30/05/2008 Increased pension thresholds for more than 2 million pensioners
More than two million Age Pensioners receiving income support will be able to earn more income and hold more valuable assets without their pension being affected, following annual adjustments from 1 July 2008.
30/05/2008 Supporting Australians affected by drought
The Australian Government is boosting drought and outreach services by increasing the number of support workers delivering government services to drought affected parts of regional and rural Australia.
30/05/2008 Families benefit from payment rises
Millions of Australian families receiving Family Tax Benefit (FTB) and Child Care Benefit (CCB) will benefit from increases to payment rates, thresholds, and associated limits, following annual adjustments from the beginning of July 2008.
30/05/2008 Supporting People with Disability, their Families and Carers
People with disabilities, their families and carers will benefit from a $1.9 billion boost in funding under a new agreement reached today at a meeting of Disability Ministers in Sydney.
29/05/2008 $550,000 for Royal Flying Doctor Service upgrade in Dubbo
The Australian Government will contribute $550,000 to the upgrade of the Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) at Dubbo Airport which will benefit more than 40,000 people in western New South Wales.
29/05/2008 Simpler and fairer family payments
A bill introduced is Parliament today will make the family payments system simpler and fairer, targeting assistance to those who need it most.
29/05/2008 Greater flexibility in NT leases
The Indigenous Affairs Legislation Amendment Bill 2008, introduced into Parliament today, allows for more flexible leases in Aboriginal communities in the Northern Territory.
29/05/2008 Asbestos in NTER communities
I was informed of concerning news last night about asbestos identified in a number of Northern Territory communities.
28/05/2008 Temporary police accommodation for APY Lands
The Australian Government is providing demountables to the South Australian (SA) Government to house police officers on the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) Lands, while permanent structures are built.
27/05/2008 New housing for APY Land communities
One of the largest communities on the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) Lands, Amata, has today moved a step closer to having new houses, as part of the Commonwealth Government's $25 million housing offer to the APY Lands.
26/05/2008 Artwork unveiled to mark the apology
A calligraphy version of the Apology Motion was unveiled today by Prime Minister Kevin Rudd at Parliament House to mark the 10th anniversary of National Sorry Day.
25/05/2008 Helping protect Australia's children from abuse and neglect
Boosting and retaining high-quality foster carers is one of a range of measures canvassed in a discussion paper released today by the Australian Government aimed at helping protect children from abuse and neglect.
24/05/2008 The Long Walk with Michael Long
I will join former AFL champion Michael Long today on The Long Walk from Federation Square to the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).
22/05/2008 Kicking goals on and off the field
The AFL's Flying Boomerangs Leadership Program is helping young Indigenous players kick goals on and off the field.
20/05/2008 First residential boarding facility on Tiwi Islands
The first residential boarding facility on the Tiwi Islands was officially opened today at Pickertaramoor on Melville Island.
20/05/2008 Historic Agreement for Groote Eylandt region
Indigenous people in the Groote Eylandt region will benefit from an historic Regional Partnership Agreement (RPA) signed today between the Australian Government, the Northern Territory Government and the Anindilyakwa Land Council.
20/05/2008 New Substance Abuse Intelligence Desk and Dog Operations Unit
The Australian and Northern Territory (NT) Governments are joining forces to reduce criminal activity and illegal trafficking of drugs and alcohol in the Katherine region and in the north of the NT.
18/05/2008 Discussion paper on Indigenous employment reforms
A discussion paper to encourage debate and ideas on economic development and jobs for Indigenous Australians was released today by the Australian Government.
15/05/2008 Inquiry To Review Better Support For Carers
I am pleased the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Family, Community, Housing and Youth has announced a parliamentary inquiry to investigate how carers can be better supported in their vital role.
13/05/2008 Maternity Immunisation Allowance - eligibility change
The Australian Government will change the Maternity Immunisation Allowance (MIA) to encourage all parents to fully immunise their children before they start school.
13/05/2008 Closing the Education Gap between Indigenous and Non Indigenous Australians
The Rudd Government is committed to tackling the educational disadvantage of Indigenous Australians and has made this a key goal of its Education Revolution.
13/05/2008 $822 Million to Support and Recognise Carers
Australia's carers are set to benefit from an $822 million package of measures to increase support and recognition of their vital economic and social role.
13/05/2008 Counselling Support Doubled to Ease Financial Stress
The Rudd Government is supporting working families under financial pressure by expanding financial counselling services and support as part of a $20 million Australian Government commitment over four years.
13/05/2008 New Social Security Agreements with Finland and Poland
The Australian Government has announced its intention to finalise negotiations with Finland and Poland to introduce social security agreements to improve access to pensions for residents of these countries.
