good evening all,
The paragraph below was lifted from an article in the financial review
of sat 28/11. It is mainly to do with the governments view about the
media, but this bit if true, and everything howard has said and done
recently in this area points to it; is pretty scary. Only where he has
had to compromise for political reasons (nursing home fees for instance)
has he done any different.
In Queensland, thanks to our new minister we are moving to an inclusive
system based on human rights, and slowly tracking towards care for those
who are unable to care for themselves as a community obligation through
government. with I hope the vision that care for people with
disabilities will become a right in the not too distant future. Howard
is moving in the exactly opposite direction where care is associated
with charity, where 'attractive' causes get the resources, the less
attractive miss out (childrens hospitals are invariably well endowed -
sick kids are cute - old people's homes miss out)
As a vision it frightens me, as it is entrenching and promoting
inequality. It has the same philosophical base as the belief in a
criminal class in the 19th century. It is a cop-out, and will lead to
beggars in the streets. The spectre of Dickens' Bill Sykes, and Brecht's
Three Penny Opera loom large.
Rgds John
PM bids to head off vision impairment
Canberra Observed, By Louise Dodson
Elite opinion failed to come to terms with plans to reshape the
so-called "nanny" welfare state away from an entitlement mentality"
towards a model based on individual contribution, or "mutual
obligation", Howard believes.
Such a model would involve every tier of society.
Hence corporations would contribute through philanthropy, the young in
work-for-the-dole schemes, the elderly by contributing user charges for
nursing home acommodation, with carers encouraged to look after the old
and sick at home, high income earners by taking out private health
insurance and immigrants by foregoing welfare payments for two years
after arrival.
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