Call for an Inclusive and Sustainable Australian Economy
Australians are called to work for an economy that is based on principles of justice and equity
Date Posted:
08-Sep-2017
L-r: Commissioner Susan Pascoe OA (Australian Charities); Mr John Ferguson (Australian Catholic Social Justice Council); Most Rev Vincent Long Van Nguyen OFM Conv (Chair, Australian Catholic Social Justice Council); Fr Frank Brennan SJ AO (Catholic Social Services Australia) and Aunty Elsie Heiss.
'We will open our hearts to the cries of the poor'
(Chapter Statement)
Sisters of Mercy Parramatta Congregation welcome the call to Australians to work for an economy that is based on principles of justice and equity – one that is at the service of all, particularly the most vulnerable and
The call from Bishop Long OFM Conv. came at the launch of the Australian Catholic Bishops’ 2017–2018 Social Justice Statement, entitled Everyone’s Business: Developing an inclusive and sustainable economy.
The Statement highlights that although Australia has enjoyed a quarter-century of uninterrupted growth, the benefits have not been spread evenly. The top 20 per cent of households have received far greater increases in wealth than the poorest 20 per cent and nearly three million Australians, including 730,000 children, are living in poverty.
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Drawing on the teachings of the Gospel and more than 120 years of Catholic social teaching, the Statement sets out five principles that could form the foundations of a just and inclusive economy:
• People and nature are not mere tools of production.
• Economic growth alone cannot ensure inclusive and sustainable development.
• Social equity must be built into the heart of the economy.
• Businesses must benefit all society, not just shareholders.
• The excluded and vulnerable must be included in decision-making.
Download the Statement here (20pps; PDF)