People, policy and politics: Perspectives on the cost-of-living crisis

In 2024 the cost-of-living crisis continued to limit people’s lives, dominate media headlines and catalyse political upheaval across the world.

In Victoria, many in our communities are having to make impossible choices: how to keep a roof over their heads, whether to ‘heat or eat’, what medicines they can afford. Basic needs like housing, food, energy, healthcare and other essentials are increasingly tenuous.

These pressures have flow-on impacts for government policy, social and community service delivery and advocacy for system change. They influence how people access and experience social supports, what communities want to see from government and how politicians act in response.

To discuss how the cost-of-living crisis is impacting different groups in the community and what it means for our politics and policy, VCOSS is bringing together a panel of experts at our AGM event, facilitated by VCOSS CEO Juanita Pope.

Panellists:

• Professor Sharon Goldfield AM – Theme Director, Population Health at Murdoch Children's Research Institute and Director, Centre for Community Child Health at the Royal Children’s Hospital
• Iskhandar Razak – Senior ABC news journalist
• Kos Samaras – Director, Strategy and Analytics, RedBridge Group