The country's leading public health body, the Public Health Association of Australia (PHAA), has backed growing calls for the Albanese Government to drop the planned tax cuts.
PHAA is encouraging those who would benefit most from the tax cuts to tell the Albanese Government that they want it to break its tax cut promise.
"We're encouraging individuals on higher incomes to sign our petition calling on the Albanese Government to reverse its planned tax cuts," PHAA CEO Adjunct Professor Terry Slevin said.
"Tax cuts which will primarily benefit people on high incomes would do nothing to improve health equity and fairness in Australian society, in fact the reverse.
"The Government could instead use this money to invest in the public good, by increasing financial support to our most vulnerable people, and in areas like education and public housing, all of which would improve health. It would also mean more money to help prevent disease, as well as treating those who need health care now.
"We want to make sure that the Australian Government knows that the people who stand to benefit from the tax cuts are happy to relinquish that benefit in favour of the public good, and many services the Commonwealth help fund."
"While the petition is for individuals, we also call upon organisations who support its message to express their support for that money to be directed toward more important programs that will boost health equity, like preventive health programs, and raising the rate of social supports like JobSeeker.
"It's the wrong time to give more money to those who don't need it, and it's not fair," said Adj Prof Slevin.
"It's the right time to abandon the proposed tax cuts and redirect the savings to the millions of people and projects which need it."
As a preventive health and equity focused organisation, PHAA recognises how social determinants of health, such as socio-economic status and income, can influence health inequities.
