eNewsletter-22 March 2023

On Sunday 5 March 2023 I was honoured to be commissioned as the new National President of the St Vincent de Paul Society in Australia during a Mass conducted by the Archbishop of Canberra-Goulburn at St Christopher’s Cathedral, Canberra.

It was heartening to have all members of our National Council in attendance as well as a number of staff members from the National Secretariate. This was a wonderful demonstration of the level of support that I know I will receive during my term as National President.

National Council Secretariate, together with an amazingly committed National Council, offer the Society in Australia their varied skills, experience and commitment to Mission. 

During the service Archbishop Christopher [Prowse] spoke at length about the work the St Vincent de Paul Society does in assisting the vulnerable in our communities around Australia.

The Archbishop also thanked Claire Victory, the outgoing president for her important contribution over her term.  

It was encouraging to have the work of the Society recognised by the Church and to have Society members and staff come together and participate in the commissioning service. 

I found the experience to be deeply moving, one full of humility and a day that my wife Mary and I will never forget.

New leadership term begins

St Vincent de Paul Society National Council members

The National Council of the St Vincent de Paul Society in Australia has officially welcomed the recently elected National President, Mr Mark Gaetani, from Launceston, Tasmania.

Mr Gaetani replaces Ms Claire Victory who had completed three four-year terms on National Council, the last one as National President.   

National Council convened over the weekend of 3-5 March in Canberra and held its first meeting of the next four-year term on Sunday 5 March following the Commissioning Mass to induct the new National President. 

The Commissioning Mass was attended by local and interstate Vincentians, members of the National Council's Secretariate and other supporters of the Society. 

Members of Australia's 18th National Council include our President and the Presidents of our State and Territory Councils, a number of Vice-Presidents and office bearers. This is as specified in Article 20 of The Rule—the governing document of the St Vincent de Paul Society, written for members and volunteers.

National Council meetings provide the forum for our state and territory councils to report on their activities, discuss matters of common concern and make decisions on action to be taken. Policy decisions are made at Council meetings.

Meet the National Council.

Tax changes to super welcome 

St Vincent de Paul Society in Australia welcomed the Treasurer’s 28 February announcement that Australia’s superannuation accounts of $3m or more will have income earnt on these accounts taxed at 30 per cent, not 15 per cent. 

This will affect less than 0.5 per cent of Australians and is an important step in rebalancing Australia’s distorted tax and superannuation systems, which heavily favour high-income households and entrench poverty and desperation among Australia’s most vulnerable.

See the Statement.

Income support still not enough

The March indexation increases for income support recipients are not enough to help people cope with the cost-of-living crisis and do nothing to fix the inadequacy of the income support system.

‘Regular indexation of income support payments is of course welcome – but it is not a genuine increase and does nothing to deliver ‘cost-of-living relief’ as trumpeted by the Government,’ National President Mark Gaetani said.

‘The Society calls on the Albanese Government to deliver an increase to JobSeeker and other income support payments in the upcoming Federal Budget.’

A Fairer Tax and Welfare System in Australia, commissioned by the Society, models three different options that would lift up to one million people out of poverty by increasing working age payments and Commonwealth Rent Assistance. All three options require the Stage 3 tax cuts to be discontinued.

Read more.

Interest rate pain continues

The 7 March increase in official interest rates—the 10th in a row—will punish Australia’s most vulnerable the hardest and push them further into disadvantage and despair as the cost-of-living crisis deepens.

National President Mark Gaetani said, ‘Today’s blow from the Reserve Bank of Australia will force many Australians to their knees just as they need a hand up.

Australians are struggling – spiralling inflation has taken life’s essentials out of reach, housing is unaffordable, unemployment is rising, real wages are plummeting, and savings are at very low levels. Low-income households are in acute pain…The Society calls on the Reserve Bank of Australia to halt further interest rate increases.’

Read more.

International Women's Day 2023

'The St Vincent de Paul Society is a longstanding ally in the campaign for gender equity. Moreover, the majority of those whom we assist are also female.  The sad fact is that women aged over 50 are the fastest growing demographic in the poverty cycle in our nation.

'If working, they face inequitable wages, and their savings and super balances are markedly lower than men’s...'

So writes Mark Gaetani, the Society's National President, in a commentary for International Women's Day. Read the full article at the this link.

Looking homelessness in the eyes

Vinnies National CEO Toby oConnor (left) joined Rotary's David Motta, Tara Sherwood and Dr Ken Mullin at the opening of 'Eye Contact' at Parliament House, Canberra on International Women's Day 2023. 

Each night 50,000 Australian women are homeless or at risk of homelessness - 63 per cent have faced trauma and abuse.

To mark International Women's Day (8 March) Rotary Club of WA mounted the 'Eye Contact' exhibition of large-scale portraits of Perth homeless people by photographer Phil England. The show invites us to look into the eyes and read the stories of people living on the city's streets.

Vinnies and Rotary run Passages youth homelessness hub in Perth Passages Youth Engagement Hub | Perth & Peel WA(external link).

Rotary also provides homeless support Help for the Homeless – Rotary Down Under (external link) 

Vinnies operates a range of nationwide homeless services as well as urging federal and state/territory governments to greatly increase social and affordable housing.

Additional information - Addressing homelessness in Australia

Join rally for refugee justice on Palm Sunday 

Vincentians and all Australians are invited to attend the annual rallies calling for refugee justice to be held across the country on Palm Sunday (2 April). Times and locations of rallies can be found on the Australian refugee action network website.

Update on refugee movements ​​​​​​

The Refugee Council of Australia (RCOA) has welcomed the Australian Government’s announcement to end temporary protection for over 19,000 visa holders, enabling those on Temporary Protection Visas or Safe Haven Enterprise Visas to apply for a permanent Resolution of Status (RoS) Visa. Free legal assistance will be available and the process will conclude in around 12 months.

While RoS visa holders will be able to apply to sponsor family members through the migration program, restrictions are still in place for applications through the Special Humanitarian Program.

And the pathway for those still involved in the unfair ‘fast track process’ remains uncertain.

So, more action is still needed for about 10,000 people under Australia’s care, who’ve been seeking our protection for a decade and who are still unable to do so in a fair and timely manner.

Therefore, the Society calls on the Australian Government to:

• Implement a fairer process for all affected by the unjust fast-track process and provide an adequate safety net for all asylum seekers
• Resettle all people still subject to offshore processing and move people held offshore to Australia while they await resettlement
• Make detention a last resort and improve the living conditions of those that must be detained for security reasons
• Reform the family reunion process and expedite implementation of the increased humanitarian intake, with a minimum intake of 20,000 people in 2023-24.