Monday 10 May 2010

Public housing: Why we need more everywhere

This month's Politics in the Pub, will focus of the current public housing debate in Cairns.
The organisers say that affordable, high quality public housing is everyone's right.
"Governments in Australia have for decades utterly neglected what publicly-funded housing can do to help achieve that," Jonathan Strauss of the Green Left says.
"The recent economic stimulus spending on social housing has changed that for now, but our responsibility is to ensure that good housing for all is achieved."
There will be speakers from tenants' groups and homeless services.
Politics in the Pub is aimed to be a broad forum for people in Cairns to hear interesting views and also to debate important topics. It is held every second Thursday of the month.
  • Politics in the Pub
    This Thursday - 13th May, 6pm
    Green Ant Cantina, Bunda Street, Cairns
    More info email or call 4053 2340, 0432 384 505

6 comments:

Smithfield Sam said...

If these lefties really believe "affordable high quality housing is everyone's right", they'd be out here with us protesting the state jamming these dogboxes into Bluewater and Palm Cove. People in public housing deserve to have it located near an affordable range of services (other than bottle shops) which neither of these projects is.

Paul said...

High quality affordable public housing is everyone's right? Paying for that same HQAPH doesn't seem to be everyone's responsibility however. Why are people on the "Left" so good at telling me what I should be what my taxes should be buying for everyone else.

single dad said...

If you're not Aboriginal or a Torres Strait Islander you can forget about public housing in Cairns, that's what I was told eight years ago, a single parent with two kids.

I finally gave up trying, there aren't enough to go round, and the waiting list isn't first come first served.

Unknown said...

Indeed,

So why are they building over-priced, low quality housing in the wrong locations ?

Does Fred Morris, local mouthpiece for the Tenant's Union, live in a one bedroom unit without a/c ? I have been told HE has a rather cozy arrangement with the department of communities.

So apparently some people have more rights than others...

hieronymus bosch said...

Point A: There is NO socialist left people in government in this country. How right wing are you clowns?

Point B: If they aren't to live in Bluewater etc where do you propose they live? Don't speak in "code", be honest, like Lisa, when she said, "I won't be happy till I get a guarantee from the State Government that there will be no Indigenous people or people with children living in these apartments."

Point C: I pity the public housing tenants who will have to live in Bluewater and Palm Cove with you scum!

Point D: Public housing keeps you in the lifestyle in which you should NOT be, and prevents them rising up and toasting your racist, classist arses.

Unknown said...

Are you aware of the issues with social housing in Earlville, Hieronymous ? Local residents here are actually not opposing social housing, despite the fact that the proposed site is right next to the largest public housing estate outside Brisbane.They object to the design and density of the proposed development, the fact that nothing has been learnt from the failures of the past and that no effort is being made to come up with new models, that actually work. And there we have a representative of the Tenants Union calling us bigots and snobs. This is a person in a very privileged position, who gets to choose who lives in his block of units, a person who has spent a lifetime in public housing and who knows nothing about our issues. As for Bluewater and Palm Cove, there are valid issues there as well. Resorting to slogans is just too easy. Maybe we can have a mature debate about this one day and actual tackle the issues. I am sure that the people who designed some of the existing slums were convinced that it was a great idea at the time. Now we live with the mess they created.