Kristin O’Connell is an antipoverty activist and unpaid worker relying on the Disability Support Pension to live. She established the Antipoverty Centre in 2021 with other unemployed advocates who have direct experience of poverty and the welfare system. The Antipoverty Centre exists to counter problems with politicians, academics, think tanks, researchers and paid advocates speaking over and making harmful decisions on behalf of people they purport to represent. In her work with the Antipoverty Centre, Kristin provides direct support to people who rely on Centrelink payments, ensures welfare recipients’ voices are heard through the media, conducts research and develops policy proposals, organises grassroots activists, communicates government policy changes, responds to senate enquiries, fights back against job agency abuse of JobSeekers and counters harmful myths about unemployed people.

Recent publications 

• https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/8065888/the-plan-to-tackle-disadvantage-is-no-answer-to-the-poverty-crisis/?cs=14258

• https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/jan/19/poor-people-dont-need-more-food-banks-rebates-and-spin-from-politicians-we-need-more-income-support

• https://www.theguardian.com/world/commentisfree/2022/mar/08/international-womens-day-is-blind-to-the-greatest-threat-to-women-australias-welfare-system