Newsletters 2024

Costs of living, human rights and political integrity have been the major themes of yet another big week in Parliament.

Over the past several months, my team and I have heard from a growing number of constituents who are experiencing significant financial distress. The cost-of-living crisis has impacted all Australians. But the situation is particularly dire for the 1 in 8 Australians living below the poverty line.

I raised this issue in Parliament on Thursday, calling out the fact that while the Government has boasted of putting “more in the pockets of millions of Australians” with Centrelink indexation this week, the nominal increase is nowhere near enough to support those in need with rising costs of housing, food and energy.

Meanwhile, while Centrelink payments were indexed at 1.8 per cent for the past six months, the Government has indexed student loans at 7.8 per cent for the past year. Our HECS system is saddling young Australians with unconscionable levels of debt. I'm looking forward to engaging further with the Government, my colleagues on the crossbench and all others seeking to deliver a simpler, fairer HECS. You can read the latest news about this issue here, and find out more about my position on HECS here.

On behalf of our community, I've continued to push for fairer treatment of Indigenous Australians, refugees and migrants. I was proud to back Victorian Senator Lidia Thorpe's call to progress the recommendations of landmark reports on Indigenous deaths in custody and child removals.

We have a major problem with human rights in this country and it is frequently marginalised groups hardest hit by the lack of a human rights framework. The Government's proposed Administrative Review Tribunal is one such example. The new tribunal will improve transparency and accountability in government decisions. But as it stands, many of the benefits will not apply to non-citizens, including migrants and refugees.

While I sought to address this inequity in Parliament yesterday, my amendment was ultimately unsuccessful. You can watch a recording of my speech, and the Attorney-General's response, here.

Thank you as always for your feedback and support. Here's to being the change we want to see.

- KT

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COME AND MEET KYLEA

WHAT'S ON IN NORTH SYDNEY

IN THE NEWS

Crossbenchers back Lidia Thorpe’s call for federal government to act on deaths in custody reforms - The Guardian, 21 March. Kylea is among a group of crossbenchers who have joined Senator Lidia Thorpe in calling for the federal government to urgently address long-overdue reforms from landmark reports on Indigenous deaths in custody and child removals.

Only 6 of 58 Federal parliamentarians willing to stand up for NSW to get a better GST deal - Daily Telegraph, 22 March. Kylea is named as one of the few Federal MPs from NSW who were willing to question the distribution of GST revenue. She has previously called for more transparency around GST distribution, noting that these decisions are currently shaped by political deals between major parties and the states and territories.

Kylea Tink MP calls for more cost-of-living support as Centrelink payments rise by less than $1 per day - 21 March. Kylea has moved to suspend parliamentary proceedings to draw attention to Australia's inadequate income support payments, which have been indexed at 1.8 per cent despite inflation driving costs of living significantly higher. You can watch her speech here and read her statement to the media here.

Teals back cutting HECS indexation - AFR, 20 March. Kylea and her crossbench colleagues are calling for reform of the student loans system, as indexation pushes HECS debts up by 7.8 per cent in the past year.

Crossbenchers put political donations in the crosshairs of major reform push - SBS, 19 March. Kylea and her crossbench colleagues have put forward a bill to strengthen Australia's electoral laws. The proposal, led by Kate Chaney MP, seeks to cap donations at $1.5 million, require more transparency over donations, and address misinformation in political advertising.

'How not to do an infrastructure project': Kylea Tink on the North Sydney Pool - The Guardian, 17 March. Kylea is quoted in a feature article on the beleaguered redevelopment of the North Sydney Olympic Pool. Problems began when the Federal Government gave the pool a $10m grant meant for regional and remote women’s sports, she says.

More media mentions here.