Just recently Friends of Public Housing Victoria worked closely with a refugee group to organise a very successful event. Refugee Rights is an issue we also feel strongly about, since many refugees live in public housing. They are our neighbours. Refugees are an integral part of our wonderful multicultural community.
Before the event, the local newspaper interviewed the convenor of the pro-refugee rights group, who told me later that he wanted the paper to acknowledge FOPHV and our role in helping to organise the event. Although he tried hard to do this, the newspaper refused to include us in the article. WHY?
This sort of thing happens to us often! An online-comment forum will publish post after nasty post of 'bogan-bashing' ( vilification ). When I add a post on behalf of Friends of Public Housing Vic, which is fair and balanced and seeks to debunk some myths, it doesn't see the light of day.
Such is the political climate at the moment. The privatisation of public housing and the planned transfer of 12,000 public housing properties in Victoria is a very hot political issue.
On the 31st of August I attended the Rally at Parliament House with three refugees. Recently arrived in Australia, they had never been to a demonstration before in their lives. It is far too dangerous or simply forbidden to demonstrate in their countries of origin. The experience was an eye-opener for them.
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