community Services, Senator Kay Patterson and the Shadow Minister for Family and Community Services, Mr Wayne Swan – will both address the participants at the Annual Conference of Catholic Welfare Australia on Thursday morning:

Catholic Welfare Australia, the largest national network of Catholic run social services, is currently holding their Annual Conference in Cairns, QLD.

What: Catholic Welfare Australia Annual Conference

Guest speakers:

Senator Kay Patterson, Minister for Family & Community Services

MENTALLY ILL PEOPLE SOULD NOT BE PRISONERS

Melbourne Prison Chaplain and Catholic Social Services Australia Chair, Fr Joe Caddy, said today that with a 45 per cent increase in the prison population in the past ten years, there is an urgent need to address the needs of mentally ill people in Australia's prisons.

Commenting on an editorial in the Medical Journal of Australia, to be released today, Fr Caddy said current mental health policies and systems are failing some of the most vulnerable Australians.

"There are significant opportunities to improve the plight of mentally ill people in the community," Fr Caddy said.

"The fact that so many people find themselves in the criminal justice system, which is not equipped to deal with them, is an indictment on our society.

"Certainly people with mental health problems who are ignored in the community can end up being a danger to themselves as well as to others.

"By putting them into prison, however, the safety of the community is further compromised as these very unwell people establish criminal contacts and learn criminal behaviours.

"The answer is to provide an adequate acute care and community based mental health system outside the criminal justice system.

"A couple of decades ago administrations around Australia made what seemed a worthy call to deinstitutionalise people who were suffering with mental illness.

"The success of that strategy has depended on the ongoing provision of adequate supports in the community.

"Not enough of those supports are in place and we are now seeing the re-institutionalisation of mentally ill people into prisons.

"But prisons are part of the criminal justice system which aims principally to punish and reform criminals. They are not part of the health system which seeks, where it can, to manage illness and provide healing.

"There's a clear need for better access to hospital and community services for people in the community who experience mental illness.

"When people with mental illness do end up before the courts judges need access to a greater range of orders and treatment options within the health system rather than the corrections system.

"Given that this is not currently the reality and that such a high proportion of people in prisons are suffering from mental illness, there's a need for case managers and greater access to psychologists and GPs and specialists within the corrections system.

"On release, these people require extra support to negotiate the maze that is our public health system. They also need help to comply with medication and to tend to everyday human requirements of friendship, accommodation and appropriate work," Fr Caddy said.

Fr Caddy has been a prison chaplain in Melbourne for more than five years.

Catholic Social Services Australia provides services to over a million Australians each year. 

Catholic Welfare Australia urges the Minister for Family and Community Services, Senator Vanstone, to implement the major recommendations contained in the Report of the Independent Review of Breaches and Penalties in the Social Security System, released today. 

Mr O'Connor, National Director, said, “This is a balanced report which recognises the good work of Centrelink and other providers in assisting job seekers. At the same time it highlights some serious failings in the operation of the Social Security system. These include: the excessively harsh nature of penalties; the inflexibility of the system in taking personal circumstances into account; and, the counterproductive impact of penalties on client's job search capacity.”

Mr O'Connor said, “Despite initiatives such as a 'third breach alert' and the proposed 'temporary payment suspension' in reducing breach numbers, the overall figures reveal breaching has sky-rocketed over recent years. The total annual number of breaches imposed has increased from 113,000 in 1996 to 386,000 in 2001. That is a 341% increase under the Howard Government.”

“Behind the figures lie the experience of exceptional hardship for already vulnerable citizens. The severity of penalties is excessive and should be reduced,” said Mr O’Connor. “Contrary to claims that the current breach regime reflects 'community expectations', the fact remains that the regime is simply unjust — particularly for those identified in this report as 'especially vulnerable job seekers'."

Supporting the broad thrust of the Report, Mr O'Connor emphasised, “As a network of agencies engaged in the Job Network and providing emergency relief to those whose payments are cancelled, Catholic Welfare Australia is particularly supportive of the Report's recommendations to minimise the risk of penalties for vulnerable job seekers.”

