Starting from 1 July 2014, community legal centres such as Youthlaw can’t use federal government funding we receive to engage in policy reform or advocacy work.
The ban has been heavily criticised by community legal advocates as it is contrary to the findings of the recent Productivity Commission report on ensuring everyone has access to justice.
No safety net for young people
The federal budget announced last night hits young people the hardest, with draconian changes to Centrelink support for under 30 year olds:
Newstart (an extra $45 per week) will only be available for those 25 years or older A 6 month waiting period for Youth Allowance and Newstart A 6 months on / 6 months off social security scheme that will leave young jobseekers without any form of income for 6 months every year Financial penalties for young people who do not accept a job offered Tightened eligibility for the Disability Support Pension that will effectively exclude young people experiencing mental health issuesThese budget announcements will result in more young people living in poverty and homelessness.
A decision handed down this week by the United Nations Human Rights Committee has significant implications for how complaints against police are dealt with in Victoria. This decision comes at a time when both major political parties are signalling intention to review the powers and role of the Victorian Independent Broad-based Anti –Corruption Commission (IBAC ).
Youthlaw has advocated for the interests of young people in relation to proposed cyber-bullying laws and policies in the Department of Communications’ Discussion Paper “Enhancing Online Safety for Children”.
We support the establishment of a Children’s e-Safety Commissioner, development of an effective complaints system to remove harmful material from social media sites quickly and securing these protections with federal legislation.
