SENATOR JENNY MCALLISTER
SHADOW ASSISTANT MINISTER FOR FAMILIES AND COMMUNITIES
SENATOR FOR NEW SOUTH WALES

FUNDING CHAOS AT CHRISTMAS CONTINUES

The Government has back flipped on yet another of its Financial Capability and Wellbeing grant decisions.

The announcement today to extend funding to emergency relief services is further indication that the Minister has bungled the roll out of community services grants.

Mr Fletcher is clearly out of his depth and has spent the last seven days plugging holes of his own making.

This is the third funding backflip by the Government this week after funding recipients have shamed the Minister into a response.
On Monday the Government back flipped on their cruel cuts to Foodbank.

On Wednesday the Government back flipped on their decision to cut funding to organisations in NSW and Victoria who run the National Debt helpline by extending their funding arrangements for 12 months.

Today the Minister has back flipped on the roll out of their emergency relief grants across the country by extending grants arrangements to organisations that were recently notified of a cut to funding.

While extras resources are always welcome, a chaotic allocation of funds to save the Ministers own political skin is no substitute for careful planning in response to identified community need. 

This constant back flipping on funding decisions is no way to run a portfolio.

Either the Minister doesn’t know or he doesn’t care about the services delivered by his portfolio.

The chaos around funding has come just before Christmas and has caused immense stress to organisations providing front line services to some of our most vulnerable people.

Community organisations across the country have had their funding cut without any explanation as to how services will continue to be delivered and who will be delivering them.

The chaos surrounding social services needs to stop.

SATURDAY, 17 NOVEMBER 2018

MEDIA CONTACT: NATHAN ROBERTSON 0436 632 388