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 the Federal Pre-Budget 2022-23 consultation
- 7 February 2022
The COVID-19 pandemic has magnified many of the pre-existing challenges experienced by people on the margins of society. These challenges include homelessness and housing stress, family violence, insecure employment, and poverty. The climate crisis continues alongside the pandemic, with 2021 recorded as one of the hottest years on record. Like COVID-19, climate change is disproportionately…
Submission on mandatory sentencing and community-based sentencing options in the Northern Territory
- 8 February 2021
Jesuit Social Services was pleased to contribute to the Northern Territory Law Reform Committee’s consultation on mandatory sentencing and community-based sentencing options. Our submission outlined our opposition to mandatory sentencing and recommended the repeal of all mandatory sentencing provisions in the NT under the Sentencing Act 1995, the Domestic and Family Violence Act 2007 and…
Submission to the Senate Community Affairs Legislation Committee’s consultation regarding the Social Services and Other Legislation Amendment (Extension of Coronavirus Support) Bill 2020
- 7 December 2020
Jesuit Social Services welcomes the opportunity to contribute to the Senate Community Affairs Legislation Committee’s consultation regarding the Social Services and Other Legislation Amendment (Extension of Coronavirus Support) Bill 2020, which allows for the extension of the Coronavirus Supplement until 31 March 2021. In this submission, we highlight that the COVID-19 pandemic has underlined pre-existing…
Submission on the ‘Continuation of Cashless Welfare Bill 2020'
- 18 November 2020
Jesuit Social Services has previously outlined a range of concerns about the ongoing trials and continued expansion of the cashless debit card measures. These include the disproportionate impact of the scheme on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities; inadequate consultation with affected communities; its compulsory nature; the lack of a clear evidence base; and evidence…
Submission to the inquiry into the Victorian Government's response to the COVID-19 pandemic
- 3 September 2020
At the time of writing this submission, Victoria was grappling with a surge in COVID-19 cases and a second large-scale lockdown. Much remains uncertain. We do not know how long this pandemic will last, the total number of deaths, or the full physical, mental, social and economic toll. We do know, however, that certain groups…
Submission regarding the Commonwealth Electoral Amendment (Ensuring Fair Representation of the Northern Territory) Bill 2020
- 12 August 2020
Jesuit Social Services welcomes the opportunity to write in support of the Commonwealth Electoral Amendment (Ensuring Fair Representation of the Northern Territory) Bill 2020. Our work in the Territory reinforces every day the size, diversity and unique demographics of this jurisdiction. It is extremely difficult to imagine how the Territory would be appropriately or fairly…
Submission to the Senate Select Committee on COVID-19
- 9 June 2020
Life before the COVID-19 pandemic was already tough for many people on the margins. As an organisation working with some of the most disadvantaged members of the community, we saw and continue to see this first hand. While we are all affected in some way, the burdens of crises such as these are not borne…
Submission to the Royal Commission into National Natural Disaster Arrangements
- 5 May 2020
Jesuit Social Services welcomes the opportunity to contribute to the Royal Commission into National Natural Disaster Arrangements. The bushfires of 2019-20 were unprecedented and tragic. The bushfire crisis finds common roots with the current overlapping health and economic crises of the COVID-19 pandemic in our broken relationship with our environment and our failure to recognise…
Submission to the Inquiry into the 2019-2020 Victorian Fire Season
- 1 May 2020
Jesuit Social Services welcomes the opportunity to contribute to the Inquiry into the 2019-2020 Victorian Fire Season being conducted by the Inspector-General for Emergency Management (IGEM). The Victorian Government announced this Inquiry in January 2020, at the same time as it established the statutory body, Bushfire Recovery Victoria. The focus of the first phase of the…
Submission to the Victorian Government’s inquiry into VCAL
- 28 April 2020
Jesuit Social Services welcomes the opportunity to respond to the Victorian Government’s review of Vocational and Applied Learning (VCAL) in Senior Secondary Schooling. In our experience working with young people who have disengaged from education in Victoria, many students benefit from undertaking VCAL as an alternative to the Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE). We believe…