Editorial
It’s difficult to think of an issue in the ACT that is more widespread and more keenly felt than poverty, so it is appropriate that the election falls on Anti-Poverty Week. The experience of poverty is responsible for much of Canberra’s suffering, and it reduces the human potential and contribution people can make to our community. Today, parents […]
In the midst of a housing crisis, a focus of policy debate has been “location, location, location.” It is important that this does not distract from the main objective of ensuring everyone has safe, affordable housing, and that means rapidly expanding the stock of social housing. It is a numbers game. This is especially important […]
The stakes could hardly be higher for this ACT election, but you might not know it listening to many political parties and candidates. Global and national forces are ratcheting up the financial pressure on households, with an unprecedented growth of the working poor in the territory. A fundamental challenge this election is preventing the lower […]
Locals know that beneath the capital’s shiny exterior, many Canberrans are doing it tough, but even many locals are unaware of the level of crisis faced by some in our community. To make matters worse, many community service organisations that ensure people in need are fed, have enough warm clothes, and stay safe are at […]
As the ACT’s election season gets underway, it is important to think about the process of the election, and what the ACT needs from this process. The election can be a contest of bold ideas about the sort of society we want, or a series of largely unsubstantiated assertions about which party can deliver city […]
For an alarming proportion of Canberrans, securing and keeping appropriate housing is a struggle that is too often unsuccessful. A quarter of a century ago, young adults worried about whether they could afford to buy a house, but for many that concern is now about whether they can afford to rent an apartment. A growing number […]
Earlier this week, my children witnessed a man hastily push a trolley loaded with groceries out of Woolworths, skipping payment at self-checkout. While no one in my family had seen anything similar before a couple of years ago, it is now a semi-regular occurrence. I’ve been wrestling with how to help my kids interpret this. […]
The golden period between Christmas and New Year’s Day has traditionally been a time when Australians relaxed and recharged for the year ahead. As climate change worsens, this period of respite will be viewed differently by today’s children, who will come to associate it with predictably unpredictable extreme weather events. This year, many in Queensland were […]
There is growing understanding about the depth and extent of the Australian cost-of-living crisis, which is driving thousands of working families into poverty. It is less well appreciated that the most dramatic effects of the crisis will be in permanently remaking economic and social relationships across communities, driving and solidifying inequality. Without decisive government intervention, […]
The non-profit community sector plays an essential role in helping people and families affected by gambling harms to rebuild their lives. Harms from gambling add to the workload of a wide range of services provided by the community sector. The community sector is stretched to the breaking point by these gambling harms. To the ACT […]