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INFORM-A^CTION

Issue Number 34 - September 2000

The Growing Gap

What vision do you have for the future of Australia? The gap between those doing well from the current economic prosperity and those just struggling to maintain a decent standard of living has been growing wider for many years now. Should this be allowed to continue and erode the values of 'fairness' and 'the fair go' that have been part of our Australian way of life?

In response, the Social Action Office has initiated a campaign in the lead-up to the 2001 Federal Election. The campaign will focus on challenging both sitting members and candidates about this growing gap and will put pressure on them to work towards a more equitable society. The foundational values of the Gospel and Catholic Social Teaching call everyone to live and work in such a way that the goods of the world are meant for all.

The three Federal policy areas that are of greatest concern and that will be focused on are:

The Commonwealth's commitment to the provision of public housing;
The living wage;
Welfare reform.

These are the policies we are focusing on and which the Briefing Note Fair Go - Fair Share addresses. There is a need to put pressure on politicians regarding these issues, as they are the ones that impact most heavily on the poorest in our society. It is important to organise well and network so as to maximise the effectiveness of such a campaign.

The campaign will specifically target marginal seats but the strategies can be used by anyone in any electorate.

Several organising meetings have been held. At the last meeting at Justice Place there was a significant increase in the number of Religious from two marginal electorates in the Brisbane region - Moreton and Petrie. This is heartening and indicates some measure of interest in working towards a more just and equitable society. There is still a long way to go though in rousing greater interest and commitment. The invitation to these meetings also went to parish social justice contacts and groups and there has been a keen interest from the Aspley and Zillmere Parishes. People in these parishes will concentrate on the electorates of Lilley and Petrie. Lilley electorate is 31% Catholic and has a very large number of religious living in it as well so hopefully interest in the campaign will surface there.

A joint meeting to introduce people to Coralie Kingston's Briefing Note Fair Go - Fair Share (formerly named The Growing Gap and Beneath the Bottom Line) will be held at St Dympna's Aspley on 18 October at 7.30pm. A proposed gathering of religious who live in the Moreton electorate - the Moreton Muster - is scheduled for Monday 13 November. Some links have been made interstate and particularly with a similar campaign in Victoria.

Please contact the Social Action Office for more information on the campaign. The Briefing Note Fair Go - Fair Share (originally named The Growing Gap) is available online.

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		INFORM-A^CTION Issue Number 34 - September 2000 The Growing Gap What vision do you have for the future of Australia? The gap between those doing well from the current economic prosperity and those just struggling to maintain a decent standard of living has been growing wider for many years now. Should this be allowed to continue and erode the values of 'fairness' and 'the fair go' that have been part of our Australian way of life? In response, the Social Action Office has initiated a campaign in the lead-up to the 2001 Federal Election. The campaign will focus on challenging both sitting members and candidates about this growing gap and will put pressure on them to work towards a more equitable society. The foundational values of the Gospel and Catholic Social Teaching call everyone to live and work in such a way that the goods of the world are meant for all. The three Federal policy areas that are of greatest concern and that will be focused on are: The Commonwealth's commitment to the provision of public housing; The living wage; Welfare reform. These are the policies we are focusing on and which the Briefing Note Fair Go - Fair Share addresses. There is a need to put pressure on politicians regarding these issues, as they are the ones that impact most heavily on the poorest in our society. It is important to organise well and network so as to maximise the effectiveness of such a campaign. The campaign will specifically target marginal seats but the strategies can be used by anyone in any electorate. Several organising meetings have been held. At the last meeting at Justice Place there was a significant increase in the number of Religious from two marginal electorates in the Brisbane region - Moreton and Petrie. This is heartening and indicates some measure of interest in working towards a more just and equitable society. There is still a long way to go though in rousing greater interest and commitment. The invitation to these meetings also went to parish social justice contacts and groups and there has been a keen interest from the Aspley and Zillmere Parishes. People in these parishes will concentrate on the electorates of Lilley and Petrie. Lilley electorate is 31% Catholic and has a very large number of religious living in it as well so hopefully interest in the campaign will surface there. A joint meeting to introduce people to Coralie Kingston's Briefing Note Fair Go - Fair Share (formerly named The Growing Gap and Beneath the Bottom Line) will be held at St Dympna's Aspley on 18 October at 7.30pm. A proposed gathering of religious who live in the Moreton electorate - the Moreton Muster - is scheduled for Monday 13 November. Some links have been made interstate and particularly with a similar campaign in Victoria. Please contact the Social Action Office for more information on the campaign. The Briefing Note Fair Go - Fair Share (originally named The Growing Gap) is available online. Next Article Newsletter Index