Matters of Urgency

The majority voted against a motion:

That, in the opinion of the Senate, the following is a matter of urgency:

Poverty and homelessness disproportionately affect women and are compounded by gendered violence, with single mothers and their children particularly vulnerable.

The upcoming Budget must scrap Stage 3 tax cuts and instead fund measures to support those most at risk, including by raising the rate of income support, investing in social housing, and extending Parenting Payment Single.

Motions like these don't make any legal changes on their own, but they can be politically influential because - when successful - they represent the will of the Senate majority.