WEL’s initial reaction to the budget was captured in its media release. WEL welcomed the many modest initiatives outlined in the Federal Government’s comprehensive Women’s Budget Statement but stated that many other Budget initiatives fell far short in funding adequacy or remained unfunded.

Further post budget analysis undertaken by ACOSS and the National Foundation of Australian Women (NFAW) in the annual Gender Lens on the Budget papers also highlight the major challenges faced by the Government which it did not address in this budget. ACOSS saw the Budget as tinkering, but not transformative in the context of a slowing economy, rising unemployment, falling spending power, a cost of living crisis, housing insecurity and climate crisis. It judged that the solutions presented were poorly targeted. It criticised the amended Stage 3 Tax Cuts as benefitting more men than women.

But the failure to increase JobSeeker payment was the gaping hole in the Budget’s heart. This payment currently sits at $379 per week with the pension at $548 per week and the minimum wage at $883 per week. NFAW expressed disappointment with the Government’s failure to tackle poverty for the most vulnerable in a systematic way. It has pointed out that mature age women are the largest group by age and gender of Job Seeker recipients and has consistently advocated reform of the social security net.

At the ACOSS Post-Budget event, Treasurer Jim Chalmers speaking via video-link responded to a heartfelt question: When are you going to Raise the Rate to a liveable level? He defended the government’s approach by pointing to other measures designed to relieve cost of living pressures: the energy rebate, changes to bulk billing, cheaper medicines, increases in Commonwealth Rent Assistance, changes in Carer Payment and Carer Allowance and so on. This response did not really satisfy the ACOSS audience.

WEL has called for increases in JobSeeker and Youth Allowance in its media statement issued on 7 May on Domestic Violence responses. The adequacy of these payments is vital to the provision of women’s economic security and their safety when fleeing violence. The calls to Raise the Rate are universal and supported by the government’s own Economic Inclusion Advisory Committee. Its failure to respond in this year’s budget will follow it to next year’s election.