Driving systemic change in Canberra

Following the launch of Anglicare WA’s policy proposals in the lead-up to the State and Federal elections, we headed to Canberra to discuss our ideas with Ministers and Members of Parliament during the Federal Parliament’s October sitting week.

Our CEO Mark Glasson and Government Relations Lead Sara Kane were accompanied by sector colleagues Louise Giolitto (WACOSS CEO) and Tim Grey-Smith (Community Employers WA).  As a delegation, they emphasised the necessity of increasing JobSeeker and income support payments above the poverty line, along with a stronger commitment to social housing and assistance for private renters.

The trip also provided an opportunity to showcase the impact of Anglicare WA’s frontline services and innovative solutions together with an open invitation for Federal Ministers and MPs to visit our services when in Western Australia.

Mark shared his reflections on the purpose and outcomes of the Canberra trip.

Colleagues Louise Giolitto (CEO, WA Council of Social Services), Tim Grey-Smith (ED, Community Employers WA) and I were fortunate to visit Canberra during federal parliament sitting week on 9^th & 10^th October.

The aim of the visit was to meet with Ministers, Shadow Ministers, and/or their advisers whose portfolios relate to the WA community sector, and who we don’t ordinarily have direct access to – being they are not WA based and may not have a context of the WA community.

We are pleased to report we met with 14 Ministers, Shadow Ministers and/or their advisers covering a range of portfolios including social and community services, housing, homelessness, employment services, family and domestic violence, child protection, youth, early childhood education and care, mental health, regional rural and remote health, Indigenous Australians, climate change and energy.

We had the opportunity to showcase our service and innovation together with a range of policy suggestions. All remarkably warmly received. We look forward to the next steps of government adopting some of Anglicare WA’s innovative approaches and implementing our policy ideas. Watch this space!