Yesterday we wondered why the federal government would choose to slash funding to food charities, notably Foodbank, and force them to fight among themselves for a reduced funding pool to provide frontline services to Australians in need, and also to do this not long before Christmas.
And it turns out that the Prime Minister has just noticed that hey, that seems a bit mean-spirited and has abruptly reversed the decision. Which is good, but also makes clear that if you want something done in Australia at the moment the answer is to yell and yell again.
[1/3] Yesterday I promised to review the Foodbank decision. I have listened and decided to increase the Food Relief budget by $1.5 million over the next 4.5 years and have asked the Minister to place more focus on relief in drought affected areas.
— Scott Morrison (@ScottMorrisonMP) November 12, 2018
[2/3] This maintains Foodbank’s funding at $750K/yr, with Second Bite and OzHarvest funded as announced last week.
— Scott Morrison (@ScottMorrisonMP) November 12, 2018
“I have listened and decided to increase the Food Relief budget by $1.5 million over the next 4.5 years,” he announced on Twitter. “This maintains Foodbank’s funding at $750K/yr, with Second Bite and OzHarvest funded as announced last week.”
Social Services Minister Paul Fletcher was reportedly demanding to know why Foodbank “was only notified of the funding change just weeks before the demanding Christmas season” – information which, as head of the department, he might already be across that.
In any case, the news of the reprieve for frontline services has been roundly applauded, with the government winning plaudits for swiftly solving a problem which they created for themselves.
And that, friends, is modern politics in action.