Poverty in Australia is a growing concern as it affects more and more people every year. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, over 3.2 million Australians, or approximately 13.5%, are living in poverty, meaning that they live on less than 50% of the median income. This means that more than one in eight Australians … Continue reading Poverty in Australia
Category: News and Features
News, Features, Media Releases and Comments
Universal Basic Income in Australia
Over the years, Australia just like other developed countries have been thinking of introducing a universal basic income (UBI). But what is it, and what are the arguments for and against? A UBI is a form of income that is offered by the government to its citizens with disregard to their employment status. This form … Continue reading Universal Basic Income in Australia
Voice to Parliament: the dirty tricks of the no-campaigners
Constitutional recognition through a Voice to Parliament would give Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people agency to help inform decisions that impact their lives. Yet there are those that are against this purely on principle, rather than on any facts or details of the proposed Voice. Why is this so? First, let's look at what … Continue reading Voice to Parliament: the dirty tricks of the no-campaigners
China have just made our housing crisis worse
More than 40,000 Chinese university students could arrive in Australia in the next few weeks as a result of a Chinese government ban on online studying. The ban affects all students located in China who are studying university courses online through an Australian university. China have decreed that they will no longer recognise these online … Continue reading China have just made our housing crisis worse
The problems with the NDIS
Now in its fourth year of implementation, the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) is an Australian Government initiative providing funding for disability support and services. This insurance-based scheme is designed to provide people with a significant and permanent disability with the necessary and reasonable support they require to enjoy an ordinary lifestyle. While the NDIS … Continue reading The problems with the NDIS
We need a Centrelink Royal Commission
The Australian government established Centrelink with the primary purpose of providing aid to individuals who are in need of it. Unfortunately, Australian residents don't believe the agency has performed effectively, which is why a Royal Commission is needed to intervene and restore order. But why is a Royal Commission necessary, and what will its objectives … Continue reading We need a Centrelink Royal Commission
My first story in Big Issue Magazine (2006)
This was my very first story published in Big Issue Magazine as part of a regular fortnightly series back in 2006. Big Issue employed me with money they received from Sarina Russo and The Vodafone Foundation. Dear Mum, Sorry I haven’t written for a while. Okay, so it’s been three years. This is just a … Continue reading My first story in Big Issue Magazine (2006)
Australia Day or Invasion Day?
A nation's national day of celebration is meant to unite a country, but in recent years that has not been the case in Australia. So is it time to change the date we celebrate our national day? The date of 26 January has always been controversial as our national day of celebration, even though it … Continue reading Australia Day or Invasion Day?
Centrelink are still using income averaging
Income averaging was found to be illegal by the Federal Court in the Robodebt Test Case of Amato vs Commonwealth (2019), yet Centrelink still use this methodology when calculating income for certain windfalls. These windfalls include lottery wins, inheritances, gifts, bequests, insurance payments, bursaries, scholarships and anything else Centrelink decide is income, if they are … Continue reading Centrelink are still using income averaging
My jump from prison officer to social justice campaigner
One thing I learnt in my time as a prison officer is that there is no such thing as the justice system, and we should stop referring to it as such. It is the judicial system, run by judges and with little concern for victims or offenders. My jump to social justice campaigner started with … Continue reading My jump from prison officer to social justice campaigner
Centrelink needs to be broken up
Centrelink is a totally dysfunctional organisation, due in large part to the fact that it has become too big to be able to function efficiently or effectively. They administer all forms of benefit payments, and the call centre staff rarely know the answers to an enquiry when they are called. That is, if one can … Continue reading Centrelink needs to be broken up
Life as a white man on an Aboriginal community
Back in the year 2000, I was honoured to be invited to live and work on the Aboriginal community of Woorabinda, 170 km south west of Rockhampton in Central Queensland. Woorabinda had a population of about 3000 then, and there were only 21 non-Indigenous people living on the community. I was employed by the local … Continue reading Life as a white man on an Aboriginal community
Robodebt architect now has NDIS recipients in his sights
Jason Ryman, the architect of Centrelink's infamous Robodebt scheme, was seconded to the NDIA with the task of using a similar scheme to target recipients of NDIS funding. The NDIA (National Disability Insurance Agency) is the agency charged with overseeing the running of the NDIS (National Disability Insurance Scheme). The secondment was made by former … Continue reading Robodebt architect now has NDIS recipients in his sights
