SACOSS is promoting its policy platform to all parties contesting the election and our aim is to get broad cross-party support for all the policies and initiatives we are proposing. Our analysis of the parties' positions is in two parts:
- Parliamentary party responses to each of our policy proposals
- All parties responses on the key issue of taxation
Parliamentary Party Responses to the SACOSS agenda
The tables below show the positions of the SA parliamentary parties in relation to each of the policies in the SACOSS policy platform. The assessment is based on published party policies, or responses directly to SACOSS. It largely does not take account of existing government policy as it is assumed (unless there are announcements to the contrary) that these will continue, and that the SACOSS agenda highlights particular gaps which need addressing.
The scoring system is simple:
Party is supporting the policy and will implement it if in government | |
Party supports some of the policy and will implement part of it if in government | |
Party rejects or will not be implementing the policy | |
Party has not explicitly rejected policy, but has other policies opposing direction | |
* | Party supports a different initiative which equally addresses the same issue |
Party has made no response on this policy |
Where possible, the source of the policy is stated or the symbols link to the relevant party policy document. Download the major party responses to the SACOSS platform.
Labor | Liberal |
Go to all parties policies on | |||
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A Fair and Sustainable Tax Base
Labor | Liberal | Greens | Family First | Xeno- phon Group |
Dignity for Disability |
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Restore state government revenue to pre-GFC levels (as a % of GSP) in the next term of government |
SACOSS has published a major report, Taxes and the South Australian State Election, which critiques the analysis that South Australia is a high tax state and outlines the extent of the revenue problem we face. It also provides a summary of the parliamentary parties' positions on state taxes and a fair and sustainable revenue base. This is the basis of the above assessments.
Cost of Living
Labor | Liberal | Greens | Family First | Xeno- phon Group |
Dignity for Disability | |
Implement at least half of the measures in the SACOSS Cost of Living Relief package in the first term of government | Have identified 32 recent relief measures | Statement to SACOSS | Statement to SACOSS | |||
Establishment of a Housing Stress Emergency Payment Fund to prevent homelessness | Housing SA currently pays emergency rent in arrears, but no promise for mortgage payments. | Housing SA currently pays emergency rent in arrears, but no promise for mortgage payments. | Statement to SACOSS | |||
Establishment of a moratorium on collection of rent arrears for people in public housing on recommendation from financial counsellors where debt cannot be paid | Currently available in extenuating circumstances | Currently available in extenuating circumstances | Statement to SACOSS | |||
Change of Energy Concession to a percentage of bill (capped) rather than fixed amount | Concession reform, inc flexibility, and significant $50 (30%) increase. |
No move to %, but 6% increase in energy concession. |
Statement to SACOSS | Statement to SACOSS | ||
Third Party decision on any electricity disconnection | Statement to SACOSS | Statement to SACOSS | ||||
Expansion of existing medical heating/cooling concession | Statement to SACOSS | Statement to SACOSS | ||||
Establishment of an “EEPS-equivalent” scheme for telecommunications | Statement to SACOSS | Statement to SACOSS | ||||
Increase and index payments under the Patient Assistance Transport Scheme | $2.5m pa increase. Not indexed |
$1m pa increase. |
Statement to SACOSS | Statement +advocacy history | ||
Free off-peak Public Transport between 9am and 3pm | Statement to SACOSS | |||||
Increase and index the Access Cabs Subsidy | Statement at BINSA forum 20/2/14 | Statement to SACOSS | Statement + advocacy history | |||
Establishment of a “Good Money” shopfront for integrated low-income support services | Policy statement |
Statement to SACOSS | ||||
Establishment of a “Debt Deduct” type scheme | Debt consolidation to be available through Good money program. |
Statement to SACOSS | Statement to SACOSS | |||
Implementation of the agreed funding of consumer credit legal services | Now out for tender. Policy confirmed | Statement to SACOSS + advocacy history | Statement to SACOSS | Statement to Consumers SA, 19 Feb |
Social Justice Policies
Housing
Labor | Liberal | Greens | Family First | Xeno- phon Group |
Dignity for Disability | |
Increase and improve the stock of affordable housing and of social housing in particular, including by: | * Committed to build 5,200 new houses, plus Homes for Homes scheme. | Statement to SACOSS | ||||
a. requiring new large housing developments to have 5% for affordable home ownership, 5% for affordable rental (under NRAS), and 5% for high needs rental clients | Committed to the overall 15% quota, but without the sub-categories | Believes 15% is achievable, but without the sub-categories | Statement to SACOSS | |||
b. Transferring title (not just management) of stock from Housing SA to the community housing sector |
4000 titles to be transferred. |
Will continue work within current framework |
Statement to SACOSS | Statement to SACOSS | ||
c. Mandating universal aged-appropriate design standards for new developments | Current practices ensure adequate supply. |
Statement to SACOSS |
Health
Labor | Liberal | Greens | Family First | Xeno- phon Group |
Dignity for Disabilty | |
