For those outside of Australia it would appear to be almost deliberate that there are any homeless people and to some extent that is almost true.
Successive Governments have failed to produce policies which last longer than their term of Government and State Politics work against each other.
Australia’s refugee policy has become inhumane, ridiculous and very expensive. It has divided Australia as it offers no solutions only controversy.
Like most citizens of any country people want their own looked after first hence the homeless and asylum seekers debate.
These are my suggestions;
There are many buildings in Australia that lie empty and it would not be difficult to draft legislation that ensures every developer builds x number of social housing homes per x of commercial development.
The economies of scale of even a moderate commercial development of 10 homes would make building a social home less expensive than as a stand-alone construction.
Australia also needs an industrial strategy that provides value-added employment. It has bled it’s resources dry. Australia has a powerhouse in the sun and that too has the potential to provide thousands of jobs should Australia decide to become a net exporter of energy.
There are no doubt those who say Australia’s first priority should be to its citizens – to which I agree. But the relatively small amount of asylum seekers when processed can be quite easily absorbed with a minimum term of directed location by a country which still seeks legal immigrants.
What Australia needs is a Bi-Partisan refugee policy so asylum seekers are not subjected to Political football .
Unfortunately selfish Party Politics would appear to produce self-obsessed Party Policies which only produce the destructive forces of economic disunity and mediocre politicians.
