The Official Organ of LaborNET
click here to view the latest edition of Workers Online
The Official Organ of LaborNET
Free home delivery
June 2005   
F E A T U R E S

Interview: The Baby Drought
Social ethicist Leslie Cannold has delved into why women - and men - are having fewer children. And it all comes back to the workplace.

Industrial: Lies, AWAs and Statistics
David Peetz uncovers the truth behind the latest statistics on earnings under Australian Workplace Agreements.

Workplace: The Invisible Parents
Current government policies about work and family do not reflect the realities of either family life or the modern workplace. writes Don Edgar.

History: Bruce�s Big Blunder
The Big Fella, Jack Lang, gives an eyewitness account of the last time Conservatives tried to dismantle Australia�s industrial relations system.

Politics: All God's Children
The battle for morality is not confined to Australian polittics. Michael Walzer writes on the American perspective

Economics: Spun Out
The business groups are feeling cocky. The feds have announced their IR changes, business says they don't go far enough. What a surprise, writes Neale Towart

International: Shakey Trials
Lyndy McIntyre argues the New Zealnd IR experiment provides warnings - and hope - for the Australian union movement.

Legal: Civil Distrubance
Tom Roberts argues that there is more at stake than an attack on building workers in the looming legsilation.

Review: Crash Course In Racism
Paul Haggis flick Crash suggests that when cars collide the extent of people's prejudices are revealed sans the usual veil of political correctness, writes Tara de Boehmler.

Poetry: You're Fired
New laws will leave bosses holding the whip and workers with a Raw Hide, writes resident bard David Peetz

C O L U M N S

The Locker Room
Ashes to Dust
In which Phil Doyle travels to distant lands in search of a meat pie, and prepares for the joys of sleep deprivation

Parliament
The Westie Wing
Ian West lists the Top Ten reasons why workers in NSW can gain some solace from having the Labor Party sitting on the Treasury benches�

The Soapbox
Dear John
In response to this year�s Federal Budget, Bishop Kevin Manning wrote an open letter to the Prime Minister, Mr John Howard

E D I T O R I A L

An Act of Faith
After a week of watching the Howard Government attempt to explain their vision of work relations we have a clearer picture of what the social safety net will be in the future � an act of faith

N E W S

 Beattie Dares Job Vandals

 Broken Hill Confronts "Choice"

 BHP Faces Losses

 Howard Threatens Babies

 Working Between the Flags

 Hadgkiss Makes History

 Bob The Organiser

 Johnny Packs Toothbrush

 Security Blunders to the Max

 EDI Court Out

 Feds: Do As I Say �

 Soaring Mercury Sparks Walk Off

 Unions Offer to Play Libs

 Education Stands Up To Howard Assault

 Dodgy Bosses Get a Tick

 Weight Watchers Raise Scales

 Hyundai Showdown a Riot

 Activists' What's On!

L E T T E R S
 Patriot Doug
 Remembering Workers In Cairns
 Bad Law
 Fair Go For Injured Workers
 A Question Of Choice
 Galahs Up The Cross
 National Solution
 Bomber�s Classic
WHAT YOU CAN DO
About Workers Online
Latest Issue
Print Latest Issue
Previous Issues
Advanced Search

other LaborNET sites

Labor Council of NSW
Vic Trades Hall Council
IT Workers Alliance
Bosswatch
Unions on LaborNET
Evatt Foundation


Labor for Refugees

BossWatch



The Soapbox

Dear John


In response to this year�s Federal Budget, Bishop Kevin Manning wrote an open letter to the Prime Minister, Mr John Howard

Dear Mr Howard,

As the Bishop of a Diocese with a considerable population of Indigenous Australians and a number of extremely socially disadvantaged areas, the annual Federal Budget is of great importance.

My congratulations on the boost in funding for marriage education and your support for relationship counselling. Education and early intervention into troubled relationships are of considerable importance in saving families from separation and divorce. This will be most welcome to the Catholic Church's social welfare agency, Centacare, which provides extensive marriage and family counselling in the Diocese.

The 80,000 additional childcare places and the additional childcare fee assistance will be a help to families with both parents working. The bonus for carers, although a one off, is recognition of the role they play in our society.

Funding for additional vocational education and training, and extra places in language, literacy and numeracy programs are most welcome.

Additional expenditure on housing and health for Indigenous people is to be applauded but much more needs to be done. The staff of the Aboriginal Catholic Ministry in Penrith are always in search of housing for their clients.

While the 2005 Budget has a number of helpful initiatives I find it difficult to understand why, in a time of such affluence, with a $9 billion surplus, money should be dispensed in tax cuts rather than invested in health, education and infrastructure.

Hardly a day goes by without revelations of overcrowding, course cutting and job insecurity in the tertiary education sector.

The cutting of the Medicare Safety Net leaves poor families even more vulnerable.

The limited provision for drought relief in the Budget seems extraordinary and I hope this will be rectified as a result of the Parkes summit.

An opportunity for putting education and health on a more secure footing has been bypassed for what is a very small financial gain for individual families.

The welfare and associated agencies in the Diocese of Parramatta support the Budget focus on welfare to work and recognise that most single mothers and people with disabilities welcome any opportunity to find meaningful work.

However, the participation requirements, the emphasis on compliance and the threat of suspension and loss of benefits fails to recognise the precarious nature of poor, single families.

Frank Quinlan, Director of Catholic Welfare Australia, expressed grave concern that "the 'three strikes and you're out' welfare payment regime including immediate and automatic suspensions ... may leave the poorest in the community vulnerable to real risks."

Single parents often require work that allows them to work between 9am and 3pm, have time off during school holidays and flexibility when it comes to sick children.

This type of employment is not so easily gained by low-skilled workers. The staff of the Ministry to Solo Parents and Their Families in the Diocese of Parramatta expressed concerns about "latch key kids" and sick children being left at home on their own.

In regard to people with disabilities going into the workforce it seems that the cart is before the horse. An enormous amount of effort needs to go into persuading employers to take on disabled workers and then some training in working with disabled people has to happen.

All this needs to be in place before structures are set up to have people with disabilities going through the participation and compliance hoops with only a small chance of employment.

Across the road from my office is a park where homeless men and women gather. St Vincent de Paul and other Church agencies regularly provide food for them.

What they really need is a bed and shelter. The Cardinal Freeman Centre, Hope Hostel and Parramatta Mission provide some assistance but there are just not enough beds.

This being the case I was most disappointed to see that the core funding from the Federal Government for the Supported Accommodation Assistance Program (SAAP) in 2005-06 is to be reduced by almost $17 million. This means that existing services will be cut and there is no hope for any increase in beds and shelter for the homeless.

The measure of the worth of any society is in its care for the weakest and the most vulnerable. Tax cuts for the wealthy while the homeless remain without bed or shelter leaves a long way for us to travel to be a truly just and compassionate society.

I would be anxious to have a conversation with you or your Ministers on these issues.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours sincerely in Christ,

Bishop Kevin Manning,

Diocese of Parramatta.

First published in Catholic Outlook, June 2005.


------


email workers to a friend printer-friendly version latest breaking news from labornet


Search All Issues | Latest Issue | Previous Issues | Print Latest Issue

© 1999-2002 Workers Online
Workers Online is a resource for the Labour movement
provided by the Labor Council of NSW
URL: http://workers.labor.net.au/features/200506/a_guestreporter_manning.html
Last Modified: 15 Nov 2005

Powered by APT Solutions
Labor Council of NSW Workers Online
LaborNET