SHAME ON POLITICS IN AUSTRALIA THAT THE PRIVATISATION OF PUBLIC HOUSING, AND THE QUESTIONS THAT NEED TO BE ASKED IN THE PUBLIC INTEREST, ARE OMITTED FROM THE PRE-FEDERAL ELECTION AGENDA.
THERE IS SO MUCH POLITICAL COLLUSION RE THIS .. MAYBE AN INDEPENDENT WILL RAISE THE ISSUE IN THE PUBLIC INTEREST ?? THAT'S WHY WE NEED INDEPENDENT POLITICIANS.
SOME PEOPLE THINK THAT 'SOCIAL AND COMMUNITY' HOUSING IS ALL ABOUT LITTLE CHURCH GROUPS AND SMALL STRUGGLING 'NOT-FOR-PROFITS' ORGANISATIONS.
WAKE UP AND SMELL THE COFFEE...
WE NOW HAVE 'STOCK TRANSFER' EXPERTS INVITED TO CONFERENCES AND MEETINGS IN AUSTRALIA TO SHOW BIG BUSINESS INTERESTS HOW ITS DONE!
WITH SO MUCH HEARTBREAKING HOMELESSNESS ALREADY ON THE RISE - IT IS REPREHENSIBLE THAT THERE IS NO REAL DEBATE REGARDING SUCH AN IRREVERSIBLE COURSE OF ACTION.
Article 1 BARONESS MARGARET FORD - Stock Transfer of Public Housing is vital to Sydney - Feb 2016
Attending a lunch hosted by the Committee for Sydney, Baroness Margaret Ford whose 'defining moment in her career was
achieving the transfer of 65,000 public housing dwellings to community
housing associations in Scotland' said that 'making the argument for stock
transfer was tough – but we were assisted in the process because the
Government understood the opportunity this would deliver.'
Read more- http://www.sydney.org.au/baroness-margaret-ford/
Who is the Committee for Sydney?
http://www.sydney.org.au/
Titles such as 'baroness' remind me of Tony Abbott's reintroduction of 'lords' and 'ladies' in Australia although awarding these titles had been scrapped twice by Labor as anachronistic and not egalitarian.
The old Tory ideology is very much a part of the Liberal ethos. The trouble is, as I see it, we have no real opposition anymore - no genuine mainstream left-wing government to speak of in Australia.
The Greens - the ALP ? Everything's moving to the Right .. And we are seeing the creation of an under-class in Australia thanks to these stupid housing policies.
Article 2
In the absence of any vigorous counter-argument here, let's look at the excellent newspaper, the UK GUARDIAN. We can learn a lot about how the privatisation of council ( public ) housing has played out in the UK.
In the article below, some confusing terms -
'Social housing' in the UK is sometimes used as a generic term for housing that is meant to be affordable and suitable for low-income people.The UK term for Public Housing is Council Housing.
extracts from
'Privatising UK Social Housing won't work-Just look at Europe' 'why we must fight tootha nd claw against social housing sell-off'
by Dawn Foster- Nov 2015
'The government is putting its faith in the market to solve our
housing crisis. But many European countries have already done so and
regret it.'
'During the 1990s, central and eastern
European countries embraced the free market route.'
'Germany is often held up as a model for social housing privatisation, but the move has seen an increase in unaffordable housing.'
Its 'public housing was sold to international investors, such as
Deutsche Annington, and Vonovia, Cerberus, Fortress and commercial
banks. The sale and resale of the same properties on the market ended in
a race for profits and an increase in housing prices. There are a
million fewer social dwellings than there were prior to privatisation.'
The Australian Greens-Federal election 2016 The Australian Greens refused to commit to Public Housing in the 2016 election. Their policy was to construct 200,000 "affordable homes", BUT didnt say how much for Public Housing and how much for Housing Associations. Their policy says nothing about opposing give-aways of Public Housing to Housing Associations.
2/3 of the money for the construction will be direct from the taxpayer, to be matched by State Governments or Housing Associations.
They other 1/3 will be from loans from the public and big investors. and they will lend money at zero interest, but pay up to 6% to the lenders, tax free.
So, a massive loophole for the Housing Associations to exploit, and lots of cheap money for them, and tax free gains for the rich moneylenders, financed by the taxpayer.
Senator Scott Ludlam is responsible for this.
Even prospective Senator Derryn Hinch opposed the give away of Public Housing.
The Australian Greens renters policy is poor, like the rest of their housing policy. It talks about providing security, reasonable rents, and comfort, but will only give specific commitments to fund Landlords ! and Tenancy Advocacy Groups.
Again, Senator Scott Ludlam is responsible for this.
It's perhaps not surprising that a Baroness called Margaret would take pride in transferring vast quantities of public housing to private interests.
ReplyDeleteShe's carrying on the tradition of Baroness Margaret Thatcher - the archetypal privatiser.
LOL- didnt think of that
ReplyDeleteThe Australian Greens-Federal election 2016
ReplyDeleteThe Australian Greens refused to commit to Public Housing in the 2016 election. Their policy was to construct 200,000 "affordable homes", BUT didnt say how much for Public Housing and how much for Housing Associations. Their policy says nothing about opposing give-aways of Public Housing to Housing Associations.
2/3 of the money for the construction will be direct from the taxpayer, to be matched by State Governments or Housing Associations.
They other 1/3 will be from loans from the public and big investors. and they will lend money at zero interest, but pay up to 6% to the lenders, tax free.
So, a massive loophole for the Housing Associations to exploit, and lots of cheap money for them, and tax free gains for the rich moneylenders, financed by the taxpayer.
Senator Scott Ludlam is responsible for this.
Even prospective Senator Derryn Hinch opposed the give away of Public Housing.
http://greens.org.au/AHFC- -http://greens.org.au/sites/greens.org.au/files/Greens%202016%20-%20Housing%20supply%20bonds%20initiative.pdf- http://greens.org.au/public-and-community-housing- http://greens.org.au/sites/greens.org.au/files/Greens%202016%20-%20Public%20and%20community%20housing%20supply%20boost.pdf
The Australian Greens renters policy is poor, like the rest of their housing policy. It talks about providing security, reasonable rents, and comfort, but will only give specific commitments to fund Landlords ! and Tenancy Advocacy Groups.
ReplyDeleteAgain, Senator Scott Ludlam is responsible for this.
http://greens.org.au/sites/greens.org.au/files/Greens-Initiaitive-Renters-Rights-2016.pdf