A Shorten Labor Government will provide $40 million over four years to emergency relief organisations across the country, including $140,000 for organisations across Blair.  

This election is a choice between a Shorten Labor Government with a plan for the services our community needs, or more cuts and chaos from the Liberals.   

The Morrison Government is cutting the funding for many emergency relief services at the end of the year.  

Labor will reverse the Liberals’ cuts to emergency relief organisations and provide a much needed boost to the sector. 

This means over the next four years a Labor government will provide:  

• $92,000 for Harvest Rain Christian Care;
• $16,000 for Ipswich Assist;
• $16,000 for the Leichardt Community Group; and
• $16,000 for the Riverview Neighbourhood House Association.

These services provide support to vulnerable people who have nowhere else to turn by providing food hampers, funding for fuel to attend specialist medical appointments and other financial assistance.   

The charities and not-for-profits that do this work are increasingly stretched and need more resources.  

A Shorten Labor Government will also support Australians in financial hardship by:  

• Doubling the number of financial counsellors across the country.  
• Expanding low-cost alternatives to pay day loans for low-income Australians, providing safe and fair credit options when things get tough. 
• Reversing the Morrison Government’s $5.5 million cut to emergency relief organisations across the country and providing a much needed top up to the emergency relief sector.  

Member for Blair, Shayne Neumann MP, said many vulnerable people across Ipswich, the Somerset Region and the Karana Downs region are at risk of falling through the cracks.  

“Labor will make sure our local charities and not-for-profits have the resources they need to support people in our region who are doing it tough.”