Tag Archive for ‘homelessness’ at Larvatus Prodeo

Tag Archive for 'homelessness'

What Tony Abbott actually said on homelessness

Published

3 weeks, 6 days ago

in Film, TV, Video etc, Media, Policy, Politics and Poverty

. 35 Comments

On Q&A tonight, the defence from John Roskam of Tony Abbott’s remarks on homelessness and the government’s social housing strategy at the Catholic Social Service Association’s national conference appeared to be that it wasn’t clear what he’d said. [It's worth noting that Roskam did agree that homelessness being halved was a worthwhile goal.]

That assumption seemed to be shared by the panel. It surprised me, because Christopher Pearson reproduced a transcript of Abbott’s remarks in his column in The Australian on Sunday.

The part about “the poor will always be with us” is indicated, rather than quoted, perhaps because (as often occurs) it was a question from the floor and the recording wasn’t clear. Sometimes when a session is transcribed, the speaker’s comments are also omitted if a question can’t be accurately redacted. But the substance of Abbott’s remarks, mostly verbatim, is in fact on the public record.

“The poor will always be with us”; Abbott’s Brutopia

Published

Mark

1 month ago

in Authoritarianism, Philosophy, Politics and Sociology

. 149 Comments

It must be ‘write an op/ed for Fairfax about something a political leader said to me’ week. First, Nina Funnell, and now Michael Perusco:

I was in Canberra last week and had the opportunity to ask Opposition Leader Tony Abbott whether a government under his direction would continue with the Rudd government’s goal of halving homelessness by 2020. His answer was no.

In justifying his stance, Abbott quoted from the Gospel of Matthew: ”The poor will always be with us,” he said, and referred to the fact there is little a government can do for people who choose to be homeless.

Perusco, the Chief Executive of Melbourne’s Sacred Heart Mission, goes on to refute Abbott’s claim that homelessness is a choice, and to underline how vital action in this area is.

It’s instructive to compare Abbott’s remarks, which he presumably didn’t think would end up in The Age, with this piece of puffery from Senator George Brandis in The Australian: Continue reading ‘“The poor will always be with us”; Abbott’s Brutopia’

Guest post by Angharad: Ending homelessness – but not with the help of the AMA

Published

Guest Poster

1 year, 2 months ago

in Policy, Politics, Poverty and Urbanism

. 20 Comments

Commenter Angharad discusses Kevin Rudd’s homelessness white paper which didn’t get much discussion because of its timing, but deserves some because of the importance of the issue. -MB

A few days before Christmas, Kevin Rudd launched a white paper on homelessness The Road Home with far less fan fare than the climate change white paper a few weeks earlier.

The white paper was, on the whole, well received by the homelessness policy community [disclaimer – I was close to the action on this one]. It sets out a strategy and identifies targets like “halve overall homelessness by 2020” and “offer accommodation to all rough sleepers who need it.” It’s been signed off by COAG and has a substantial increase in funds. So far, so good and it has as a better chance of succeeding than anything currently in place.

But the Australian Medical Association is not happy and says it won’t work. Continue reading ‘Guest post by Angharad: Ending homelessness – but not with the help of the AMA’

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