Not one but seven priorities for the third Howard Government

As Anglican Church leaders, we congratulate Mr Howard on his Government’s re-election. May God grant wisdom to the new Commonwealth Government.

As the Prime Minister reshapes the new government, we call for an urgent rethink on seven key national issues. This call arises from our deep concern about divisions within the Australian community, which have been exacerbated during the election campaign.

We call for the new Government to restore Australia’s standing as a nation that is compassionate to those in need and committed to a fair go for all.

The seven issues of concern are:

1. The response to terrorism
2. The treatment of asylum seekers
3. Aged care
4. The funding of schools
5. Unemployment
6. Public housing
7. Reconciliation

Terrorism

The terrorist attack on September 11 2001 shocked and horrified people of goodwill across the world. We have expressed our condemnation of those appalling and indiscriminate acts of violence. But we also recognise that injustice provides the fuel for fanaticism and terrorism.

Consequently, we urge the Government to broaden its response to the terrorism perpetrated against the United States. Despite the recent rapid advances made by Northern Alliance forces, the suffering of the Afghan people continues.

A continuing military campaign in Afghanistan, one of the poorest countries on earth, may not succeed in ending the terrorist threat. Indeed, it risks being seen as an attack on all people of Islamic faith. The bombing campaign and the vicious retribution of Alliance forces have increased the flow of refugees to neighbouring countries and could well incite further acts of violence.

We urge the Government to add its voice to international calls for action to relieve the suffering of the Afghan refugees and to advance the peace process in the Middle East. Without a just settlement between Israel and the Palestinians, there is little hope of an end to terror and the achievement of a lasting peace.

Asylum Seekers a Global Issue

We share the concern of growing numbers of Australians that the Government’s harsh treatment of asylum seekers has tarnished Australia’s proud record of providing a safe home for refugees and has undermined multicultural harmony in our community.

We do not question Australia’s right to decide who enters this country but we see no reason why the concern for secure borders should erode our international responsibilities to provide asylum to refugees, and our human duty to treat asylum seekers with compassion.

Australia has the capacity to respond more compassionately to the people fleeing brutal regimes in Afghanistan and Iraq. Furthermore, Australia has the moral responsibility to respond because of its support for the bombing of Iraq and now Afghanistan. This has, in part, caused people to flee.

We are alarmed that the Australian Government has used the lever of Australian aid to coax Pacific Island countries to take asylum seekers heading for Australia. Pacific Church leaders have said they do not want to be treated as a "dumping ground for the benefit of industrialised countries."

In this vast and wonderful country of ours, there is "room at the inn". We believe that Australia’s annual intake of refugees should be raised to 25,000, the level of 15 years ago.

The issue of asylum seekers is a global one and cannot be solved by Australia alone. Australia has a major opportunity to encourage its ally, the United States, to develop a method of putting this and other global issues on the table for open discussion and resolution in a way which the UN cannot achieve.

Aged Care

Australia’s residential aged care services are in crisis because Government funding is insufficient to maintain high quality care. The quality of care is therefore declining. La Trobe University has estimated underfunding of up to $158.6 million over the last three years.

The 160 Anglican aged care homes around Australia report that current funding levels bear no direct relationship to the actual costs of providing adequate care. Their CEO’s say that the decline in funding undermines their ability to maintain, let alone improve, the quality of care at a time of rising demand for aged care services.

There is also a serious shortage of skilled staff available to provide high quality care. The ever-increasing lack of trained nurses and other staff who are prepared to work in residential aged care facilities has reached a crisis point. They are underpaid, with some earning up to 25% less than their colleagues in general hospitals. Appropriately skilled and motivated staff are essential to the provision of quality care for older Australians who are in need of nursing home care.

The Coalition’s election promise of $100 million in additional capital funding for small aged care homes in rural, remote and urban-fringe areas is welcome, as is its commitment to provide more funds to enable the pay and conditions of aged care workers to be improved. We call on the Government to implement these initiatives urgently.

Social Housing

All Australians have a fundamental right to adequate and affordable housing. Housing is essential to people’s health and wellbeing, and their participation in the economic and social life of the community. Yet homelessness in Australia is rising, in part due to the lack of affordable housing.

There is an urgent need to increase Federal and State funding and private sector investment in affordable housing. We call on the new Government to begin negotiations immediately for the next Commonwealth State Housing Agreement (CSHA) due to be agreed by July 2002. A new commitment is needed urgently to increase public and community housing through capital grants, thereby reducing the unacceptable number of households who cannot afford housing.

Reducing Unemployment

Increasing employment must be a top priority for the new Federal Government. Inequality in Australia has risen over the past decade and the lack of full-time jobs is a key factor in increasing levels of disadvantage and poverty. .

Between one and two million jobless Australians need meaningful work and an adequate income. They also need training and skills to get jobs in the changing labour market. The unemployment rate for indigenous and younger Australians is estimated to be 26%, more than three times the rate for the whole community.

We call on the new Government to give priority to boosting expenditure in education and training, health, and community services– all labour-intensive areas where increased expenditure will significantly increase job opportunities. A meaningful job that pays a living wage is the key to eliminating poverty and providing security for Australian families.

Schools

Australia’s future will in large part be determined by the quality of education available to our children. Seventy percent of Australian children attend public schools, yet insufficient resourcing of government schools is reducing the quality of education for these Australian children.

The Government’s decision to direct additional recurrent funding to private schools serving Australia’s most affluent communities has not only aggravated divisions within the community but also undermined the potential of education to create a more just and fair Australia.

The same system of determining Federal recurrent funding may force our newer, low-fee Anglican schools, established to serve developing areas, to raise their fees. Clearly, the whole arrangement needs to be reviewed.

Reconciliation

Regrettably, little attention was given to reconciliation during the recent Federal election campaign. Yet we see evidence every day that the people of Australia respond with generosity and care when they understand the need for reconciliation.

In this context, we are mindful of the contribution that practical measures can make to the cause of reconciliation- such as concerted efforts to tackle poverty, violence and poor health among indigenous Australians. Government initiatives in these critical areas are to be applauded, although much more needs to be done.

Aboriginal and Islander Australians in particular, supported by millions of their fellow Australians, look to their national leaders for generosity of spirit in the quest for national reconciliation.

The newly-elected Federal Government might demonstrate its commitment to reconciliation- and its capacity for leadership- by reconsidering its attitude to a symbolically significant statement of apology.