...Ensuring all parents of children have a constructive and contributive position in the same society their children grow into, is the "Top of the cliff" imperative.

...Drug running as the only viable form of family support which currently suffices as the only "real job" available to the uneducated masses, does not ultimately assist in a child's welfare.

...This is the vast area in which NGO's fail dismally; however shiny and efficient they wish to appear to the outside world

Kids don't vote.
However their parents do.
Looking after the interests of parents, (families) is the best way to insure the interests of Kids!
Rhrosty.

Hi Geoffrey,

Great to read your article !

It only takes 10-15 minutes every 3 years ,to use the preferential system and number on the Senate ballot paper the 110 candidates below the line .
Not a big ask compared to having half one's face or testicles blown-off in Afghanistan.

By doing this , you can send the only message to the major parties, that they respect .

Every major problem we face from child nelect, housing, university funding, jails, environment, manufacturing collapse, casualization of the workforce, selling public assets, massive public/private borrowings, traffic chaos, growing poverty, social security blow-outs.....(.very happy to dialogue the back stories on all this)...is made catastrophically worse by one design blunder..................POPULATION GROWTH .

By preferencing the Stable Population Party first, then your major party second ( after that, just do the numbering because it won't matter ), we have a chance to turn the place around.

The positive message is that we have designed the mess in, so we can design it out .

Very best Geoffrey ,

Ralph

Geoff, you have raised some really important issues and its seriousness must not be ignored.

I really appreciate the fact that in line with these issues you have outlined some of the options to turn this around in particular the setting of the overarching outcomes framework for children and young people -NEST project. (ARACY and many N4P's across Australia)

The local ownership is important and lets hope on the eve of the political decisions that the strength of NEST can break through some of the political short sightedness!

Great blog
JMT

...And dare I add JMT, Those same "short sighted" Governments you refer to, may intervene in the inflated housing market to ensure all families and their off-springs live in affordable housing, allowing them sufficient resources left-over to live-up to the responsibilities as parents to their children, gaining greater self respect in the process.

...While ever NGO's continue to mop up the blood at the bottom of the cliff, Governments will shirk from the real issues: That makes NGO's a big part of the problem IMO.