THE HOWARD Government’s 2007 Federal Budget has been labelled a lost opportunity by some welfare-related sections of the Church community.
However, other sectors, notably those dealing with education and overseas aid, have been more positive.
St Vincent de Paul’s national chief executive officer, Dr John Falzon, said the 2007 Budget “had left rent-poor Australians in an annual $1.5B hole”.
Dr Falzon said this claim was based on an as-yet unreleased study by NATSEM (National Centre for Social and Economic Modelling).
“According to the study, more than 405,000 Australian households are suffering financial stress arising from high rent,” Dr Falzon said.
Catholic Social Services Australia executive director, Frank Quinlan, said the best way to describe the Budget was “much ado about nothing”.
“The Treasurer indicated in the opening of his Budget speech that this Budget would lay out a vision for the next 10 years,” Mr Quinlan said.
“On the details we have to date, that ‘vision’ leaves our most disadvantaged citizens still struggling to make ends meet.
Mr Quinlan said it was also disappointing to see that the much-discussed dental health initiatives only assisted those whose dental health was so serious that they required medical care.
Centacare Brisbane’s executive director Peter Selwood said that while tax cuts for lower and middle-income earners were always welcome, the Budget had failed to assist some of the most needy people in the community.
Catholic Health Australia CEO Francis Sullivan also thought that the Budget missed the mark, especially with its lack of attention to public hospitals.
Queensland Catholic Education Commission executive director, Mike Byrne, said the Australian Government should be congratulated for the high priority given to education in this year’s Budget.
However, he said more funding was needed.
“Most of Queensland’s 286 Catholic schools still operate at a resourcing level below government schools.”
Caritas Australia CEO, Jack de Groot, also welcomed the Budget’s funding focus.
He said the Budget had provided significant funding increases to Australian NGOs (Non Government Organisations) involved in overseas aid.
