Australia’s Descent into Desperation: The Labor Government’s Failure, By Paul Walker
Under Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's Labor government, Australia, once celebrated as the "Lucky Country," has been driven into a state of economic despair that feels more akin to a Third-World nation. A recent Salvation Army survey paints a harrowing picture: 55% of Australians seeking charity assistance are skipping meals, 57% cannot afford prescription medications, and 6% are resorting to dumpster diving for food. Some, including the elderly and survivors of domestic violence, have even considered eating pet food to survive. This is not the Australia of prosperity and opportunity; it is a nation teetering on the edge, where the most vulnerable are abandoned, and the government's policies have failed to stem a cost-of-living crisis that threatens to push us further into desperation.
The Salvation Army's findings are a damning indictment of Labor's economic stewardship. Families are not just struggling, they are sacrificing basic necessities. Parents, 62% of whom skip meals to feed their children, are bearing the brunt of skyrocketing costs. A Queensland single mother, fleeing domestic violence, described going without food to ensure her children eat, while drowning in debt. A 30-year-old public sector worker, despite employment, cannot afford childcare or fuel, contemplating quitting her job to survive. Another mother admitted to diluting baby formula and forgoing nappies, unable to afford essentials. These stories are not anomalies but symptoms of a broader crisis. When 43% of families cannot afford baby formula and 36% lack access to basic medications like paracetamol, Australia's social fabric is unravelling.
The survey's most chilling revelation is the desperation driving people to eat expired food, scavenge bins, or consider pet food. An elderly woman admitted to halving her medication doses and eyeing dog or cat food as a last resort. This is not hyperbole but a stark reality for the marginalised, elderly, single parents, and survivors of trauma, who are being crushed by a cost-of-living crisis that Labor has failed to address. Major Bruce Harmer of The Salvation Army called these conditions "truly shocking" for a country like Australia, and he's right. No nation with our wealth and resources should see its citizens reduced to such measures.
Albanese's government rode to a second term on promises of relief: cheaper childcare, boosted Centrelink payments, wage increases for low-paid workers, and an $8.5 billion Medicare investment to expand bulk billing. Yet, these measures have proven woefully inadequate. A Redbridge poll revealed that 54% of Australians could not name a single Labor policy that improved their lives, reflecting widespread disillusionment. Inflation may be lower than its peak, but real incomes have plummeted by 8%, the worst in the OECD, and productivity has fallen 5% in three years under Albanese. The average full-time salary of $102,742 is dwarfed by the $126,278 needed for single-income households to meet basic needs, let alone the $200,000 many believe is required for comfort.
Labor's flagship policies, like the Medicare expansion, sound impressive but fail to address the immediate crisis. Free GP visits are a long-term investment, not a solution for families skipping meals today. Wage increases for low-paid workers, while welcome, are non-binding and do little for those already stretched thin by rising costs for food, housing, and utilities. The government's claim of "keeping inflation down" rings hollow when 70% of young Australians aged 18–24 say their pay cannot cover basic expenses. Meanwhile, net debt has soared to $846.6 billion, or 31.7% of GDP, with $85.1 billion in public sector borrowing in 2023, 24 alone. This fiscal recklessness burdens future generations while failing to deliver relief now.
The Labor government's mismanagement has turned Australia into the "Unlucky Country," where economic hardship is pushing citizens to unimaginable lows. The Salvation Army's survey is a wake-up call: without bold, immediate action, the slide toward desperation will continue, with families not just skipping meals but facing choices no one should endure in a nation as wealthy as ours. If Labor cannot deliver, the spectre of eating pet food may become a grim reality for more Australians. The government must prioritise direct, substantial relief, targeted subsidies for essentials, housing solutions, and debt relief, over long-term promises. Anything less is a betrayal of the vulnerable and a stain on Australia's legacy as a land of opportunity.
'Considered eating dog or cat food': Staggering number of Aussies forced to look in bins for food, skips meals entirely as cost of living bites under Albanese govt
Australians most vulnerable people have opened up about the grim reality of the brutal cost of living crisis, with families increasingly skipping meals or eating expired food to survive.
A growing number of Australians are being forced to choose between food or medication as the nation's most vulnerable people continue to get crushed under the government's worsening cost of living crisis.
A new survey by The Salvation Army Australia found about 55 per cent of Aussies, who reached out to the charity, were skipping meals because of financial hardship, 57 per cent could not afford prescription medication, while almost a quarter were forced to eat expired or spoiled food, and one in 20 are dumpster diving for food.
Amongst the figures are survivors of domestic violence as well elderly residents who have considered desperate measures such as eating pet food.
"I've cut down on my medication, only taking half of my meds. I have considered eating dog or cat food," an elderly woman told The Salvation Army.
A single mother from Queensland, who fled domestic violence, said it is a mental, financial and emotional struggle, as she has to go most days without food to provide for her children.
"I've had to restart over again, which put me in financial hardship, I'm in more debt now than ever," she said.
"Bills are paid first, then kids' food, but the increase in everyday living means my kids are going to have less food."
Parents are finding it particularly difficult to feed themselves as well as their children, which has forced 62 per cent of parents to completely skip on meals so their kids could eat.
The survey also found 43 per cent of families could not afford essentials like baby formula and nappies, while over a third (36 per cent) struggled to cover the costs of basic non-prescription medications like paracetamol or ibuprofen.
A 30-year-old mum, who works in the public sector, told the charity she could not provide for her family despite being employed and has considered quitting her job to save on the cost of petrol, parking and childcare.
"I feel like I am failing as a mother," she said.
A second community member said: "I just drink water to fill up my tummy. And the milk for the baby, for example, one bottle is for four scoops of milk, I always put two scoops in every bottle. I don't use nappies for the baby because I can't afford to buy nappies for her. And also, when we wash our clothes, we are not using soap. I can't afford that."
Several Aussies have reported a decline in mental health from completely isolating themselves as a way to avoid non-essential spending.
"To manage financially I isolate myself completely, stop eating basically, and feel desperate most of the time, thinking about how I can get through till the next payday, what else I can cancel or stop doing," a New South Wales mum said.
Major Bruce Harmer from The Salvation Army said it is "truly shocking" to see the staggering number of people doing it tough in a "country like Australia".
"No one should be forced to eat expired food or to eat out of rubbish bins," he said.
"The fact that over one in twenty (6 per cent) of those we surveyed said they were eating from dumpsters breaks our heart.
"Those presenting to us are some of the most marginalised and disadvantaged in our community."
With Australia choosing to back the Labor government for a second term after a historic election win, struggling households are hoping Prime Minister Anthony Albanese can offer more assistance or to find a way to resolve the cost of living crisis.
As part of his election promises, the PM vowed to deliver more relief including cheaper medicine and childcare, boosts to Centrelink payments and wages for low-paid workers.
Mr Albanese has also promised an $8.5billion investment to Medicare to expand the bulk billing incentive to all Australians as well as incentivise payments for clinics to bulk bill.
The Labor government's big-ticket relief items have been criticised for not doing enough to match the nation's ongoing cost of living crisis.
However despite the criticism, the Albanese government has claimed it has kept inflation down, incomes are growing and unemployment is low under its leadership."
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