It lacks ambition and does not deliver a recovery that fixes the underlying problems the coronavirus crisis exposed and sets us on course for a fairer society and a safer climate future.
Getup National Director Paul Oosting said:
“The budget has left too many people facing long term uncertainty and left too many people behind,” said Paul Oosting.“Over three million people – one in four workers – are either unemployed or underemployed. And the half measures proposed by this government will have left them with a sinking feeling in their stomachs.
“The test the government set itself was for budget measures that were ‘temporary, targeted and proportionate’.“What we got was a budget that creates uncertainty, targets the wrong people, and lacks ambition in the face of an unprecedented jobs crisis.
“Temporary measures have locked in uncertainty for workers and businesses who still can’t see their way out of this recession.
“Tax cuts put money in the pockets of people who already have enough while doing nothing for people who don’t have a job.“And with unemployment projected to remain high for five years, it’s clear that $200 billion isn’t proportionate to the challenges we face.
“The government is not spending enough to solve the immediate challenges we face - an unprecedented unemployment crisis, deficient aged care facilities, and a climate crisis that threatens our communities.
“Two million people on temporary visas, 70% of whom lost their job and have received no income support during the crisis, have been left out in the cold at greater risk of homelessness and hunger.
“Australia could be a leader in the industries of tomorrow – renewable energy, batteries, electric vehicles – and be ramping up employment in vital public services like housing, aged care, childcare and education. Instead, we're shuffling the same old deck of cards and doubling down on dying fossil fuels.
“Think about what we could achieve if we had more imagination than "cut taxes and pray" - a recovery with jobs for all who need them, free childcare, thousands of new homes, and a faster transition to clean energy,” said Paul Oosting.