Page 545 - Week 02 - Wednesday, 17 February 2016
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So it is not just the hundreds or thousands of people who need to move out of the Northbourne Avenue corridor; they are just putting people on the list on the day and then moving them out. No wonder that list looks like it is in pretty good shape. Because the focus is on the Northbourne Avenue corridor, it is severely disadvantaging those people already on the list who have been waiting a very, very long time. There is nothing going on that is helping to reduce the long waiting times.
Another point in my motion today is about housing refugees. We have heard the Chief Minister talk about taking children who may be sent back. I am all for compassion. I feel I am a compassionate person. I would like to read to you from a letter that I found on social media the other day. It is something that I think reflects some other people’s attitudes. I quote:
One can become cynical when we look at political decisions, or should I say politicians grabbing political opportunities to promote themselves. We as a nation stride the world’s stage with a moral superiority that is not matched in the domestic scene. Recently some Premiers called on the Prime Minister to abstain from sending refugee children back to detention. They promised to find suitable accommodation and facilities for them.
While it is important to find adequate support for these kids, we must also consider our own homeless population, the thousands of people who are trying to survive PTSD with no support and many people with mental health issues who wallow in jails.
These are some of the figures we need to take into account: 40,844 children are abused or neglected annually. These figures are conservative as many never enter reports and remain victims. Reportable child deaths in New South Wales reached 41 over a two-year period from 2013-14 and a separate review documented 83 deaths of children who died at the hands of their carers.
From 2010-14 the rate of children in out-of-home care increased from 7.1 to 8.1 per 1,000. There were over 51,539 children in out-of-home care at 30 June 2014, and research has shown that many of the young people are leaving these facilities worse off than when they came in. The rate for sexual abuse has risen from 0.8 in 2009-10 to 1.1 in 2013-14.
I would be the first person to support the young refugee people not going back, but I can’t ignore the plight of the large number of people in our own country who need support. When will their political opportunity come?
That is the end of the quote from the letter that I saw the other day. It raises some good points. Is it a political opportunity to say we will take these refugees when we do not have the housing for the people we already have here? We cannot house thousands of people on our waiting lists.
Earlier this month Mission Australia released a child and youth homelessness report. That report highlights some very salient points as well. I quote from that report:
Mission Australia’s experience … highlights the following as key in the prevention of and response to child and youth homelessness … Intervening quickly with help from specialist homelessness services … Ensuring suitable
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