Kim,
The Howard Government is interested in one thing and one thing only, the concept of "back to the future" they will make the rich much richer, at the expense of the poor. They have already come a long way down this road, and if the ALP wants to correct this situation in the future, now is the time to be formulating policy for the growing number of "poor" in this nation.

Infrastructure is badly needed, in housing, transposrt, education and health. Some of us have cut our expenditure to the bone, including food, and still can't make ends meet. We need a committed "centreist" ALP Government, not the duplication of the extreme right Howard jugernaught. And we need it soon.,

I know Kim. Why don't you let some homeless people move into your house, or better still, buy another house and let it be used by homeless people.

Clearly you believe that the government is the saviour for all sort of malady's. Perhaps you should instead look to your own efforts to help those in need.

Today, housing shortages....tomorrow food shortages.........any Bets?

Kim

Thank you for your article. Even so, I could not detect any solutions provided by you?

The tragedy of mentally ill homeless people seems to be avoided by all political parties. Given that 1:100 people are likely to develop long term (chronic) schizophrenia (which is incurable), what does the Labor party intend to do? Is the NSW Parliament a good example? Homeless people are no longer permitted to sleep on the steps of NSW Parliament House - just move 'em on mate, seems to be the interim solution.

The Labor Government in NSW should be ashamed of the 1983/4 Richmond Inquiry/Report. That's when homelessness truely began for mentally ill people, and it has become worse year by year. I know. I have been a mental health nurse since 1978. I saw people who I had nursed, and who had been institutionalised for most of their adult lives - eating out of garbage bins in Rozelle and Balmain. The then Labor Government created the scenario - which in contemporary society, seems to be taken for granted.

Bring back asylums (vis a vis, places of safety) for people with chronic mental illness. They need not be large institutions as in the past. It is affordable - and in the long term could: save people's lives, give people a quality of life, and in the long term, save tax payer's money.

As a community mental health nurse (in the past), I can assure you that I know what I am talking about. Yes, I believe in a least restrictive environment, but if it does not provide quality of life (as I saw far too many times), then a return to a similar but of course smaller insitution, could be Government (and tax payer) affordable.

The Government does not have any money. We give you our money. You need to learn to spend it wisely.

Cheers
Kay

Kay,
If the Howard government continues to cut funding to the States for Housing Commission accomodation, these people aflicted with mental illness will remain on the streets. In Queensland alone, Howard has cut $600 million in funding to Queensland's Housing Dept, in favor of subsidised rents, thus putting money in the landlord's pocket. Unless we break away from the concept, that the wealthy need to be made wealthier, and the bottom of society, can remain on the bottom, nothing will change.

I note Bruce and Alan Grey's comments, I am unable to find a thread of humanity or compassion in them. It is a sad reflection on modern day Ausatralia, the "buggar you, I'm all right Jack" philosophy. This is the eventual position one adopts when "money becomes your God" a position that good people like Kay, can never adopt, given her life long committment to others. A position I might say I fully support, people before profit I say.

Kim,

I put it to you that state governments (all presently Labor) have an equal role to play in the alleviation of homelessness, the ongoing support of SAAP services, and indeed, the provision of large tracts of affordable housing for the next generation which has been disenfranchised by the market forces of low interest rates, share market outflows, the rise of investors and housing speculation.

NSW Labor is the worst culprit for doing nothing, in the state most severely affected.

We don't need more empty rhetoric and hand-wringing, we need action from the cronyist right-wing Labor types who prefer to get into bed with developers, big business and merchant banks, we need state Labor parties to remember who they are supposed to be representing. If it's not too late - the damage of a boom market may already have been done. The minor parties and Independents have far better, comprehensive and more cohesive affordable housing policies than either Labor or the Coalition. Drop me a line if you need any practical, workable suggestions. When Labor has all the states, the excuse that 'we're in Federal opposition, God, we wish we could do something, but our hands are tied' is simply not good enough.