RSS Feed
September 21st, 2011 
FAKE NEWS for the Zionist agenda
THE Barnett government has been accused of cruelty for providing only 30 extra beds for the homeless during the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Perth next month.
The Department of Child Protection estimates almost 2400 people a night sleep rough across Western Australia, while 133 were sleeping on inner Perth streets on census night in 2006.
The government met homeless service providers to determine what impact CHOGM would have, and provided an extra $112,000 for 24-hour accommodation and other services in the city.
This will allow Uniting Care’s Tranby drop-in centre in East Perth to provide meals for an extra 70 people and beds for 30 people displaced by CHOGM.
Premier Colin Barnett said yesterday his government had done a lot to address homelessness but it was not a severe problem in Perth. “No matter how many shelters are built or provided, there will always be in any society a group of people who for whatever reason choose to live that type of lifestyle,” he said.
Start of sidebar. Skip to end of sidebar.
End of sidebar. Return to start of sidebar.
But the opposition’s Sue Ellery said the government’s approach to homelessness during CHOGM was mainly about “getting people off the streets and out of sight of visiting dignitaries”.
“It’s cruel,” Ms Ellery said. “You’re saying to people, ‘We’ll help you deal with your mental health issues tonight, but don’t come back in two nights’ time, because we won’t be here’.”
Francis Lynch, chief executive of Ruah Community Services, said extra accommodation was needed over the long term.
“It’s an ironic response, in the sense that the issues, the needs of these people, are going to be there before, during and after the event,” Mr Lynch said.
The government stressed the restricted areas within Perth for CHOGM, on October 28-30, were minimal and said it expected people seeking crisis accommodation in the city would be able to access it as normal.
The WA Council of Social Services did not expect CHOGM to have a major impact on the homeless. “Some of the street closures, which will be temporary, may be intimidating for people used to moving through the city freely to access services, particularly people who might experience mental health issues.”
Related posts:
Views: 0
Posted in 
Tags: 
