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The stories of Christmas tell us how the lives of simple people collide with the exactions and the cruelties of kings. In Luke’s Gospel a pregnant Mary must make a long, hot journey so that the Romans can make a census for taxation purposes. Her journey ends and her care begins with the birth of…
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International Women’s Day: we must reverse the trajectory of female incarceration rates
As we celebrate International Women’s Day this year, let us pause to remember the women at the margins of society, those who remain out of sight and out of mind. Like those in prison. As of February this year, there were just over 500 females in Victorian prisons. The Victorian female imprisonment rate increased 44.7 per cent…
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Incoming Federal Government must ensure no Australian is left behind
Jesuit Social Services congratulates the Coalition on its re-election, and says the returning Federal Government must ensure its policies give all Australians, including those on the margins of society, a chance to flourish. “Prime Minister Morrison talks about Australians ‘getting a go’ and this is needed more now than ever. More than three million Australians…
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Submission to the 2020-21 Victorian State Budget
Many Victorian communities experience significant and persistent disadvantage that manifests in high rates of disengagement from school, joblessness, homelessness, drug and alcohol misuse, family violence, child maltreatment, offending, mental illness, and pain and trauma. These are complex challenges and, not surprisingly, evidence shows that simplistic, siloed solutions do not work to turn around entrenched disadvantage…
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Funding boost to legal assistance services will support vulnerable Victorians
The Victorian Government’s $17.5 million funding boost to frontline legal assistance services including Victoria Legal Aid, Community Legal Centres and Aboriginal legal services will ensure that vulnerable Victorians will have access to vital services during the COVID-19 pandemic, says Jesuit Social Services. “We welcome the Victorian Government’s announcement of additional funding to frontline legal assistant…
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Submission to the Federal Pre-Budget 2022-23 consultation
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…
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Victorian 2022-23 Pre-Budget Submission
Many people in Victoria continue to experience persistent disadvantage that manifests in disengagement from school, joblessness, homelessness, substance misuse, family violence, contact with the justice system, mental ill-health, and trauma. These are complex challenges, especially because they intersect, interact, and are often intergenerational. The Victorian Government is to be commended for implementing several important initiatives…
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Victorian Pre-Budget 2023-24 Submission
Read our submission to the Victorian Government ahead of its 2023-24 Budget.