Reverend Professor James Haire, new President of the Uniting Church in Australia, today launched the Uniting Church’s position on a fair and equitable social security system for Australia.

"Our central concern is that ‘welfare reform’ should not be about punishing the already disadvantaged, but should focus on the root causes of disadvantage, and structural dysfunction," said Professor Haire.

"People are already being punished by the ‘mutual obligation’ system – it’s time for governments to seriously reassess their own obligations to all Australians," Professor Haire said. "The Uniting Church believes the starting point for welfare reform is the principle that all people have the right to an adequate income. Governments have a particular duty of care in upholding that right –

• ‘get a job’ means jobs must be available;
• ‘jobs assistance’ means appropriate training and support for jobs with a future;
• ‘employment support’ includes appropriate child care, adequate and affordable transport, stable and affordable housing;
• ‘safety net’ means income support must be adequate, and the social security system must be fair."

The position paper, developed jointly by UnitingCare Australia and National Social Responsibility and Justice, two Uniting Church national agencies, offers a springboard for a revitalised, fair and equitable social security system. The eight principles for underpinning that revitalised vision are grounded in the concepts of the intrinsic value of all human beings, the goal of working together for the common good, and Australia’s human rights obligations.

Position paper online at UnitingCare's website. [read] This file is a pdf / 465k.