13/05/2008 Support for Older Australians
Older Australians will benefit from a range of 2008-09 Budget initiatives including bonus payments, national transport concessions, free internet kiosks, and portability of concession cards when travelling overseas.
13/05/2008 National framework for protecting Australia's children
As part of our commitment to tackle child abuse and neglect, the Australian Government is developing a National Child Protection Framework.
13/05/2008 Helping Volunteers Pay their Petrol Bills
In a move that significantly expands the Volunteer Grants Program, the Australian Government has committed an additional $15 million to help community organisations and their volunteers with their work, including help to pay their fuel bills
13/05/2008 $90 million for Indigenous Rangers
The Australian Government will set up a $90 million fund to train and employ Indigenous rangers.
13/05/2008 Closing the Gap in Indigenous Health
The Australian Government is investing $334.8 million towards closing the life expectancy gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians within a generation.
13/05/2008 The Way Forward: A National Disability Strategy
People with disability, their families and carers will benefit from a National Disability Strategy being developed by the Australian Government to increase their economic participation, social inclusion and wellbeing.
13/05/2008 New Homes for the Homeless
The Australian Government will build 600 new homes for the homeless across the country with a $150 million total investment over the next five years. The funds will be used for the construction of new accommodation of suitable public housing properties.
13/05/2008 Easing Pressure on Housing Affordability
The Australian Government has established a Housing Affordability Fund and will invest $512 million over the next five years to lower the cost of building new homes.
13/05/2008 Employment Support for People with Disability
The Australian Government will support the employment of people with disability by extending access to wage assessment tools for businesses at a cost of $25.7 million over four years.
13/05/2008 Working Together to Improve School Enrolment and Attendance
Encouraging parental responsibility will be central to a new approach to ensure children are enrolled at and attending school.
13/05/2008 Closing the gap - $666 million for NT Indigenous communities
The Australian Government has committed $666.1 million to fund practical measures in Northern Territory (NT) communities to ensure the safety and wellbeing of Indigenous families and children.
13/05/2008 Debit Card to Improve Income Management
The Australian Government is introducing a new debit card to make it easier for people on income management to put food on the table for children and reduce the red-tape burden placed on small retailers.
13/05/2008 New Seniors Health Card and Family Payment Compliance
New rules and compliance checks for Family Tax Benefit (FTB) payments and Commonwealth Seniors Health Cards will ensure payments and concessions are correctly targeted to those who are entitled to them.
13/05/2008 $2.2 Billion to Tackle Housing Squeeze and Homelessness
The Australian Government is tackling housing affordability and homelessness with a Budget housing package investing $2.2 billion on boosting rental stocks, helping people save for their first home and building new homes for the homeless.
13/05/2008 Simpler and Fairer Family Payments
Improvements will be made to the Baby Bonus and Family Tax Benefit (FTB) under a simpler and fairer family payments system.
13/05/2008 $622.6 Million to Replenish Rental Property Stocks
The new National Rental Affordability Scheme will help create up to 50,000 new rental properties across Australia at a cost of $622.6 million over the first four years.
13/05/2008 Income Management Trial to Help Protect Children in Western Australia
Working in partnership with the Western Australian Government, the Australian Government will provide an $18.9 million package to implement income management and financial literacy skills training, to help protect children
13/05/2008 $1.2 billion for Closing the Gap for Indigenous Australians
The Australian Government is delivering $1.2 billion over five years, including 37 2008-09 Budget measures, towards closing the gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians.
13/05/2008 Making Indigenous Communities Safer
Night patrols to make remote Indigenous communities safer and more secure for families and children will continue as part of the Australian Government's commitment to implementing the Northern Territory Emergency Response (NTER).
12/05/2008 $5 million funding boost for volunteers
Programs to provide training and support to volunteers and the not-for-profit sector are receiving a $5 million injection of funds from the Australian Government.
12/05/2008 Passing of Dr R Marika
The death of Dr Marika last night is a great loss to her people and to all of us, Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians, who are committed to reconciliation.
10/05/2008 Supporting Children with Autism
The Australian Government strongly supports the key theme of Autism Awareness Week - to increase the community's understanding of children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD).
06/05/2008 Protecting children on the APY Lands
The Australian Government will immediately commit more than $19 million as part of a new partnership with the South Australian Government to protect children from abuse on the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) Lands.
04/05/2008 $1 Billion in Support for People With a Disability and their Carers
In the upcoming budget the Rudd Government will commit one billion dollars to fund disability services and increase support for carers.
02/05/2008 Maternal deaths high for Indigenous women
While Australia's overall low maternal death rate has fallen, the mortality rate among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women is still unacceptably high and of great concern to the Australian Government.
02/05/2008 New playgroups to benefit Indigenous families
More than 300 Indigenous families and children will benefit from up to $1 million over two years in Australian Government funding for additional playgroups in the Northern Territory.