Advocates from across the country converged on Parliament House last week in a national mobilisation to highlight key priorities ahead of the Federal Budget in May.
The campaign is responding to growing cost-of-living pressures, particularly rising household energy bills driven by energy market volatility and corporate profiteering, which are leaving many Australians struggling to maintain healthy living conditions in their homes.
Renew Australia for All is a national coalition bringing together unions, social services organisations, environmental groups, faith communities and industry to advocate for a fairer, more secure future for people across Australia.
More than 70 advocates came together from around the country to meet with decision makers, build relationships, share insights, and coordinate the next steps in their coalition. Over 45 meetings with key decision makers were held.
“There is something powerful that happens when advocates from every corner of this country stand side by side. Our collective voice carries further than any one of us ever could,” said ANMF Federal Assistant Secretary Catelyn Richards reflecting on the day at Parliament House.
Improving home energy efficiency, strengthening climate resilience and ensuring fair economic policy are interconnected issues affecting health, cost of living and community wellbeing.
The coalition’s central message is that every person in Australia should be able to live in a home that is safe, healthy and affordable to heat, cool and cook in, regardless of whether they rent, own, or live in an apartment or house.
Ms Richards is largely involved in advocacy on funding the National Health and Climate Strategy as part of the Climate Safety Plan.
“Funding the National Climate Change and Health Strategy is what will give the most vulnerable communities the real support they need to prepare for, respond to, and recover from extreme weather events. Government must walk alongside health workers to ensure every Australian can stay safe and healthy despite the impacts of climate change.
“Decision makers believe in what we are fighting for – now we must make them feel it. Over the coming year, our task is to turn quiet agreement into the kind of conviction that changes votes and shapes budgets.”
The coalition will be calling on the federal government to prioritise several key actions in the upcoming budget:
- Deliver bill relief and healthy homes for renters, including energy-efficient housing upgrades.
- Protect communities from climate disasters through stronger resilience and preparedness measures.
- Put fairness at the centre of economic policy, ensuring the transition to clean energy benefits households, not only corporations.
- Climate-proof Australia’s health system so it can respond to heatwaves, bushfires and other climate-related health risks.
The group wants to see these measures funded through fair tax reform, ensuring large corporations contribute appropriately. Over 10 years, nurses paid $7bn more in tax than did oil and gas companies.
“The ANMF is supporting calls from the ACTU for a 25% levy on the sale of liquified natural gas (LNG),” said Ms Richards.
“We believe it is unfair that multi-national oil companies are profiteering, as Australians continue to pay significantly more for their fuel, as a result of escalating global conflicts.”
The mobilisation in Canberra is intended to demonstrate broad cross-sector support for these priorities ahead of the budget process.
For more information:
Nurses pay more tax than the oil and gas companies – The Australia Institute
