Patrick McClure
| Patrick McClure, AO | |
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| Born | 1949 Auckland, New Zealand |
| Nationality | Australian |
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Patrick Joseph McClure AO (born 1949 in Auckland, New Zealand) chaired the Reference Group on Welfare Reform (2014–15), advises governments on social policy, is a company director, consultant and former chief executive officer. McClure regularly speaks at conferences and appears in the media on welfare reform and social policy issues.
He has published a memoir entitled Seize the Day: From Priest to CEO. The book was launched in April 2013 by the former Prime Minister of Australia, Hon John Howard.
In December 2013 it was announced by Kevin Andrews, Minister for Social Services, that McClure would chair a Reference Group on Welfare Reform.
The interim report was released on June 29, 2014. This was followed by a process of roundtables with 175 key stakeholders in all states and territories, consultations with 55 people on income support, 271 formal submissions and 231 online comments.
The final report "A New System for Better Employment and Social Outcomes" was launched in Canberra on February 23, 2015 by Patrick McClure and the Minister for Social Services, Scott Morrison.
The final report proposes an integrated approach to welfare reform across four pillars of reform with an employment focus. The four pillars are: simpler and sustainable income support system; building individual and family capability; engaging with employers; and building community capacity.
Key recommendations include reducing the current complex and inefficient system of 20 payments and 55 supplements to 5 payments and 4 categories of supplements; a passport to work enabling people to move easily between employment and the income support system; a new ICT system to drive efficiencies in the new income support system; an investment approach with early intervention services focusing on groups most at risk of long term welfare dependence; a jobs plan for people with disability and mental health conditions; and the use of social impact bonds to attract private investment to address social problems in disadvantaged communities.
Since the 2015 budget, the Federal Government has allocated funds for a new ICT system which is a pre-requisite for introducing a simpler income support system; the Priority Investment Approach contracting PWC to complete an actuarial valuation of the groups at risk of lifetime dependence on income support; $100 million funding for a Try, Test and Learn Fund; simplification of child and youth payments; support for social impact investment in affordable housing.; and introduced a new JobSeeker Payment to replace or consolidate seven existing payments.
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