“Because job seekers are most vulnerable to incurring breaches for failing to attend initial interviews with providers, we encourage improvements in client referrals from Centrelink to Job Network and other providers.”

Mr O'Connor concluded, “Catholic Welfare Australia urges the Minister to embrace this report and consider its recommendations as an important addition to reforms announced by the Minister last week. This Report cannot be dismissed at a time when the number of breaches and penalties imposed by Centrelink remains exceptionally high.”

Following 19 years of service within the Catholic Welfare sector in Australia the National Director of Catholic Welfare Australia, Mr Toby O’Connor, will be exploring new career opportunities in 2004.

“As I look back over the past few years I have been associated with the Church’s response to social disadvantage, especially those spent in the national scene, I cannot recall having anything other than the greatest enthusiasm for being an active participant in the social welfare sector,” said Mr O’Connor. “However, there is a time when we are faced with new challenges and new directions and I have reached such a time.”

Meeting for the last time this year, the Board of Catholic Welfare Australia begins its two day meeting today with newly appointed Chairperson, Fr Joe Caddy.

Fr Caddy’s appointment was endorsed by the Australian Catholic Bishops’ Conference during their Plenary Meeting held in Sydney last week.

Fr Joe Caddy is a Catholic Priest in Melbourne and is the Director for Social Policy at Catholic Social Services, Victoria. He completed a degree in Social Sciences at the Gregorian University in Rome. Fr Caddy is also involved with a number of inter-church and community organisations and serves on the Board of the Council to Homeless Persons and the Australian Council of Social Services. He has served on the Board of Catholic Welfare Australia for three years where he chaired the Social Policy and Research Standing Committee. Fr Caddy is also a Chaplain to Melbourne’s maximum security men’s prisons. 

The Board of Catholic Welfare Australia announces the appointment of Mr Frank Quinlan as the new Executive Director of Catholic Welfare Australia.

Mr Quinlan was most recently employed at the Australian Medical Association (AMA) in a key position as Chief Information Officer. He has also worked in the social services sector in a variety of roles which included youth and employment services, member support functions, strategic project management and policy and advocacy.

“We would like to welcome Mr Quinlan to Catholic Welfare Australia and we are extremely confident that he is the right person to lead Catholic Welfare Australia into its next phase of development,” said Chairperson of Catholic Welfare Australia, Fr Joe Caddy.

The Family Relationship Forum today released for discussion a background paper entitled “Future Funding of the Family Relationship Services Programs”.  Catholic Welfare Australia is one of three peak bodies on the Forum.

The background paper identifies new directions in the provision of family relationship services across the country.  It harnesses the collective wisdom of service providers from across the nation and is the product of long term discussions between the Forum , the Commonwealth Department of Community and Family Services and the Attorney-General’s Department. 

Catholic Welfare Australia and the Australian Catholic Social Justice Council today released a joint election statement, entitled Searching for the Common Good: Federal Election 2001.

Mr Toby O'Connor, National Director of Catholic Welfare Australia said, "Both national Church organisations are calling on Australians to be fully informed and committed to the democratic processes taking place during the Federal Election campaign.

"This call for citizens of voting age to exercise their political duty responsibly is non-partisan. Without reference to specific political candidates, parties or political platforms, this document calls on every Australian to be active in determining the type of society we want for our children in the future, and to identify the key values and priorities we think should guide our decisions."

Catholic Welfare Australia has issued seven key principles for promoting equity across Australia’s regions and for socially just regional development.

The seven principles for regional equity and development include calls for a new national framework for economic development, sustained job generation initiatives and long-term infrastructure investment. Embracing these principles would entail a meaningful response to the "decade of commitment" to the regions called for by the Regional Australia Summit.

Calling on political parties to embrace these principles in their policies for the forthcoming election, National Director Toby O’Connor said: "Catholic Welfare Australia’s fundamental concern is the growing concentration of disadvantage in our distressed regional communities.

