CATHOLIC peak bodies have reacted to federal treasurer Josh Frydenberg’s 2022-23 budget – here are the winners and losers for the Church.
Catholic Health Australia was concerned about the lack of palliative care funding, especially as the country’s aging population continued to grow.
CHA health policy director Caitlin O’Dea said palliative care should be available to everyone who needed it.
“Palliative care should be a universal right to anyone who is suffering towards the end of their life,” she said.
“Our ageing population is set to double, demand for palliative care is expected to increase by 50 per cent between now and 2035 and double by 2050 and yet the number of palliative care
specialists and nurses is on the decline.
“We need to know how many people are receiving palliative care today so that we can plan
for the future. When it comes to palliative care data there is a black hole.
“It is disappointing that as more states introduce voluntary assisted dying laws, people are
not given a real choice between ending their life prematurely and receiving proper palliative
care that would relieve suffering for them and their families and allow them to live well until
their death.”
CHA was also alarmed about a lack of funding for reforming the aged care workforce.
The government earmarked $49.5 million for additional training, but CHA chief executive officer said the sector needed more as it failed to attract workers because they are “simply not paid enough for the essential and demanding” role.
“When unemployment has the figure three in front of it then it makes the job of attracting
people to the industry and to training places that much harder,” he said.
The big ticket health programs included a $547 million increase over the next five years for the National Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Plan and $42.7 million over two years for a co-ordinated, locally specific suicide prevention program.
Catholic education had a few wins.
National Catholic Education Commission welcomed the government’s commitment to early childhood education, $19.4 million, and boarding students in regional and remote areas, $27.3 million.
NCEC executive director Jacinta Collins also welcomed the government’s additional funding for schools to meet national priorities like “initial teacher education, learning progressions and online formative assessment, the review of senior secondary pathways, disability standards and the Australian Curriculum review”.
“These are significant reform agendas to improve educational standards and learning outcomes in schools and we thank the government for their ongoing commitment and recognition that these areas require adequate resourcing,” she said
Catholic Alliance for People Seeking Asylum commended the government’s 16,500 additional places for Afghan refugees.
The alliance urged the government to grant the 5,000 refugees on temporary visas permanent protection.
CAPSA said it was disappointed to see that the Federal Government has allocated $1.28 billion to onshore detention, an increase of $20.6 million in the previous budget, whilst also spending $482.5 million on offshore processing.
Despite there being only 112 refugees and people seeking asylum who remain detained on Nauru, the Federal Government “has chosen to allocate exorbitant funds to maintain this cruel system”, CAPSA said.
Jesuit Social Services saw the government’s budget measures as a “missed opportunity to make a sustainable difference” for inequality, affordable housing and climate change.
“This Federal Budget has been handed down only weeks away from a Federal Election, resulting in an unambitious Budget packed with short-term spending at a time when the nation needs long-term strategies and investments to tackle serious problems such as rising levels of poverty and inequality, climate change and housing affordability,” JSS chief executive officer Julie Edwards said.
“These are key issues that will shape Australia for decades to come. Real action now would make a tangible positive difference for future generations, instead of just short-term investments such as a temporary cut to the fuel excise and a $420 cost of living tax offset.”
Ms Edwards says that $250 bonus payments to pensioners and people on income support
allowances will not adequately address current cost of living pressures.
As for the environment, the government has set aside $1 billion for the Great Barrier Reef and a $60 million increase for the national recycling program.
