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The Forum > Article Comments > When poverty means not having enough to eat > Comments

When poverty means not having enough to eat : Comments

By Sally Babbington, Sue King and Christine Ratnasingham, published 30/4/2007

The debate about poverty definitions and measurement needs to be grounded in the actual experiences of people who are going without.

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GYM-FISH, I didn't get much of an impression that there is a 'poor me' attitude from the posters here who are speaking from personal experience.

It is just frustrating to hear an attitude from others of 'serves you right' and 'you should be grateful' and not think there is any entitlement to a beer at the pub or anything that could be perceived as 'wasting' money. That money isn't yours, only upstanding citizens like CountryGal can 'waste' money at the pokies or you can buy TimTams. Just because TimTams or a packet of chips is much cheaper than 5 apples is beside the point. Welfare money for apples, worked for money for TimTams.

Personally apples are far preferable. Grapes are a luxury, the 5 of us enjoy the 10 bananas a week I buy. I dislike TimTams.

It's a fact that s..t happens, but most want a reasonable life enough to keep on working on getting out of a bad situation. I can't believe anybody could possibly WANT to live on a pittance that only allows subsistence. That's not living. The reasons why some never come out of this quagmire must be more profound and deeper than only laziness.

Yes, you're right in your comments re the dire straights one could be in if living somewhere else, but the fact is you and me, now I'm working again, pay a lot of tax. In other countries you don't. Some of the reasons why I think it's OK to pay so much tax as we do in this country is not to keep many, many politicians comfortable once done with their stint for the country, but to provide services for Australians. Like education, from primary to tertiary, medical cover, infrastructure and social security.

That's why I don't want to live in low taxed USA, India or the Philipines. Financial wealth to me doesn't only equate money in the bank, but also a well maintained house and family. The same surely goes for a nation and its citizens.
Posted by yvonne, Friday, 4 May 2007 6:26:51 PM
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Given I have the Commonwealth Ombudsman monitoring my “case”, noted in the two miacat’s post above, and I am told Indigenous peoples within Cape York are also experiencing similar difficulties, I report the latest.

I went to the local media because Legal Aid, and or a Resource Advocate who could deal with this problem, is not present in Cooktown.

We have a Centerlink agency who does a good job stamping local dole-forms but exhibits no-local-determination to “solve-problems” (it’s the law?) as their powers are directive from Cairns, Mackay, Mt Isa, Port Douglas, Bundaberg and or Townsville ‘Centerlink Call Centres’.

These centres are made-up of many individual desk-peoples assigned to “do the job”. Each apparently has a different status, meaning they each see different things on the computer-screen and are limited by what they can actually assess.

Frankly I find the situation critical. No wonder Problem Solving is a challenge?

From the Local News a reporter attempted to check my story. The following is a quote from someone who does not give their NAME… from Centerlink.

Centerlink admitted;

“a couple of isolated instances where payments were delayed but this was quickly resolved and we apologised”

I state again 5 times “cut-off the dole” since Christmas and “8 times cut-off the dole” in less than a year… as well as twice bullied by the “Marriage Investigator’s”, is not “a couple of isolated instances”.

This is both DENIAL and STRUCTURAL ABUSE.

Worse I had to use a Centerlink loan to cover expenses during this time, which I am obligated to give back. On top of this, is the related debt, which occurred in phone bills, bank and late rego fines as the payments exceeded the value of income benefits itself.

Not to mention the distress and disruption to my life.

I believe Centerlink ought to give me back the Centerlink($500) loan don’t you?

I am not ashamed of being on the benefit; I am HUMILIATED because I should not be on it given how hard I actually work!

Please see below;
Posted by miacat, Sunday, 6 May 2007 1:33:46 PM
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I run a Non-Government-Organisation which works without funding, all-expenses-come-out-of-my own dole. Many of my clients are worse off than me. I have fought diligently for government services in my local area.