On the eve of the Commonwealth and the State/Territory Housing Ministers negotiating the next Commonwealth State/Territory Housing Agreement (CSHA) Catholic Welfare Australia pleaded for additional funds to be allocated to public housing.

National Director, Mr Toby O’Connor said: “Current waiting lists indicate there are in excess of 220,000 families who are in need of affordable accommodation.  The soaring prices of housing in the capital cities means that these families have absolutely no chance of home ownership – not now, not ever.” 

“To make matters worse, these families are paying unsustainably high amounts of their weekly income on rents in the volatile private rental market,” he said.

Welcoming the Labor Party’s ‘Commitment to Fight Poverty’ being launched today, Catholic Welfare Australia cautioned against the issue of poverty becoming caught up in partisan politics and called on all political leaders to unite in addressing poverty which sadly now affects around 1 in 9 Australians.

Only last week, the Heads of Churches in Australia came together to call on all political parties across Federal, State and Territory divides to join together in the eradication of poverty in this country.

“Australia is too fast becoming a country that is divided between the haves and have nots,” said Spokesperson for Catholic Welfare Australia, Fr Joe Caddy. “While this has been a decade of unprecedented prosperity, those on the margins are being left further and further behind.”

“As a nation we can choose to reduce poverty if we decide to,” said Fr Caddy. “We are not as rigorous in our efforts to reduce poverty as many OECD nations. In the European Union, strong and rigorous anti-poverty strategies are now being implemented. The UK and Irish anti-poverty strategies are far superior to Australia efforts to date.”

“Our failure to address poverty will have grave implications for social cohesion and Australia risks becoming a deeply divided nation,” he said. “This can be averted but only with a united national response.”

The Report from the Senate Community Affairs Committee Inquiry into Poverty and Financial Hardship is due out before Christmas and Catholic Welfare Australia strongly encourages a bi-partisan approach to the recommendations.

“Catholic Welfare Australia commits itself to working with all political parties in a national campaign aimed at eradicating poverty in this country and creating better lives for the many individuals, families and communities it effects,” concluded Fr Caddy.

Catholic Welfare Australia is gravely concerned with what appears to be the great deal of effort Senator Vanstone has gone to in ensuring that media outlets have pixelated Betacam images and digital photographs of individuals rounded up in a raid near the Snowy Mountains in New South Wales yesterday.

Whilst Catholic Welfare Australia in no way condones any misuse of the welfare system it is concerned that the presentation of this story in the media will taint the image of welfare recipients in general.

“When we were presented with the “Children overboard” photos during the Tampa crisis the Australian public were led to believe that all people seeking refuge on our shores were capable of throwing their children overboard,” said the Spokesperson for Catholic Welfare Australia, Fr Joe Caddy. “Whilst not intending to question the legitimacy of the footage and photos being made available in this instance it does beg the question as to whether or not this current representation of welfare recipients as welfare cheats tars all welfare beneficiaries with the same brush.”

A powerful new alliance of Anglican, Catholic and Uniting Church community service organisations took the fight against poverty to the Federal Parliament today.

The Christian Community Services Against Poverty launched its pre-election campaign called Vote [1] No More Poverty. “We are making use of our extensive networks to call on all Australians to take up the challenge and help us to make politicians and political candidates aware of this issue. As such, in the lead up to the next election we are asking all Australians to take the time to write to them or call them and ask…..”Do you care about poverty in Australia and what will you do to address it?”

Sisters of St Joseph Media Release

WHAT WOMEN WANT

Aboriginal children need protection-in-place, with a special focus on maintaining the mother-child bond, according to Sr Joan Healy of the Josephite Leaders' Social Action Group.

Sr Healy, who has worked in child protection for many years, said once you give a child a substitute mother you condemn the relationship to breakdown.

"We must work hard to keep children in the community - suitably protected - with the bond of the mother maintained as far as possible. Women, often victims of abuse themselves, also need care, support and protection," Sr Healy said.