Recommit to population health and preventative approaches, evidenced by: | * Supports greater emphasis on primary healthcare as budget allows |
Statement to SACOSS | Statement to SACOSS |
Key policy platform |
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a. Resourcing for local councils to implement Regional Public Health Plans | Statement to SACOSS | Statement to SACOSS | ||||
b. Restoring funding to all primary health programs cut since the McCann Report unless there is evidence of Commonwealth funding | Committed to McCann report. |
* |
Statement to SACOSS | Statement to SACOSS | ||
Develop and implement a new five year plan for Mental Health in South Australia | Plus other mental health initiatives. |
* $0.5m for community approaches to suicide prevention, but no overall MH Plan. |
Statement to SACOSS | Statement + advocacy history |
Social and Economic Participation
Labor | Liberal | Greens | Family First | Xeno- phon Group |
Dignity for Disability | |
Implement a package of measures to assist in transition out of child support for those in the child protection system, including by: | * Will work with community sector to improve system, inc having a stronger Commissioner for Children |
Statement to SACOSS | Statement to SACOSS | |||
a. Ensuring availability of programs around being a successful young person (eg. life skills, building community connection, navigating adult support system) |
* |
* No new funding, but range of existing programs |
Statement to SACOSS | Statement to SACOSS | ||
b. Establishing an end point for child protection and support based on individual readiness, not an arbitrary age, including: | Statement to SACOSS | Statement to SACOSS | ||||
i. Maintaining financial support for foster parents after age of 18 | Other financial supports already exist. |
Statement to SACOSS | Statement to SACOSS | |||
ii. Maintaining financial support for NGO services after age of 18 | Statement to SACOSS | Statement to SACOSS | ||||
Support asylum seekers currently in our community, including through: | Statement to SACOSS | |||||
a. Seeking an exemption from the Federal Government to allow asylum seekers in SA to work | Statement to SACOSS | |||||
b. Funding for fully supported volunteer work programs for those unable to find work | Statement to SACOSS | |||||
c. Allowing asylum seekers to get assistance from Housing SA and other state agencies where the Federal government is not providing support | Granted public transport concessions | * Will ensure applicants get fair treatment |
Statement to SACOSS |
Law and Justice
Labor | Liberal | Greens | Family First | Xeno- phon Group |
Dignity for Disability | |
Set a target to reduce the prison population by 10% of sentenced prisoners and 20% of remandees, including by | Police & punish policy, inc some tougher sentences |
Rejected targets, but recognise problem and agree focus on reducing remand imprisonment | Statement to SACOSS | |||
a. Increasing funding and use of diversionary courts and processes, especially in the youth area | * Boot camp trial for youth, 2 justice reinvestment projects |
* Would look positively at justice reinvestment strategies |
Statement to SACOSS | |||
b. Implementing bail accommodation services for the general population promised in the last budget, and developing parallel youth-specific bail accommodation services | Budget commitment for general prison population, but no youth promise |
Would implement budgeted service, and open to similar youth service |
Statement to SACOSS | Statement to SACOSS | ||
c. Reviewing criminal legislation to reduce the number of crimes with custodial sentences and to reduce length of sentences where appropriate | Statement to SACOSS | |||||
Establish an independent or court-based auditing system to ensure that the government is providing the diversionary and support programs ordered by the court or parole boards | Investigate requirement that results of programs are presented in court. |
Govt audit of compliance & enforcement |
Statement to SACOSS | Statement + advocacy for transparency |
Community Services Sector Support
Labor | Liberal | Greens | Family First |
Xeno- |
Dignity for Disability | |
Pass the proposed Statutes Amendment (Commonwealth Registered Entities) Bill 2013 to recognise the ACNC and remove duplication of reporting | Committed to reducing duplicate reporting, & passing bill if relevant. |
Statement to SACOSS | ||||
Mandate 3 + 3 + 3 years as the default funding model for all programs addressing long term needs and implement at least 50% of SACOSS’ Better Contracting and Red Tape Reduction Plan (as below) in the first term of government | Specific commitment on key issues of 3+3+3 and low risk contracts. Willing to work through remainder in Human Services Partnership Forum |
* Major commitment and target for red tape reduction for business, but statement to SACOSS did not address detail of community sector agenda |
Statement to SACOSS | |||
Adoption of a 3 years + 3 yrs + 3 yrs as the default length of contract unless the issue being addressed by the service will be dealt with and/or the need disappears in a shorter period. | Recognition of need for stability of funding | Statement to SACOSS | Support with conditions. Statement to SACOSS | |||
Ensuring all contracts specify Department responsibilities and obligations as well as those of the service providers and should include Departmental obligations around communication and timelines and penalties for non-compliance. | Statement to SACOSS | Statement to SACOSS |
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Ensuring payments are made on-time with penalty rates applying for late payment | Legislated penalties (not commenced) for late payment of small orgs. |
Policy similar to legislation, but applying to all business, but for contracts up to $1m. |