I have been seriously alienated by government staff, who don’t understand the crisis they are actually working with. Health, Unemployment, Housing, Micro Small Enterprise, Training, Kids at Risk, Domestic Violence, Community Isolation, Crime Prevention and Mental Health,to name a few issues.

On top of this I am now told the house that I have just moved into is about to be AUCTIONED.

Can you believe it…? Caught in two cyclones last year where I lost the opportunity to buy the house I was in and now after being “cut-off the dole” and left virtually homeless, the house I now live in is also about to be Actioned.

I am not complaining to the owners, I am revealing how this can happen to anyone and everyone who has not the resources to “protect” themselves against the typical unfavourable, inauspicious economic social environment we experience.

My problem is the extent of the gap between myself and the other skilled workers employed in my own industry. How do I get back on track if the system does not “LISTEN”.

I am a high profile capable person in my region and I tell you to reveal this story is to make a honest CALL for EQUITY.

We need a No-Wrong-Door-Policy YESTERDAY inside Cape York. If this is happening to me imagine how it is for people with half my experience.

I thank the authors for this article and I am always prepared to report what is often unreported… else how do we get the changes necessary to assess these problems.

My region is going through the preparation of two ELECTIONS (Federal and Local) plus a possible Council Amalgamation. I say these ELECTIONS or changes in ADMINISTRATION need to be about LIFE_QUALITY for ALL Australians and not POLITICAL Pot-shots alone.

Below-Link-I wrote this article in response to Simon Crean

http://forum.onlineopinion.com.au/thread.asp?article=5784#78583

Things have to improve between the inter-relationships between the three tier-government system NOW.

http://www.miacat.com/
Posted by miacat, Sunday, 6 May 2007 1:36:30 PM
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Miacat, your situation sounds like typical centrelink business. When we had to deal with Centrelink we couldn't get over the gross inefficiency, doubling up, contradictory statements we, just one family of 5, received.

The whole Centrelink/Social Security area needs a massive clean up. Too much money is wasted on idiotic things. I can tell you a few outrageous stories, and we only had to deal with Centrelink for 1 year. That too much money at times is paid to someone is because at Centrelink the left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing and the brain isn't involved at all.

I would be massively surprised if even 50% of money annually spent on 'welfare' actually made it to people and families in need.

The amount of mail we received would mean a small forest had to be woodchipped for paper. I don't even want to think of all the people employed who are supposed to manage this ridiculous setup.

I feel for you, because if you are even moderately with it and moderately well educated after giving information, some of which I think is very personally invasive, to then be treated with extreme inefficiency and idiotic statements is monumentally frustrating. Why this area of government spending is not taken to task is beyond me.

Then, did you know, if an employment agency helps you get a job in the first few weeks, it doesn't get nearly as much money then if you are out of work for one year or more? How's that for incentive? It's a rort at taxpayers and jobseekers expense. That's why their buildings are getting flashier and flashier. The worse the area for employment, the more employment agencies. Think about that. And the really terrible thing is many people just accept the whole dole-bludger, social security bludging thing as gospel. People in need take the rap for gross inefficient government money management and gross mismanagement of supplying services.
Posted by yvonne, Sunday, 6 May 2007 6:55:51 PM
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Yvonne,
It sounds to me like miacat is a victim of public servants taking the law into their own hands, rather than simple mismanagement. It's a real pity that people who are not aware of the full picture, or are just eager to abuse their power over others, are able to undermine those who attempt to make a real difference. Your story miacat is far too common...
Posted by vivy, Sunday, 6 May 2007 7:26:38 PM
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It truly sickens me to hear how poorly Australians are treated when they experience hard times. You'd think they'd never contributed a tax dollar in their lives.

I work full time and only have a small household to feed, yet I know what Yvonne means when she talks about rationing the bananas.

Even with full time work, the cost of fruit and vegies these days is astronomical. To have a healthy diet for the full pay period is a luxury.

What if these families have members with food allergies?

How do people accommodate themselves? Do they move in with family?

I just don't know how these families cope.

I hate this Government.
Posted by Liz, Thursday, 17 May 2007 9:20:35 PM
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