PM Rudd wants his newly elected team to visit 2 “shelters” in their electorates.

The defeated conservative government of Howard and many of his followers pooh-pooh this type of “homework” as a stunt.

Well, the Liberal conservatives, their propagandists and followers couldn’t be further from reality on this so called *stunt* as they have similarly been on other issues effecting Australia today after 11 years of a conservative government.

Trent Dalton recently wrote an article “City of Broken Dreams” published in the Courier Mail and linked below.

http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,22685524-5003425,00.html

It’s a lengthy article, but well worth the time to read. It describes the plight of the homeless in Australia and provides insight into why Rudd wants his representatives to do the “homework” he has asked.

Any comments.

Thanks for that article Q&A - it makes you wonder how Australia manages to get rated 3rd on the UN HDI. Clearly Mandela was wrong: we are no longer judged by the way we treat our most disadvantaged and vulnerable, at least by the UN.

Cheers Dnicholson … there is obviously a problem though.

I think we have become sanitised to societal problems … just look at the posts of late on OLO;

- types of voting systems
- astro physics and ‘intelligent design’
- gay rights
- Jesus’ voting intention
- Who’s ‘better’ in bed
- Most active on OLO
- Etc

It used to be a truism that a society’s dignity is measured by how it treats its own disadvantaged, anything else is hubris.

I have had OLO running in the background since I posted and many people have logged in, far more people read posts without logging in at all.

While the above posts may be important to some people and other threads in general discussion more important to others – I am somewhat surprised that no one else has replied to this post, except of course you.

Is the linked article too long for people to read?
Is it a case of denying there is a problem?
Do people bury their head in the sand?
Do the ISSUES the article raise make people feel uncomfortable to acknowledge?
Have I got BO?

There are so many ‘opinionated’ people out there, where are they now?

Oh well, at least our newly elected PM has recognised the realities of our society (as opposed to many on OLO) … I can only hope during the term of his parliament, he can encourage more Australians (starting with his elected representatives) to at least look at their homework.

For those of you I have offended, so be it – look in the mirror before you start to throw stones.

Bye for a while.

I can fully understand why it's a topic many would feel uncomfortable reading about and discussing. The fact that so few are prepared to do so may provide part of the clue as to why in modern Western democracies it has been left up to governments to take the lead in providing social welfare. Much as there is always a place for philanthropy and volunteerism, the vast majority of us would much prefer to pretend the problems of the disadvantaged simply didn't exist - and because of the sort of world we inhabit, it's often all too easy to do just that. Hence it seems there is little alternative but to accept that we pay our taxes and pass the buck on to the government to take care of those who are unable, for one reason to another, to take care of themselves.

The story is powerful, shocking and true, and that is only Brisbane, I know its the same in every other city of Australia. Government funding cuts are largely to blame, but the level of interest from citizens is also a factor. Generally no one seems to care about others anymore, changing this will be a hard task.

Here's seriously hoping that K Rudd's 'homework' for the big kids in his 'class' will begin to expose the extent of homelessness and start some funding initiatives that will take us down the road of bringing about some sort of social change that can help stop these desperately poor people, especially the ones with little kids, falling through the cracks!

Now more than ever we need public housing to help people have the basics of a decent life, no house - no chance at life! How disgusting that "almost $3 billion has been ripped out of the national public housing system since 1996, with the Howard Government deciding that private market forces would better serve housing needs". Private market forces serve themselves no one else!!

Q&A

The stories are shocking. I have personally been involved with many street people who have similar stories. The idea that somehow Labour has more compassion is an absolute joke. State Labour Governments have resided for over a decade. The problem has little to do with funding but everything to do with the break down of the family (traditional) and the abuse of alcohol and drugs.The problem is not unique to Queensland but evident also in Socialist European countries. You would have a lot more credibility if you left politics out of this as you only display ignorance.