In the lead up to the last Federal Election (2022), St Vincent de Paul Society’s National Council released a policy statement, A Fairer Australia, covering five social justice priorities. These policies have been maintained since the election and now cover First Nations Peoples, Income Support, Poverty and Debt, Housing and Homelessness, People Seeking Asylum, Secure Work, Taxation and Welfare Reform and Gambling Reform. More information on Let’s Build a Fairer Australia! is available on our website.

For the 2025 Federal Election, the Society has updated the policy suite under the title Justice & Compassion, qualities that embody the spirituality of our founder, Blessed Frédéric Ozanam. This platform focuses on four priority areas:

• Supporting a safety net for all Australians
  ‘If the test of a just and compassionate society is measured by how it treats those living in poverty or who are marginalised, then Australia – regarded as one of the world’s richest countries – is failing… an increase to the base rate of working age payments would lift recipients out of poverty.’

• Housing security across the country
  ‘The Society calls for housing to be recognised as a human right and the National Housing and homelessness Plan to be legislated… a doubling of the Housing Australia Future Fund… taxation reform to incentivise the use of long-term vacant residential properties and land… support for energy efficiency in low-income households…’

• Meeting the needs of First Nations Peoples
  ‘Commonwealth leadership to progress the Uluru Statement from the Heart… full implementation of the National Agreement on Closing the Gap… the age of criminal responsibility to be raised to at least 14 years of age…’

• Rising to the refugee challenge
  ‘An adequate safety net for all asylum seekers… resettlement of all people still subject to offshore processing… increases to the annual humanitarian intake to at least 27,000 by 2027-28, reform of the family reunion program…’

The Society’s guiding document, The Rule, notes that the Mission calls on Members to work to shape a more just and compassionate society.

‘Where injustice, inequality, poverty or exclusion are due to unjust economic, political or social structures, or to inadequate or unjust legislation, we should speak out clearly against the situation, always with charity, with the aim of contributing to and demanding improvements,’ it reads.

In a recent message to the Society’s membership, National President Mark Gaetani conceded that, ‘Advocacy may not always be easy, even if the policies we have developed are well researched, informed by Catholic Social Teaching and based on social justice principles.’

Noting that, ‘People have varying opinions and that is only to be expected in a democracy,’ he stressed that, ‘Advocacy is one of the Society’s core Values’ and promised it would continue to work to address the causes of poverty and human injustice.

St Vincent de Paul Society’s core Justice & Compassion policies are an action plan outlining governmental reforms that, if enacted, would enable more Australians to reach their full life potential by reducing inequality, lifting people out of poverty and improving their physical and emotional wellbeing.

For this reason, Members are being encouraged to engage with leading local candidates to explain and discuss the Society’s policies and to see how they align – or even might influence – those of the aspiring MPs or Senators.

‘Your knowledge of the issues in your local area needs to be heard by all those who seek political office and who are putting themselves forward as representatives of their communities,’ Mr Gaetani told Members.