THE Liberal Opposition is calling for an inquiry into poverty in the ACT with figures revealing 38,000 Canberrans are living below the poverty line.

Canberra Liberals Leader Elizabeth Lee – who will today (October 12) move a motion in the Legislative Assembly calling on the government to commission an independent inquiry into the prevalence of poverty  – said the number of Canberrans living in poverty was “concerning”.

The ACT Council of Social Services (ACTCOSS) estimates that 38,000 Canberrans, including 9000 children, are living poverty.

“The recent cost of living increases has hit lower income Canberrans the hardest and for ACT to have 38,000 people living in poverty is simply unacceptable,” Lee said.

“Early last year, I put forward a motion in the Legislative Assembly calling for a Poverty Taskforce to investigate the ongoing causes of poverty in the ACT.

“This motion was ultimately voted down by every member of Labor and the Greens who said it was not warranted because they already understood the root causes of poverty in the ACT and were implementing the necessary measures to address the problem.

“Since that time, more than two thirds of community sector staff in the ACT have reported that levels of poverty and disadvantage amongst vulnerable groups have increased over the last year.”

Over 25,000 Canberrans are living in low-income households, and the ACT has the highest rate of rental stress among lower income households in private rentals, according to ACTCOSS.

During the 2020 election campaign the Canberra Liberals promised to establish a poverty taskforce, looking at the extent of poverty and how to address it, if they formed government.

“Despite the lip service offered to Canberrans, clearly the Labor-Greens government is either unable or unwilling to address the issue of poverty in the ACT,” said Lee.

Lee said the independent inquiry would look at the rates and drivers of poverty, the effects of poverty, and ways to address and reduce poverty.