Justice the yardstick, not equality

What the debate comes down to is whether Australia’s poor are getting poorer and if the gap between the rich and poor is getting wider. It can be argued that over the past decade the poorest in our society have had some improvement in their standard of living. But it’s also true that those at the other end of the scale are getting even richer and that the gap between the rich and poor is getting bigger and the gap in the middle is shrinking.

Rupert Murdoch called the result an hourglass society with a fat rich upper layer and a large poor bottom demographic with a thinner middle-income grouping. The result is a shift toward a two-tiered society of rich and poor.

Those that want to justify the present set of circumstances will say the poor are not getting poorer in real terms. But in relative terms they are getting poorer and the gap is getting wider.

A society that fosters a polarisation marked by ghettoes of poor suburbs and a shrinking middle class creates enormous social stress and pressure. For that reason measuring poverty in social justice terms is a more significant approach. Social fragmentation undermines the common good as it tends to exacerbate social problems

Two Queensland initiatives are addressing inequality by focusing on social justice. The Queensland Council of Social Service has launched Fair Queensland. Their vision is for government, business and non-profit organisations to give social, economic and environmental issues equal measure.

The UnitingCare Centre for Social Justice is promoting and implementing a Five Point Charter for Social Justice within the UnitingCare agencies in Queensland. It calls for people to relate to each other in a manner that gives dignity, respect and due process. The Charter promotes a commitment to inclusiveness of all sections of society. It also expects access and equity for all. Preferential options for the most disadvantaged is also a priority. And the Charter promotes the common good of all in society and the environment.

The rationale for the Uniting Care Centre for Social Justice and QCOSS Fair Queensland campaign is a straightforward one. Those charged with the delivery of welfare and community services must aim for tangible social justice results which address the needs of the most vulnerable in our society.