[Australia] Govt criticised for poor record on reducing poverty

from Australian Broadcasting corporation

Transcript

KAREN PERCY: While there's likely to be plenty of cake and messages of praise for the Prime Minister today, not everyone's lauding the Federal Government's achievements.

The former Chief Justice of the Family Court, Alastair Nicholson, has criticised the Government's record on children over the past ten years, particularly when it comes to homelessness and child poverty.

In 1987 there was scepticism when the former Labor Prime Minister, Bob Hawke said, "by 1990 no Australian child will be living in poverty".

But in a speech to be delivered in Sydney today, Alastair Nicholson argues the Howard Government should revive the goal of reducing, if not eliminating, the problem.

Alastair Nicholson is speaking here to Lynn Bell.

ALASTAIR NICHOLSON: Well, the theme of my speech really is that they're not good economic managers at all.

They might be good at pandering to the wealthy and looking after the people who don't need it, but if you were a real economic manager in a country like Australia, with this enormous wealth, you wouldn't have 100,000, 90-100,000 children homeless. You wouldn't have these problems.

And you would have at least positive attempts to try and do something about it, as Canada, for example, has.

But here, no, we seem to be… we seem to have developed a sort of society where we look after ourselves and forget everyone else.

LYNN BELL: Is it just about money, or does the Government need to move to appoint a children's commissioner and take more proactive steps in terms of its ministry?

ALASTAIR NICHOLSON: Oh, sure. I mean, look what they've done. This Government, for example, has started off with a Minister for Children, which was a great idea of Larry Anthony, then the next thing that happened it was downgraded to a Parliamentary Secretary in 2004 and now it's disappeared.

No children's commissioner, and you can then understand, perhaps, why they make these stupid decisions, because there's no one that they're getting advice from who has a specific interest in children and children's issues.

You really need to look at the effects on children when you pass legislation or when you make these decisions and I just think that children are not being considered.

LYNN BELL: There are obviously many causes behind the fact of child homelessness, you know, violence and poverty and other contributing factors.

What do you see as the key way forwards now for the Federal Government?

ALASTAIR NICHOLSON: Well I think… I think commitment is really the important thing. Commitment and the preparedness to advance financial commitment to ensure that no Australian child does live in poverty and that no Australian child should be homeless.

Now, it might be pie in the sky to say that's going to happen in two or three years, but why not adopt a goal of reducing it by 20 per cent over a two year period, or something like that?

I mean, at least an effort would be worthwhile, but we're not seeing it.

KAREN PERCY: The former Chief Justice of the Family Court, Alastair Nicholson.