While most of us have had a fairly warm, indulgent Xmas - have we spared a thought for our homeless people in Australia.  According to  statistics back in 2001, we had reached a figure of 99,900 and when the 2006 census has been counted, this figure is expected to double.  The homeless are those who seek shelter in parks,  shop doorways and alleys - for the maxium protection from the elements of the weather or violence and those who are mentally unable to fit into mainstream life.  If they're lucky enough to find a soup kitchen, they can eat - as so many of these lost people can't claim welfare because they haven't got a permanent address.

Australia - according to our Prime Minister - is a rich country where many of us are prosperous, yet little is done to alleviate the misery of our most vulnerable mentally or physically ill people.

The results of recent research of our atttitudes to homelessness were as expected - a very high degree of community ignorance as 74 per cent of those surveyed believed that homeless people had only themselves to blame for their plight: they had poor characters and made stupid choices.

Is this what Australia has now become - a society that strives only for it's own gain and forgets those who are unfortunate and disadvantaged?

We have to change our attitude - as there is not one single reason why these neglected people should have to suffer the way they do in this affluent country.

Of course the homeless aren't mistreated deliberately - although it's certainly not a safe place out in the streets.  Unfortunately too many of them have a chronic mental illness and they reach the point where they are unable to ask for help as they become too down, out and demoralised.

When we walk past an unkempt tramp - most of us try not to look and walk straight past.  It is difficult to hold out a hand to help and easier to ignore him/her.  We certainly have to give our volunteers from the soup kitchens and christian charities a lot of credit for the difficult work they do.

Welcome to the forum. I noticed you signed up for an account, but then didn't log in. When you log in you can set it so you are always logged in on that computer, though if you share your PC that could be a problem. It also keeps a post count and that sort of thing, and doesn't display 'guest' beside your name.

mantra wrote on Dec 27^th, 2006 at 6:39am:


There is only one thing that matters and that is REFUGEES. Australia's destitute, homeless, mentally ill, infirm, frail etc must be prepared to go without while our government wades out to Ashmore Reef handing out applications for refugee status forms. We - Australians - don't matter. We are here merely to pay the bills.

My relatives stayed in a motel overnight on their way to Sydney for Xmas recently and were quite shocked to have learned that those sharing rooms either side of theirs in a 3 star motel were 'said' homeless people being accommodated over Xmas.

My Aunty made the mistake of giving one woman who advised she was on a methadone program a loaf of bread and $20 to see her through the night, (she said she was hungry and needed sanitary napkins ), and until 11pm these people were knocking on their door asking for my uncles cigarettes, because he had made the mistake of giving them a couple when they first arrived. Before they realised they were bludgers.

None of these people arrived in cars my uncle advised, and being so far from a railway station he wondered how on earth they even got there...or did the government pay for their cab fair too?
They didn't have any children with them,  were 6 adults in their 30's and 40's, both male and female, and were smoking drugs on the porch out the front, and although they occupied different rooms, they appeared to know each other my relatives advised.

Now, with our government accommodating homeless people in motels, why cant they put this funding towards more permanent, longer term solutions?

They said after this, they will never stay in a motel again as they hardly slept a wink all night. They were worried about these 'impoverished' people breaking into their car whilst they slept.
Mind you,  they were supposed to be in need of a bed for the evening, but spent the whole night socialising(smoking dope ) and partying on and making noise until dawn. Go figure?

Tell me, how is it that these 'said' homeless people can afford dope, but cant afford their own personal hygiene products and or even a loaf of bread?

I was so angry when I found out my aunty and uncle got sucked in.

Fair enough if they are truly in need, but to ask for food, then in the next breath have the temerity to offer my poor old great uncle, (80 years old) some pot when he went out to retrieve something from his car whilst they were smoking pot was absolutely disgusting.

This is the state of our country.

This welfare wastage has to stop!

Miss Anne Dryst wrote on Dec 28^th, 2010 at 7:56pm:


Lol, poor old things, give them a break, they are do-gooders, are right into charity functions from their local area, and are like allot of elderly people I think, naive to the malignant state of our nations welfare dependent and lazy.

See, back in their day, you wouldn't dream of asking a stranger for food or money, unless you really needed it, were truly starving.

And don't worry, I gave my aunt and uncle a 'kind' lecture, about it, not that there was much point, this will probably be the last time they drive to Sydney, I'm surprised my uncle got here by Xmas driving 50k the whole way in the slow lane.  lol



I think they were a little intimidated by them actually, and were worried that if they didn't help them they might break into their car over-night and help themselves. My uncle was really worried about them breaking into the car and stealing xmas presents.

Honestly, I wished they had have called us, my parents would have driven there within 5 hours, if we knew how frightened they were, we would have figured out something.

My uncle really shouldn't be driving long distances anyway, (this and my uncle is unlikely to pass his eye test early next year for his licence renewal, by his own confession).. so I dare say this will be their last stint in a motel anyway.

*fingers crossed*

i

salad in wrote on Dec 28^th, 2010 at 6:58pm:




ha.ha.. as soon as I saw this and read mantras words I thought heres someone who wants her cake and eat it as well..

when ever anyone complains about the access and treatment dished out by this govt towards asylum seekers.. we get shouted down as bigots racists. heartless.cruel you names it..we have plenty in this country lets share it with outsiders thats the mantra...

yeah right..

now we dont do enough for our own... havent we been trying to tell you that mantra.. yet you call us names for doing so..

so you will excuse me if I find this thread just a little bit over the top and quite unbelievable wont you?

rudd came in with guns blazing what he was going to do for the homeless..... well you tell us what he did and what gillard is doing you voted for them. you believed them.. so tell us what they have done... dont worry about the asylum seekers we know exactly what we are doing for them...how many defence homes in Adelaide all lying empty waiting for asylums seekers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!how many millions and growing now?

It raining datsun cogs in Sydney tonight.

I hope all the homeless have a nice dry alcove to sleep in.