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TO:
a.albanese.mp@aph.gov.au, Jim.Chalmers.MP@aph.gov.au, senator.katy.gallagher@aph.gov.au, Amanda.Rishworth.MP@aph.gov.au, Bill.Shorten.MP@aph.gov.au

SUBJECT:
You can fix Child Support and transform the lives of women and children

BODY:
Dear Prime Minister,
cc. the Hon Dr Jim Chalmers MP; Senator the Hon Katy Gallagher; the Hon Amanda Rishworth MP and the Hon Bill Shorten MP,

I am writing to express my deep concern about the dangerous and dysfunctional Australian Child Support Scheme, which urgently needs an overhaul. Did you know that 21% of single mother families could be lifted out of poverty if Child Support was paid on time and in full?

Child Support perpetuates family violence and economic abuse. Swinburne’s recent research highlights the urgent need for reforms to protect women and children from financial abuse and ensure their financial stability[I]. We congratulate your Government on its commitment to undertake an urgent audit[II] of the child support, social security and the tax systems to identify areas where they are being weaponised by perpetrators of family and domestic violence.

I urge you to consider these crucial reforms:

1. Separate Child Support from Family Tax Benefits to protect low-income families from financial manipulation.

2. Engage survivors of financial abuse to design a scheme that prevents abusers from evading responsibilities.

3. Centralise child support collection through the ATO to close loopholes, ensure timely payments, and protect the financial wellbeing of Australian children.

4. Make the government responsible for collecting unpaid child support and relieve custodial parents from the burden of chasing payments.

Withholding and weaponising child support payments IS financial abuse. Whilst the $1.7B owing[III] (for only half of the scheme) is an injustice and stands in contrast to the high level of poverty in single mother families, it is just the tip of the flagrant disregard of the rules and the weaponisation of the system[IV]. These aren’t just numbers—they represent children whose futures are at risk.

The Federal Government can directly improve the lives of the 1 million Australian children in the system.

Your leadership on this issue can make a transformative difference in the lives of so many women and children across Australia.

Sincerely,
Concerned Australians

[I] https://fixchildsupport.com.au/#Swinburne2024Report
[II] https://ministers.pmc.gov.au/gallagher/2024/commonwealth-investments-prevent-and-respond-gender-based-violence
[III] https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-03-15/child-support-agency-overhaul-parenting-payments/103589324
[IV] https://apo.org.au/node/321973