In the May 2023 budget, Treasurer Jim Chalmers announced an important change to the welfare payment for single parents: recipients could stay on it until their youngest child turned 14, up from the previous cut-off at 8 years old.
The campaign that took place leading up to the budget is a success story of how lived experience, independent research, media attention, and a government-backed task force combined to reform a harmful policy.
It’s a powerful case study for anyone wanting to change bad laws.
Terese Edwards, Anne Summers, Laura Tingle, Sam Mostyn, and Verity Firth sat down to discuss how researchers, activists, policymakers, and the community sector can join forces to make a real difference and navigate complex politics to advocate for – and achieve – reform.
View the recording of their discussion
Speakers
Terese Edwards is the CEO of the National Council of Single Mothers and their Children. She focuses on changing the dialogue on single mothers, and making sure women's strengths, voices, and respect are central to policy decisions. She assists women in navigating complex systems to gain the information that best supports and protects their families.
Dr Anne Summers AO is a journalist, commentator, and best-selling author. Anne is currently Professor of Domestic and Family Violence at UTS Business School, where she conducts innovative data-based research into domestic violence in Australia. Her 2022 report, The Choice: Violence or Poverty, influenced the federal government to make changes to the payment system for single mothers.
Laura Tingle has reported on Australian politics for more than 40 years. She has worked for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation since 2018, and previously held senior positions in print media, including more than a decade as political editor of the Australian Financial Review. She is the chief political correspondent for 7.30. Laura has written four Quarterly Essays, won two Walkley Awards, and is President of the National Press Club of Australia.
Sam Mostyn AO is the Chair of the Women's Economic Equality Taskforce, a key player in prioritising and recommending policy change to the Federal Government.