I feel a sense of trepidation and fear about the election but there’s still a small part of me that has hope the government we elect will have some compassion for those like me who are living in poverty.
We all vote with our best interests in mind. Lower taxes, childcare, aged care and job creation affect a lot of people. But I can’t eat childcare or lower taxes. A strong economy doesn’t pay my bills.
The cost of living is on my mind a lot, as it is for other voters. The high price of basic items like food and petrol impacts us all. But for those of us below the poverty line, we can’t just swap out a loaf of bread with a cheaper loaf – we are forced to put the bread back.
I’ve been watching both major parties closely and reading each policy that’s released and so far I’m bitterly disappointed that neither party even mentions poverty.
Sadly, Labor has decided it won’t commit to an increase in jobseeker or even a review of it. This decision is devastating to people like me. Those of us in poverty knew that Scott Morrison wouldn’t increase the rate –he’s made that clear from the start – so we had pinned our hopes on Labor at least committing to a small increase. We’ve all just been thrown to the wolves.
Labor scores slightly higher for its plan to create 20,000 public housing places and its promise to scrap the cashless debit card. But even this doesn’t go far enough because, if you can’t afford rent, a house is no benefit.
It seems no one cares about us until the economy needs to be stimulated and then we are used to do it. As soon as it recovers we’re thrown back into poverty. It’s like drowning and being thrown a lifesaver then having that yanked away again, leaving you once again in a sea of bills you can’t afford to pay.
So far I feel that both the Liberals and Labor have ignored those of us who are living on welfare and living below the poverty line. It’s not exactly a small problem, with an estimated 2.5 million people and their children relying on these payments. We hear from both sides that “jobs” will be the solution.
Yet many jobseekers like myself are disabled, or live in an area they can’t move from, or have caring responsibilities. Just because a job is created doesn’t mean we can work it.
So we’re left in soul-crushing poverty. You’re caught in a cycle and, no matter how much you try, your circumstances don’t change.
Anthony Albanese talks about his childhood in poverty with a single disabled mother in a council house. I also had a single mum on DSP and lived in public housing.
That’s where the parallels stop. The difference is my mum needed me to be her carer so from the age of 12 that’s what I did.
I don’t believe Morrison has spent one day of his life wondering how he will be able to afford to eat for the next fortnight or having to worry his electricity will be cut off. Our politicians are out of touch – they have no real idea of the toll that constant stress takes on someone’s body and mental health. When we become hopeless we quit trying.
I’d love to see policies brought in to raise welfare payments to the Henderson poverty line, Medicare extended to dental and mental health, more public housing and free education. In that order.
Why is the order important? Because being in poverty effects your ability to think and to make long-term decisions. By lifting us out of poverty first you increase our chances of success in taking advantage of education.
It’s harder to learn when you’re focused on hunger pains and how you’re going to pay the internet bill so you can study. Poverty is a policy choice and we should be focusing on policies to eradicate it. The savings to Medicare and community would be huge, as more people would be able to take care of their basic needs and reach their full potential.
I feel that Labor no longer represents disadvantaged people, as it once did. Albo isn’t Gough Whitlam and refusing to increase the jobseeker rate reinforces that belief. Bob Hawke once said: “By 1990, no Australian child will be living in poverty.” It’s 32 years later and we still have children living in poverty – and Labor has no plans to change that.
If Albanese or Morrison won’t speak up for the most vulnerable in society I never want to hear the political slogans “We’re all in this together” or “No one left behind” again. Clearly some voters matter more than others, and a lot of us have been left behind for too long.
Melissa Fisher is an Adelaide artist and anti-poverty activist who relies on jobseeker
