Ross Womersley, CEO
SACOSS has mixed feelings towards this year’s State Budget which comes against a backdrop of sustained high unemployment and underemployment, and significant economic challenges, particularly in some of our regional areas.
Blog
Welcome to the SACOSS blog.
2017-18 State Budget - SACOSS Opinion
23 June 2017
Victorian Tax Reform Leaves SA Behind
3 April 2017
While much of the political focus in South Australia lately has been on energy issues, the state tax reforms announced recently by the Victorian government show that South Australia needs another round of tax reform.
SA needs a gaming tax to stop online bookmakers channelling profits through offshore tax havens
13 September 2016
By Greg Ogle, SACOSS Acting CEO
WITH the AFL footy finals well under way, we are hoping that this will be the last final series where online bookmakers can take bets from South Australian punters and channel them through virtual gambling tax havens, thus avoiding paying gambling taxes in this state.
Time to focus on root causes of widespread child abuse
10 August 2016
CONGRATULATIONS to Justice Margaret Nyland and her team for their terrific examination of some of the uglier parts of our community. Her report should be required reading for anyone wanting to deepen their understanding of human services, and the protection of vulnerable children.
But today I am left contemplating why we always seem to wait for something horrific...
We're not even having the correct tax debate
9 February 2016
Tax reform is the big political story, but are we really having the tax debate we were promised?
Last year the tax reform process was gutted by then Prime Minister Abbott and Treasurer Hockey ruling out almost every change proposed. When Malcolm Turnbull was appointed Prime Minister we were told that all options were again on the table.
What is the Tax Debate About?
8 December 2015
With the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) meeting this week to debate tax reform, it is timely to step back and ask why we need tax reform. Is it to raise more revenue to pay for public infrastructure and community services? Is to provide tax cuts to businesses or individuals? Or is it to change the tax mix – either from taxes on income to taxes on consumption, or from so-called inefficient taxes to efficient taxes?
Firies and the ESL
15 January 2015
Like all South Australians, I am inspired by and congratulate the CFS volunteers who worked so hard and well to control the fires which have torn through the Adelaide Hills and other parts of our state. I am also encouraged by the willingness of so many other community members to put themselves forward to give their time to help, to make donations of food and clothing, and to give money to assist in short and long term recovery efforts.
Another Royal Commission - but into what?
25 July 2014
Our news has been dominated in the last few days with yet another case of alleged horrible abuse of children in our care system — a system that should ensure very vulnerable kids get real protection from further harm, and then real help to recover from the traumas they’ve experienced.
The trouble is that achieving this is never as simple as it sounds.
Federal Budget 2014 - The March in May
18 May 2014
In such a rich nation, where the great majority of us do so well, SACOSS does not accept for a second that there is a place for poverty, a place for injustice, or a place for arguments that suggest we can’t afford to share our wealth.
Sadly as we have already heard repeatedly and as my colleague and the CEO of ACOSS, Dr Cassandra Goldie observed shortly after the budget…”The real pain of this budget - crushing and permanent - will be felt by people on low incomes, young people, single parents, those with...
Taxes and the SA Election
5 March 2014
The SA Council of Social Service (SACOSS) has just released a report, Taxes and the South Australian Election, which sets out the extent of the challenge of restoring state revenues to be able to fund vital services. SA is not a high tax state, and economic growth may not deliver a sustainable revenue base, so there are clear challenges for all political parties contesting the 2014 state election.