CATHOLIC Social Services Australia and the St Vincent de Paul Society have been among major church social service providers to meet with deputy Prime Minister Julia Gillard to discuss the worsening effects of the global financial crisis.
CSSA executive director Frank Quinlan and chief executive of St Vincent de Paul Dr John Falzon met with other church leaders on January 27 to discuss measures to limit the impact of the crisis on vulnerable Australians.
Mr Quinlan, who spoke with The Catholic Leader shortly after the meeting, said it had urgently considered ways to respond to a projected additional 140,000 Australians expected to lose their jobs in the coming year.
(More recent predictions by eminent economists have forecast 250,000 could lose their jobs by next year.)
The general tone of the meeting had been one of concern about the severe nature of the crisis but nevertheless with “hope and optimism that ideas being considered could make a difference”, Mr Quinlan said.
“Among issues discussed were ways in which banks could protect people from foreclosures and also how they could assist with short term financial emergencies,” he said.
“The targeting of infrastructure projects to make a difference in the life of the financially disadvantaged was also seen as a major means of assistance.
“Importantly it was also agreed to fast track regulatory reform to end costs associated with red tape.”
Dr Falzon who also attended was reported prior to the meeting as calling for an end to Centrelink’s “punitive regime” of cutting dole payments for minor rule breaches.
St Vincent de Paul’s national leader said the rules, which had been gradually tightened over the past decade, were “robbing” vulnerable people of income for up to eight weeks.
As well as the main Catholic agencies, last Tuesday’s meeting with Julia Gillard was attended by the heads of Anglicare Australia, the Salvation Army, UnitingCare Australia, Australian Council of Social Service (ACOSS) and the Federal Government’s Australian Social Inclusion Board.
