The ACT Greens believe:
1. a fair and democratic society relies upon equity of opportunity and social cohesion
2. everyone in the ACT should have access to the resources and support they require to participate in the life of the community and reach their potential
3. poverty and systemic social disadvantage undermine social equity and should be eliminated
4. community not-for-profit organisations fulfil an important role in social inclusion and the provision of social services.

The ACT Greens want:
1. a coordinated, well-resourced, short- and long-term strategic response to poverty and social disadvantage in the ACT
2. more and better services for people in the ACT affected by poverty, including those who are homeless
3. to work in partnership with community not-for-profit organisations on the front line of preventing and responding to poverty and homelessness.

The ACT Greens support:
1. developing an agreed national benchmark to measure poverty in Australia, and a program to evaluate the effectiveness of social welfare outcomes across jurisdictions
2. working with the Australian Government in any reform of the social security system to ensure an adequate income for all
3. enhancing practical strategies by which the ACT Government contributes to alleviating financial hardship for those living on low income, including:
3.1. expanding financial assistance and concession programs
3.2. keeping the cost of access to ACT Government services at a minimum
3.3. increasing the availability of financial counselling and affordable high quality financial advice
4. developing a strategy to improve food security amongst those living on a low income and those at risk of poverty, homelessness or entrenched social disadvantage
5. in consultation with community and not-for-profit organisations, addressing gaps in those crisis support services that enable people to provide themselves with appropriate food, shelter and clothing
6. helping individuals and communities to avoid and overcome disadvantage through long-term investment in community development, housing, health, education and public transport programs
7. an active and sustainable not-for-profit community sector that can provide advice direct to government on issues affecting social equity and the delivery of social services
8. working with the Australian Government to adequately fund training and support programs for those who are long-term unemployed, re-entering the workforce, under-employed or in insecure employment
9. providing sufficient homelessness services to ensure nobody in the ACT is without shelter
10. working with the Australian Government to adequately fund the Supported Accommodation Assistance Program
11. increasing the availability of transitional housing and refuges.

This entry was posted on Saturday, August 30th, 2008 at 12:14 am and is filed under Policy. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.