Page 2777 - Week 09 - Thursday, 8 August 2013
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video
second year in a row. It is an enormous effort and a great achievement for it to be as successful as it is. Of course, Chris does not do it alone. May I also congratulate the other organisers, and the many volunteers on the day.
Canberra Homeless Connect is a one-day community initiative that brings together people who are experiencing or at risk of homelessness with the services and support they need in one place on one day. It started off in San Francisco back in 2004, and it now operates in cities all over the world.
On one day a year many and varied services get together to assist those who are in need of their support. Whether it is housing, health care, legal services, dentistry, clothing, underwear and footwear, hairdressers or vets, there are countless goods and services which are provided for these vulnerable people on this one day in one location at no charge.
Today at Canberra Homeless Connect I would like to acknowledge the following organisations for the support they have given to this initiative and for being involved: St Vincent de Paul, Red Cross, Cataldo’s, Mercy Association, Shoes for Planet Earth, Argyle Housing, FirstPoint, Citizens Advice Bureau, the Smith Family, ACT Hepatitis Resource Centre, MAX Employment, Ted Noffs Foundation, the Department of Human Services—including Centrelink and Australian Hearing, Communities@Work, Street Law, PILCH legal services, Uniting Church Canberra City and the early morning centre, as well as many other organisations who pulled the event together.
The event was a great success. The only downside to it all is that it demonstrates just how many people in Canberra need that help. I would like to thank all those who came to a reception here at the Assembly on Tuesday night and donated new, unused underwear for us to contribute to Canberra Homeless Connect, as well as Pioneer Training, Homelessness Australia and Greenhills Conference Centre for their donation of new, unused underwear.
I would like to encourage you all here to keep your eyes open for this event next year and do whatever you can to be involved and to help spread the message of this invaluable initiative.
Racism
DR BOURKE (Ginninderra) (5.46): Race is the trump card of Australian politics. The only condition is that it must be played face down. In Australia we call this “dog whistling”. The Americans are more prosaic—they call it “racial messaging”. Whatever you call it, the purpose is to tap into the power of racism without being called a racist.
Take, for instance, “stop the boats”—a dog whistle if ever there was one. No reference is ever made to the racial origins of the refugees on boats coming to Australia. But hang on; if these were whites fleeing a collapsing South Africa, do you think the mantra would be the same? When they beached at Cottesloe, wouldn’t they be greeted by sizzling barbecues and overflowing eskies?
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video