Policy submissions

Here you’ll find a wide selection of policy papers and submissions we’ve published. Each paper draws on our experience working with disadvantaged youth, families and communities.

Submission to inquiry into factors driving educational attainment
- 12 June 2026
Jesuit Social Services has made a submission to the House Standing Committee on Education’s inquiry into factors driving educational attainment. Drawing on our work in schools and education, our submission argues that the mainstream education system often lacks the capacity, resourcing and integration with other systems to the meet the needs of individuals and cohorts…
Submission to the NSW consultation on minimum energy efficiency rental standards
- 29 May 2026
Jesuit Social Services has made a submission supporting Minimum Energy Efficiency Rental Standards (MEERS) in NSW, highlighting that poor energy efficiency in rentals is a matter of equity, health and climate resilience affecting our most disadvantaged communities. We call for enforceable standards across private and public housing, strong protections against cost pass-throughs to renters, and…
Submission to Northern Territory's Care and Protection of Children Legislation Amendment (Every Child Matters) Bill 2026
- 25 May 2026
Addressing the underlying conditions that put families at risk is the most effective way to keep children safe. This means investing to strengthen families and communities, increase access to services, and support at-risk families earlier to reduce the risk of child protection involvement.
Submission to the inquiry into Anti-LGBTIQA+ hate crimes in Victoria
- 7 May 2026
Our submission to the inquiry into anti-LGBTIQA+ hate crimes in Victoria argues that we must address the underlying drivers of violence against LGBTIQA+ people – including anti-LGBTIQA+ prejudice and rigid masculine norms – as well as addressing the factors driving some of the contemporary manifestations of this violence, such as the ways in which online…
Submission to the federal inquiry into racism, hate and violence directed at Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
- 1 May 2026
Jesuit Services sees the impacts of systemic racism against First Nations people through the experiences of our participants and practitioners, and in the data we collect. Efforts to eliminate racism, hate and violence directed towards First Nations people must understand and address systemic racism, which creates the architecture around which other forms of racism are…
Submission to the NSW Select Committee on Youth Justice
- 31 March 2026
Despite years of reviews and Royal Commissions, governments have failed to act — and the number of children in NSW youth detention continues to rise. The NSW Government must shift from punitive approaches to therapeutic responses grounded in children's needs. Our submission sets out a path to address the causes of harmful behaviour, support healing,…
Submission to the inquiry into the Defence Amendment (Sexual Assault Prevention, Intervention and Response Commission) Bill 2025
- 19 March 2026
Jesuit Social Services supports the intent of the Defence Amendment (Sexual Assault Prevention, Intervention and Response Commission) Bill 2025 to eliminate sexual assault in the Australian Defence Force, and recognises the importance of a strong government commitment to achieve this.
Submission to Inquiry into Offshore Processing
- 13 February 2026
Jesuit Social Services outlines our grave concerns about Australia’s offshore processing and resettlement arrangements in our submission to a senate inquiry. We call on the Government to use its strength in parliament to initiate a fair, humane and principled reset of Australia’s treatment of refugees and people seeking asylum.
Response to the inquiry into the relationship between domestic family and sexual violence and suicide
- 3 February 2026
The deaths of women, children and young people by suicide in the context of domestic, family and sexual violence (DFSV) victimisation is an important but often overlooked dimension of gender-based violence. There is evidence that DFSV contributes significantly to the burden of mental health issues leading to self-harm and suicide among victims in Australia. Women,…
Northern Territory Gender Equity Strategy
- 13 January 2026
Jesuit Social Services’ feedback on the Northern Territory Gender Equality Strategy draws on our research and practice expertise in primary prevention and early intervention of gender-based violence and domestic, family and sexual violence, and our specific expertise on engaging boys and men.

Policy submissions

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