kristin (she/her)
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kristin8x.antipovertycentre.org
kristin (she/her)
@kristin8x.antipovertycentre.org
“What would become of the rich if not for the poor?” – Emma Goldman 💚

Neurologically outnumbered; yelling about social policy on bluesky via @antipovertycentre.org

#PayTheRent #LandBack
Pinned
This photo they used was taken in the first year of the Albanese government, during Anti-Poverty Week, as part of a protest that resulted in Amanda Rishworth calling us "violent" for sticking posters up outside her office with messages about what it is like to live in poverty.
The depressing fucking reality.

All that gives us even the slightest chance of getting the government to back down from evil shit is if we make sure they’re getting lots of media enquires about it.
Yeah, I will never shut up either

Just always reminded of a time @kristin8x.antipovertycentre.org mentioned how much they depend on the news cycle just stopping caring and then they can go back to doing whatever was reported before
November 7, 2025 at 6:55 AM
Dechlan from NIT has done far and away the most thorough reporting on this. Well worth following his work.
The government's last-minute addition to its social security bill, granting the Minister power to suspend or cancel welfare payments before a person is convicted of a crime, will see children going hungry, Independent Senator Lidia Thorpe says.
Thorpe warns Labor’s welfare changes will ‘see children go hungry’
The government's last-minute addition to its social security bill, granting the Minister power to suspend or cancel welfare payments before a person is convicted of a crime, will see children going hu...
nit.com.au
November 7, 2025 at 4:02 AM
Reposted by kristin (she/her)
Ty @jennaprice.bsky.social for this article (🔗 below), particularly for sharing a quote that exposes the minister actively lying about what her proposal does.

It will not at all work like a payment suspension for someone on remand – it is a payment cancellation and there is no access to ART review.
November 6, 2025 at 11:09 PM
Reposted by kristin (she/her)
"“The Government is trying to pass legislation that would allow police to cancel Centrelink payments for people who have not been found guilty of any offence."

Holy moly. This is unbelievable stuff.

What does Labor even stand for any more?
November 6, 2025 at 10:06 AM
Reposted by kristin (she/her)
btw police routinely lay the “serious” charge of assault police when roaming low income areas antagonising people for their criminalisation quotas. Everybody in the system knows police do this and most pretend not to know because maintaining an impoverished underclass pays their mortgage.
November 6, 2025 at 8:12 AM
Reposted by kristin (she/her)
A reminder of who is concerned.

We say again: If you think you're doing the right thing, you don't do it like this. You don't lash out, run from even the smallest amount of public pressure or seek to hide this amendment in an unrelated bill and reject all parliamentary scrutiny.
November 6, 2025 at 2:51 AM
Reposted by kristin (she/her)
Disability groups have released a statement: "We are deeply concerned that communities traditionally over-policed & disadvantaged, including First Nations people with disability, would be at heightened risk"

The whole statement is well worth reading.

Ty @amyremeikis.bsky.social for reporting.
Australia Institute Live — Daily Updates
Stay updated with the latest from The Australia Institute.
live.thepoint.com.au
November 6, 2025 at 3:15 AM
The minister is continuing to weaponise the harm done to people subjected to violence, even when groups representing folks affected by it are pleading with her to stop what she is doing.

The government is taking advantage of the community's natural emotional reactions to acts of violence.
\Content warning\

@tanyaplibersekmp.bsky.social has been on Sky News to finally respond to the below groups who have asked her to hear our concerns about the separation of powers, due process and unintended consequences.

She has dismissed these concerns in the vilest way possible.
Australia Institute Live — Daily Updates
Stay updated with the latest from The Australia Institute.
live.thepoint.com.au
November 6, 2025 at 2:55 AM
Reposted by kristin (she/her)
As well as the Law Council of Australia, more disability peak bodies have come out to oppose the sudden introduction of new powers for police & ministers to cancel social security for people accused of a serious offence.
November 5, 2025 at 11:44 PM
Even the people you assume will take any opportunity to punch down on welfare recipients disagree with what the government is doing.
6PR talkback radio listeners are having none of it – they say allowing police & ministers to cut Centrelink payments before conviction is "hypocritical", "the government can't arbitrarily impose punishments on people" and that "this is the thin end of the wedge".

Full interview:
Radio interview on move to give police and ministers new power to cancel Centrelink payments
YouTube video by Antipoverty Centre
youtu.be
November 4, 2025 at 10:25 AM
Reposted by kristin (she/her)
I forgot how atomised platforms are now - Insta is my primary acc. We have a GoFundMe that has been lifesaving, enabling us to take time off work to manage this crisis. You can read more here about ways to support us and there’s links to cancer charities in my bio x www.gofundme.com/f/help-us-su...
Donate to Help Us Support Our Little Warrior, Nayirr, organized by Jessica Olivieri
Our beautiful boy, Nayirr, is three years old. Just days ago our world ch… Jessica Olivieri needs your support for Help Us Support Our Little Warrior, Nayirr
www.gofundme.com
November 3, 2025 at 4:48 AM
Reposted by kristin (she/her)
Omar is a good person, the best person. A great poet, a great advocate, and a caring parent with a child who's just been diagnosed with leukemia.
It's taking a lot out of their small family. Please donate to their GoFundMe below.
I forgot how atomised platforms are now - Insta is my primary acc. We have a GoFundMe that has been lifesaving, enabling us to take time off work to manage this crisis. You can read more here about ways to support us and there’s links to cancer charities in my bio x www.gofundme.com/f/help-us-su...
Donate to Help Us Support Our Little Warrior, Nayirr, organized by Jessica Olivieri
Our beautiful boy, Nayirr, is three years old. Just days ago our world ch… Jessica Olivieri needs your support for Help Us Support Our Little Warrior, Nayirr
www.gofundme.com
November 3, 2025 at 8:58 AM
Reposted by kristin (she/her)
A "serious power" is not an acceptable euphemism for breaching the right to due process.

