ACTCOSS surveyed 2022 federal election candidates on their views about six policy priority areas: income support; housing security; quality community services; fair, fast, and inclusive climate action; self-determination for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples; and revenue. These are their responses.
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2022 Federal Election Forum Report
On 28 April 2022, ACTCOSS hosted a members' forum with a range of candidates for the 2022 federal election. The forum was an opportunity for local dialogue with a local focus.
2022 ACT Cost of Living Report
The 2022 ACT Cost of Living Report highlights the dual impact of the highest increase in living costs in over 20 years and the withdrawal of COVID-19 income supports. Over the past 12 months the ACT community sector has seen an increase in demand for social services alongside an increase in poverty, disadvantage and complexity of need among the people and communities they support.
Submission: Healthy Prison Review
ACTCOSS provided feedback to the ACT Inspector of Correctional Services through the Healthy Prison Review 2022 process.
ACTCOSS Federal Election Priorities 2022
In ACTCOSS's Federal Election Priorities 2022, we call on all ACT candidates for the 2022 Federal Election to affirm and state their positions on six policy priorities: income support; housing security; quality community services; fair, fast, inclusive climate action; self-determination for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people, and revenue.
Submission: Issues Paper – Regulated water and sewerage services prices 2023-28
ACTCOSS made a submission to the Independent Competition and Regulatory Commission’s issues paper on regulated water and sewerage services prices 2023-28.
Submission: No Rights Without Remedy
ACTCOSS joined a coalition of Australian and Australian community organisations, including Australian Lawyers for Human Rights (ALHR), the Human Rights Legal Centre (HRLC) and Civil Liberties Australia (CLA) to call on the ACT Government to impl
Joint submission: Productivity Commission Inquiry into the National Housing and Homelessness Agreement
This joint submission by ACT Shelter and ACTCOSS to the Productivity Commission Inquiry into the National Housing and Homelessness Agreement highlights issues of particular importance to the ACT, many of which are obviously reflected across the country. We support and draw attention to
the submissions of national bodies National Shelter, ACOSS and Anglicare.
Submission to AEMC: Protecting Customers Affected by Family Violence
Joint submission by ACT Council of Social Service (ACTCOSS), Good Shepherd Australia New Zealand, Financial Rights Legal
Submission: Inquiry into Auditor-General Report: 4/2020 - Residential Land Supply and Release
Our submission calls for the Indicative Land Release Program to be informed by modelling of the community need for social and affordable housing.
Submission: Inquiry into Racial Vilification
This submission calls for the ACT Government to address structural racism through the resourcing and implementation of oversight mechanisms and cultural education across government programs and services. While we acknowledge the serious impact of casual racism, we believe that it is enabled and reinforced by structural racism across services and systems such as justice, child protection, housing, health, employment and education.
Submission: Family Violence Legislation Amendment Bill 2022
This submission was largely supportive of the moves to protect victim/survivors from family violence but cautioned against the introduction of higher maximum penalties. There is substantial evidence that severity of punishment has negligible effect on reoffending and rehabilitation, and it is likely that higher penalties would lead to increased incarceration of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people.
Submission: Inquiry into the ACT Auditor General's report No 6 of 2021: Teaching Quality in ACT Public Schools
This submission calls for the Education Directorate to agree upon a definition of Inclusive Education as a matter of urgency. We further note the high number of segregated education settings in the ACT and the benefits inclusive settings provide for students, teachers, families and communities.
Submission: Response to National AOD Workforce Development Strategy Discussion Paper
ACTCOSS has provided a response to NCETA’s discussion paper concerning a review of the National Alcohol and Other Drug Workforce Development Strategy.
Report: Counting the Costs: Sustainable funding for the ACT community services sector
This report informs development of more sustainable models of resourcing for the ACT community services sector. It presents a comprehensive picture of the costs involved in delivering community services, the cost pressures experienced by community organisations in the ACT, and ways to ensure funding is sustainable and at levels that meet community needs.
Submission: Discrimination Law Reform in the ACT
ACTCOSS made a submission on Discrimination Law Reform in the ACT. We strongly support bringing discrimination law in line with the ACT Human Rights Act (2004) and strengthening mechanisms to respond to discrimination when it occurs.
Submission: Inquiry into Electoral Amendment Bill 2021
This submission supported lowering the minimum voting age to 16 and the voting enrolment age to 14 in the ACT in order to empower young people to participate in democratic processes. We also advocated for an equitable rather than a criminally punitive penalty system for not voting, such as community education programs instead of fines.
Submission: Inquiry into Public Health Amendment Bill 2021 (No 2)
ACTCOSS supports the proposed Public Health Amendment Bill. The Bill will provide a regulatory framework to manage health risks around COVID-19 and is better suited to addressing public health concerns than emergency public health orders.
Submission: Single-use Plastics: Tranche 2
ACTCOSS has contributed to the ACT Government’s consultation on singe-use plastics. We wrote to the Waste Policy Team calling for the transition to environmentally friendly policy to be just and aim to reduce poverty, inequality and improve wellbeing. We echoed concerns from Disabled People’s Organisations and Disability Representative Organisations that ban plastic straws would be a significant and serious access issue for some people with disabilities.
Letter: ACT Policing Introduction of Online Reporting
ACTCOSS wrote to ACT Policing and Minister for Police and Emergency Services expressing concern about the recent move to digital reporting for some types of property crime. There are many for whom digital reporting is inaccessible and exclusionary.