Australia election 2025 live: Pocock calls Coalition’s planned public service cuts ‘pure Canberra bashing’

Follow today’s news liveAlbanese condemns Dutton’s pledge for mass public service cuts ‘only in Canberra’Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAround 50,000 people turned away from food banks each month, as charities struggle to keep up with demand, a new report from OzHarvest has found.The survey of frontline charities reveals 77% have witnessed a surge in people seeking food in the past year, with an estimated 50,000 people unable to be supported every month by responding charities as services simply cannot keep up.77% of charities have seen an increase in the number of people seeking food support in the last year.Nearly one-third (31%) of people seeking food relief are doing so for the first time.72% of charities need more food to meet.Charities reported a 54% increase in the number of people they are unable to support demand.Families (48%) and single parents (31%) represent the largest groups seeking support.55% say providing food increased a sense of dignity and self-worth in the people they support.This is a national emergency hiding in plain sight … Every day we’re out in communities across Australia supporting 1,550 charities that are stretched beyond their limits, as the gap between demand and resources keeps widening. In addition, we have 1,200 charities on the waitlist to receive food.We are in the midst of a national food security crisis. Driven by the rising cost of living, stagnant wages, and spiralling housing costs and energy bills, Australians are sacrificing food just to get by.We know exactly what doctors are charging right now and we know three-quarters of practices financially will be better off if they take up this investment that we have announced.What I have done with these investments is lift the salary of a fully bulk billing GP from $280,000 two years ago to $400,000 after these investments take effect. That is a $125,000 salary increase, after they pay their practice fees, if they bulk bill.[We’re] partnering with organisations that have a great track record in this area, Movember, the Men’s Shed association, the Black Dog Institute, to lift the willingness of Australian men to seek help…We [men] are damn hopeless at it and what it means is we have poorer health outcomes than the general population as well. Continue reading...