Tasmanian Labor supports calls by TasCOSS and other emergency food relief suppliers for more relief for tens of thousands of Tasmanians to ensure they do not go hungry this Christmas
Tasmania's largest provider of emergency food relief and founding member of the Tasmanian Food Security Coalition - Loaves & Fishes Tasmania - has revealed that at current support levels, it can only deliver around 45 per cent of the help needed.
And TasCOSS says research shows that in the past 12 months, a whopping 84,000 households have struggled to have enough to eat - an increase of 18,000 on last year.
We know that far too many Tasmanians have been going without food, or going without essentials themselves to feed their families but these figures are incredibly alarming and show the full extent of the issues facing ordinary Tasmanians in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis.
In a place like Tasmania with all of our advantages, it beggars belief that people are going hungry at such a deeply concerning rate.
If this doesn't require urgent action, I don't know what does - but, after 10 years, this tired old Liberal government has shown no care and provided no relief to people who are in genuine need.
I urge them to start listening to emergency providers and provide the kind of support and resourcing needed to ensure Tasmanians are not going hungry - not just at Christmas, but at any time of the year.
Sarah Lovell MLC
Labor Member for Rumney
