Page 322 - Week 02 - Tuesday, 20 February 1990
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whether they are in that position because of low wages, because of unemployment or because of particular family circumstances. For whatever reasons people are battling, when they are victims of poverty then that is our concern and it is in that spirit that this matter of public importance has been put up today.
There is a view in some quarters that people who are suffering from poverty have in some way erred or committed some sin, they have either been careless in managing their resources or have made wrong decisions or are in some way trying to con governments and communities into looking after them. That is not a view that we subscribe to at all. I think that terms like "people in genuine need", which I know has been bandied about opposite, "the deserving poor" and so on, are terms which generally serve to deride those people who are living in poverty in our community.
We have heard a little bit from Mr Kaine about some of the programs that he is proposing. I think that it is incumbent upon all of us in this Assembly to actually get on with the job of devising the strategy, rather than just mouth platitudes about various sectors in the community who are in need of special programs. I think it is significant that Mr Kaine has not outlined such a strategy. He has merely touched upon the headings that might be contained within one.
I believe that the only effective measure for examining the success of reducing or eliminating poverty in our community is to have a proper look at people's circumstances and measure those circumstances against some sort of a standard. You will all be aware that during the 1970s the so-called Henderson poverty line was developed and was used quite extensively in debate on what we know as social justice issues. Since that time, of course, there have been other measures developed as well.
I think it is vital that we have a coordinated approach that looks at the needs of people who are in poverty, and in particular looks at those needs in full consultation with the people themselves. Obviously, wages and incomes are a matter that the Federal Government has control over as well as social security pensions, unemployment benefits and so on, but we as representatives of the people of Canberra are obliged and are responsible for taking action on poverty within our own community. I am sure that members will recall that in Mike Salvaris' report he has pointed out that there are significant levels of poverty in the ACT, perhaps 10 per cent of the population is living in poverty, and he has further pointed out that that 10 per cent may be worse off than people living in poverty in other cities because of our high living costs in the ACT.
I might also point out for Mr Kaine's benefit that Mr Salvaris' report was not to the Government which I led - the report is dated December 1988 and was a report
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