It was 35 years ago that (former) Prime Minister Bob Hawke pledged to end child poverty by 1990. Today, in 2022, 1 in 6 Australian children – that’s almost three quarters of a million children – are still living in poverty with their families facing the daily struggle of how to feed, clothe and shelter them.
This year is the 20th anniversary of Anti-Poverty Week in Australia that is being held throughout the country from the 16th to the 22nd October. Anti-Poverty Week Committees throughout Australia are making use of this milestone to call on all Parliamentarians from all levels of Government to commit to halving child poverty by 2030. This is regarded as a modest and achievable goal on the journey towards completely eradicating child poverty in Australia.
In Queensland, Anti-Poverty Week was launched on Sunday, 16th October at a community BBQ hosted by Micah Projects and the Hope on Boundary Street Café at West End, Brisbane. Make sure you watch the Channel 10 News coverage of this fantastic event that features interviews of Janine Rees who has lived experience of poverty and homelessness after fleeing domestic violence, Micah Project’s Karyn Walsh and PeakCare’s Lindsay Wegener.