If you look even a side ways glance we here in this forum get involved mostly in threads that follow 3 lines.
Religion, child welfare, Animal welfare.
Sadly we mostly just post not true involvement , Foxy did her best, she e mailed.
I did not introduce union activism into the thread to promote unions, but to use the idea to help issues.
Find the time to read a story in todays national news paper the Australian.
It highlights further wrongs done to teenage children in QLD.
It highlights failure from my side of politics, total failure, failure that should see department heads and Minister fall.
Yet it is the way this country both party's does things.
Of more concern to our Polly's is costs, along with hiding the truth, we are bound to never fix this or any issue unless we do tell the world of our failure.
Few of us, believe me I know, will bother to act, huffnpuff has, public service judge such as just trouble makers.
You need numbers to get action, for the handful who will act print out twenty copy's of your letter, send them to every one who needs to know.
Minister and opposition, papers and church, ask each to send it on.
But only numbers can do it.
annoy anyone who may help, those who fear truth being uncovered must get every letter too.
No party loyalty the end justifies the means the only target is justice and true change.
Foxy have you considered posting that e mail address? huffnpuff good luck never ever give in can we all take a second to think what if it was us? or our child?
And can I ask what if 2.000 of us sent that e mail to 20 different people in power to change would it help?

Huffnpuff,
I feel so sorry for ALL abused kids, whether at home or in institutions and those in war zones and those sold into slavery.

You are doing OK in your efforts to get this issue attended to. I am impressed with your willingness to have a go and am aware how much effort it takes to keep going.

Not being a professional, the only suggestion I would venture to give you is to take note of the posts of Rainier, foxy, Frank Gol and Vanilla and see how they are set out and how easy they are to read. Try to set yours out the same way and find out about 'spell check' and use it.

I just occured to me that you can find out from your local MP who, on that Committee in 2004, is still in Parliament, then write to them. Tell them who you are and ask them what is happening to the Committee's recomendations. They must have been affected by the evidence heard and it won't hurt to remind them. I will do that also.

Best of luck.

Huff'npuff,

Although referred to as the "forgotten" generation you have already ensured that this name is no longer applicable - at least to OLO readers and to the people whom you continue to contact. Simply by doing what you have done so far you have already made a difference, which is a much bigger achievement than many people manage to make in their entire lifetimes.

Well done, you. I just know you are going to achieve what you set out to do.

Respect,

Huffnpuff,
Here are the Senators that were on the "Forgotten Australians" inquiry in 2004 and still sit in the senate.

They are Senators Eric Abetz, Lyn Allison, Guy Barnett, Andrew Bartlett, Mark Bishop, Grant Chapman, Helen Coonan, Trish Crossin, Alan Eggleston, Chistopher Evans, John Faulkner, Alan Ferguson, Micheal Forshaw, John Hogg, Gary Humphries, Steve Hutchins, Phillip LIghtfoot, Joesph Ludwig, Kerry Nettlr, Marise Payne, Julian McGauran, Jan McLucas (Chairman), Brett Mason, Claire Moore, Andrew Murray, John Watson, Ruth Webber.

Letters can be sent to these Senators, Parliament House, Canberra,ACT.

Of those listed above 8 will be retiring as at 30 June, 2008. These are Senators Allison, Barlett, Chapman, Lightfoot,Murray, Nettle, Watson, Webber.

I will write to these Senators and ask which recomendations, if any, of their report have been acted upon to date and seek their assurance that they will bring the issue to their parties and the Senates attention ASAP. I hope you and others will do likewise as it certainly will do no harm to remind them. Remember politicians have many matters to divert their attention.

Of course other politicians can also be contacted, as I will contact my local member also.

Banjo

Good on you. Your suggestions and willingness to lend support are valued and much appreciated.

Not all the Senators who are listed as on the Community Affairs References Committee actually sat on the particular inquiry that led to the Forgotten Australians Report. They take it in turns to sit on different inquiries.

Although it will do no harm - and may do a lot of good - to send messages to all the Senators you list, those who actually sat on the Forgotten Australians inquiry were:

Jan McLucas (Chair), Sue Knowles (Deputy Chair), Gary Humphries, Steve Hutchins, Claire Moore and Andrew Murray. Andrew Murray is retiring in June but he has been the driver in this area and continues to be deeply interested. He was himself a child migrant sent to the then Rhodesia (Zimbabwe) and understands the issues very well indeed. We will miss him - one of the few really decent politicians.

The Forgotten Australians Report suffered from bad timing. We had the bad luck to see it tabled in the Senate on the very day that John Howard announced the 2004 election. From then on, the media were reluctant to devote time and space to the story.

The Report is still available online at http://www.aph.gov.au/senate_ca
Hard copies can still be obtained by calling the secretariat on (02) 6277 3515
or by emailing community.affairs.sen@aph.gov.au

It makes disturbing reading but it is an integral part of Australian history.

Thank both of you, I will write to every one of them now, post in the morning .
While my earlier posts may have looked like union promotion it was never intended to be.
That tool is an activists dream 4.000 concerned e mails for most issues, in one week.
If we could find room in an existing page, to put up a campaign with address ever a letter for those who do not want to write their own, well its a dream but bet you one day we will see it.
Again thanks and true regards for the list