The list of groups opposing this move is growing, with NATSILS, the Australian Council of Social Services and Economic Justice Australia speaking out today.

Thank you @joshbutler.bsky.social for reporting.
November 3, 2025 at 7:29 AM
Reposted by kristin (she/her)
Everyone has the right to be treated as innocent until proven guilty in this country, no matter what.

Labor pulled this seemingly out of nowhere. Yet welfare changes designed by the Robodebt Royal Commission 2+yrs ago to limit harms to welfare recipients, they’ve just rejected.
October 31, 2025 at 6:53 AM
While he was accused & not convicted, this man continued to receive a parliamentary salary. It’s called due process.

But this week, @tanyaplibersekmp.bsky.social introduced a surprise law to give police powers to get someone’s Centrelink payment cancelled when they are accused of a serious offence.
Former NSW MP Gareth Ward sentenced to almost six years in prison for sexually abusing two men.
The Guardian.

Gareth Ward may have lost his career in both politics and law.
What about the two men he sexually abused.
The lawyers for Ward are scum.
www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...
Former NSW MP Gareth Ward sentenced to almost six years in prison for sexually abusing two men
Ward appeared via video link from Cessnock prison, having resigned as the member for Kiama in early August
www.theguardian.com
October 31, 2025 at 7:35 AM
Reposted by kristin (she/her)
In dozens of villages across the Occupied West Bank, Palestinians face harassment, beatings and sometimes even fatal attacks, carried out by extremist Israeli settlers. www.greenleft.org.au/2025/1441/wo...
Harvesting olives under the occupation: A day in the West Bank
Uri Weltmann reports on a day in the life of peace activists from Israel, travelling to help Palestinians in the West Bank harvest their olives under threat from settlers and soldiers.
www.greenleft.org.au
October 30, 2025 at 9:20 AM
Reposted by kristin (she/her)
Read the statement from the NDIA at the end of this news story. The government is using disabled people as pawns in their fight between state and federal. They’re willing to harm disabled people in order to win political fights.
www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...
‘I’m being punished’: Emily is healthy enough to leave hospital but her NDIS plan isn’t enough to support her at home
Some NDIS participants with disabilities are forced to choose between living at home in an unsafe environment or staying indefinitely in hospital
www.theguardian.com
October 30, 2025 at 6:27 AM
Priorities.
October 30, 2025 at 8:52 AM
Reposted by kristin (she/her)
The proposed measure is simlar to an unlegislated Turnbull Gov measure from 2018-19 Budget to ‘suspend or cancel the welfare payments of individuals who have outstanding State and Territory arrest warrants for indictable criminal offences’. It was dropped by the Labor Gov in the Oct 2022-23 Budget.
October 29, 2025 at 8:41 PM
Reposted by kristin (she/her)
The bottom line is this:

You do not try to sneak through an amendment in this way with no announcement and when all opportunities for parliamentary scrutiny have passed if you believe what you're doing is good @tanyaplibersekmp.bsky.social
October 30, 2025 at 6:23 AM
Reposted by kristin (she/her)
Really normal stuff happening in St Marys NSW
October 30, 2025 at 6:37 AM
Reposted by kristin (she/her)
Labor busy expanding the punishment bureaucracy, again. Regular reminder that criminalisation causes poverty, and police primarily criminalise poor people.
Government amendments providing new powers to stop welfare payments to fugitives subject to a warrant for a serious violent or sexual offence have been added to the Social Security and Other Leg. Amendment (Technical Changes No. 2) Bill 2025 prior to passing Reps. parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/sea...
October 29, 2025 at 11:35 PM
Reposted by kristin (she/her)
"I had actually been diagnosed with malnutrition and scurvy.

I know the outcome of not buying the things I need for my health, but I also know that sometimes I don't have a choice" - @artistaffame.bsky.social

Watch the full segment here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=i6Xc...
October 29, 2025 at 10:03 PM
Just when you think Labor can't sink any lower on welfare policy.
A FLAGRANT breach of the rights to social security & due process. Sneaking through draconian powers in an unrelated bill is performative crap Labor can only get away with for welfare recipients bc it's easy to punch down on us

Read @australiainstitute.org.au update here👇 Ty @amyremeikis.bsky.social
October 30, 2025 at 12:20 AM