Statement to SACOSS | Statement to SACOSS |
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Automatic indexation in all contracts, including CPI adjustments and payments for meeting the Equal Remuneration Order (Fair Pay) case outcomes. | Commitment to funding for ERO |
Statement to SACOSS | Statement to SACOSS |
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Implementation of simple low risk grants processes for contracts under $100,000 per year. | Process underway through Partnership Forum |
Statement to SACOSS | Statement to SACOSS |
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Providing a minimum 6 months’ notice regarding whether long term contracts are going to be renewed to prevent loss of staff and ensure continuity of service and care for program users. | Statement to SACOSS | Statement to SACOSS |
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Using Master Agreements and standards accreditation (eg. Australian Service Excellence Standards) to streamline tender application and assessment, including recognising the capacities and benchmarks evident in these agreements and accreditation and therefore allowing for:
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Statement to SACOSS | Statement to SACOSS |
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Increasing use of a two-step process with an initial, brief expression of interest with full tenders only required from the short-list of applicants. | Statement to SACOSS | Statement to SACOSS |
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Mandating a six week minimum period for tenders to be lodged, and establishing a benchmark for government to decide and announce successful tender applications of not more than the time allocated for putting in tender applications (and in any case a maximum of 3 months). | Statement to SACOSS | Statement to SACOSS |
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Making online submissions available for all tender applications with ease-to-use forms that have full MS Word functionality. | Statement to SACOSS | Statement to SACOSS |
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Providing longer lead-in time for contract negotiations with the timetable to be agreed by the government and the successful applicant. | Statement to SACOSS | Statement to SACOSS |
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Establishing proper performance reporting and performance management processes that are agreed on by funding bodies and organisations as appropriate measures of outcomes and, where relevant, outputs. | Statement to SACOSS | Statement to SACOSS |
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Ceasing quarterly and six-monthly financial acquittals (except in extraordinary circumstances) and utilise annual audit of accounts to confirm expenditure in line with contracts. | Statement to SACOSS | Statement to SACOSS |
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Establishing a Community Sector Commissioner parallel to the Small Business Commissioner to audit government compliance with contracting guidelines and contract terms. | * Small Business Commissioner has coverage of c'ty sector. |
* Small Business Commissioner has coverage of c'ty sector. |
Statement to SACOSS | |||
Establishing whole-of-government grant guidelines along the lines of the Commonwealth Grants Guidelines to drive red-tape reduction, including by requiring that departments not ask for information already in the possession of government. | Statement to SACOSS | Statement to SACOSS |
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Adopting of consistent reporting templates across all State Government departments. | Statement to SACOSS | Statement to SACOSS |
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Extending the role of electronic centralised data to underpin the “report once, use often” system. | Statement to SACOSS | Statement to SACOSS |
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Supporting and funding a trial of the consolidation of service agreements for larger organisations that have multiple service agreements in order to determine how difficult this would be and what savings might be available from consolidation. | Statement to SACOSS | Statement to SACOSS |
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Establishing Program/Project Officers as the primary point of contact and authority of a contract over the life of a contracted service (rather than the Procurement Department) as Project Officers have the relevant expertise in the service area. | Statement to SACOSS | Statement to SACOSS |
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Funding a “tender-ready” program for small to medium and Aboriginal-run organisations similar to the $60K program funded through Business SA for the commercial sector to allow small-medium and Aboriginal run organisations to better compete in tender processes. | Statement to SACOSS | Statement to SACOSS |
All Parties' Positions on a Sustainable Tax Base
SACOSS has written to all parties and groups contesting the Legislative Council election asking them if they support SACOSS' call to restore state government revenue to pre-GFC levels (as a % of Gross State Product) in the next term of government.
The responses of the parliamentary parties are as above. The other parties/groups supporting a sustainable tax base are:
The fact that only two parties responded positively is a measure of both the busy-ness of under-resourced micro-parties in election times, as well as the fact that few candidates are prepared to say that we need taxes to fund vital services. As a community, we still have a long way to go before we can have the tax conversations we need to have.