Bring back the CES (Commonwealth Employment Service)
Job Services Australia, or Workforce Australia as it is now called, has failed to live up to the promises the Howard government made when they introduced it in 1998. Originally known as the Job Network, it has devolved into a giant money making venture by about 30 multinational organisations, and offers few tangible services to … Continue reading Bring back the CES (Commonwealth Employment Service)
Centrelink staff need to learn some manners
One thing that was consistent during the Robodebt Royal Commission was Centrelink's victims reporting that staff had been rude and aggressive. Sadly, this has not changed. Witnesses at the Royal Commission recounted that staff had yelled at them, mocked them, refused to listen to any defence and generally treated them with contempt. Witnesses recalled being … Continue reading Centrelink staff need to learn some manners
Dominic Perrottet and the Nazi uniform: he doesn’t know what he did was wrong
Dominic Perrottet has failed to apologise to everybody that he offended by wearing a Nazi uniform, showing he doesn't really understand what he did was wrong and why. To be fair, a 21 year old probably wouldn't understand the significance of the Nazi uniform, and he shouldn't be judged on what he did as a … Continue reading Dominic Perrottet and the Nazi uniform: he doesn’t know what he did was wrong
Why retrospective law can be applied to the NACC
With the passing of legislation for the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC), it is worth reflecting on the history of retrospective law in Australia, and how the courts have found it to be legal. It is possible in Australia to break laws that have not yet been created, but there are instances where many would believe … Continue reading Why retrospective law can be applied to the NACC
Churches are businesses and should pay tax
It is difficult to know how much revenue churches make in Australia each year, but some estimates put it at $40 billion dollars, all tax free. This means Australia is missing out on about $10 billion dollars a year in taxes. Not just corporate tax, but also income tax, GST, payroll tax, council rates, land … Continue reading Churches are businesses and should pay tax
My first venture into social justice: Australians for Reconciliation
My first venture into social justice was an eye opener, and I spent six weeks in gaol for my efforts. After having worked in Goulburn Prison for three years, as a prison officer, I became concerned at the disproportionate number of Indigenous people in gaol compared to the mainstream population. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander … Continue reading My first venture into social justice: Australians for Reconciliation
Corporate welfare cheats: the real bludgers in Australian society
While Australia's poor and marginalised are portrayed as "welfare cheats" by the LNP and right wing, the real welfare cheats are pocketing billions at the expense of the Australian taxpayer. These are the large corporations, particularly their CEOs and executives, who receive handouts from the government that they don't really need and are not really … Continue reading Corporate welfare cheats: the real bludgers in Australian society
It is social security, not welfare
In the pre-Centrelink days, the unemployed, disabled, aged, marginalised and students were treated with some respect by the Australian government. Those days are long gone. Up until 1997, Australia had the Department of Social Security, which administered social security payments. This is how they were referred to by both the government and the department. Then … Continue reading It is social security, not welfare
Centrelink are in the firing line, and it’s about time
My recent article The aged pension is not welfare has now been read by nearly 40,000 people in just two days, and I have received emails from over 100 people having problems with Centrelink. The response has been overwhelming. I have responded to many of these emails, and will respond to all of them over … Continue reading Centrelink are in the firing line, and it’s about time
Centrelink’s war on people with disabilities
One thing people with disabilities dread hearing is when Centrelink tells them they are not disabled enough., but it is something they hear all too frequently. Disability can take many forms: it can be intellectual, mental illness, physical or sensory. One can be born with it or acquire it later in life. It doesn't discriminate … Continue reading Centrelink’s war on people with disabilities
The aged pension is not welfare
The aged pension is an entitlement and Centrelink should not be treating it as welfare. All Australians should be entitled to it as a reward for a lifetime of contribution to Australia. While it is true that some contribute more than others, we live in one of the most democratic countries in the world, and … Continue reading The aged pension is not welfare
How Centrelink are causing domestic abuse in Australian families
Centrelink are a major contributor to domestic abuse in Australian families because of their antiquated laws, and it is time the Australian government stepped in and stopped it. Under Centrelink law, if one partner in a relationship is working, the other partner is not entitled to any income support, or gets a drastically decreased amount. … Continue reading How Centrelink are causing domestic abuse in Australian families
Craig Hill 