Welfare

Every child counts

Child protection workers and foster carers are organising for more resources because the system is dangerously overstretched, reports Janet Parker.

Being kind? Jacinda Ardern’s government and COVID-19 in New Zealand

Much of the praise for Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic is justified, writes Bronwen Beechey. However, New Zealand's existing inequalities remain, and have potentially deepened during the pandemic.

South Africa: People protest injustice, poverty, food shortages amid pandemic

A series of coordinated protests across South Africa took place on August 1, writes Angela Chukunzira, raising a range of demands including for a universal basic income, universal health care and mass testing to fight COVID-19.

Invest in people not the military

Rather than spending $270 billion on offensive weapons, Alex Bainbridge argues funding should go to permanently raising the JobSeeker rate.

France: Local elections a blow to Macron’s austerity agenda

The second round of the French local elections was bad news for President Emanuel Macron and his austerity agenda, writes John Mullen. 

Profits win over animal welfare

After having said it would not agree to any exemption on its ban on live sheep exports, the federal Department of Agriculture has now allowed a ship to transport tens of thousands of live sheep to the Middle East, reports Mary Merkenich.

COVID-19: Migrant workers face joblessness and visa restrictions

While temporary migrant workers and international students account for more than 10% of Australia’s workforce, they have been left out of the federal government’s COVID-19 relief response, along with refugees, writes Chloe DS.

Seeking a job in the time of COVID-19

The coronavirus-inspired JobSeeker rate rise needs to be kept beyond the end of this current crisis, writes Holly Anderson.

Man head between knees depressed watercolour

Getting sacked and surviving under COVID-19

Banjo P Kay writes that after two years of sheet metal work, he was sacked a result of the COVID-19 crisis and now faces an uncertain future.

Robodebt scam exposed as a rort

The tide appears to be turning against the federal government’s punitive robodebt scheme, reports Kerry Smith.

Raise the Rate Drive at Addison Road Community Centre

Raise The Rate Drive unveiled at Addison Road Community Centre

The Addison Road Community Centre in Marrickville, Sydney, has renamed one of its streets to Raise The Rate Drive to help raise awareness about the campaign to raise the rate of payments for welfare recipients.

Blacktown, October 19. Photo: No Cashless Debit Card Sydney/FB

Photos: Blacktown says no to cashless welfare card

A protest against "cashless welfare" was organised by Sydney Coalition Against the Card outside a Centrelink office in Blacktown on October 19.