Editorial: Vanishing dream

Sydney
27 April 2003

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Editorial: Vanishing dream

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Editorial: Vanishing dream

Not so long ago Australia was viewed as something of a land of milk and honey. Poor Europeans from Britain and, later, Italy and Greece flocked here.

And it wasn’t the beach they craved. It was a house, a house all of their very own, a dream house with a proper bathroom, enough bedrooms and a backyard for the kids. Most important of all, they owned it. And they didn’t need a private fortune to buy their modest dream either. Now they do.

A home of their own is still the dream of poor people everywhere. It is also a dream that many Australians on low to middle incomes can no longer hope to afford. And, as for other little luxuries like health care and dentistry? Forget it.

This is Australia 2003: the face of the new poverty afflicting increasing numbers of Australians, many of whom have reasonable jobs but just happen to be in the bottom 40 per cent of income earners, which means that for them the basics have become unaffordable luxuries.

Not only can they not afford a home, but they have seen their health care costs almost double in the past 10 years and the cost of educating their kids virtually double this again.

These are the people whose case the St Vincent de Paul Society, along with Catholic Welfare, is presently arguing before the Senate Inquiry into Poverty and Financial Hardship.

But, let us stay with our newly out-of-reach dream for a moment, because it illustrates the reality behind Vinnies’ submission. This reality not only includes renting forevermore - often in scrunched-up apartments with nowhere for the children to play - just like the European ‘homes’ their ancestors left behind.

It also increasingly includes poor health and teeth, as the Federal Government scales back on Medicare. It is poised now to virtually do away with free doctor visits.

And, as for dentistry, the face of poverty already comes with rotten teeth for some. Just like it used to in Europe.

Vinnies says we face US-style poverty unless government addresses growing income inequity.

It says the trickle-down economics has failed elsewhere. So why should it succeed here? The reality of ‘trickle-down’ is, in fact, ‘trickle-up’, says Vinnies. And the wealth statistics prove this, with 60 per cent of Australian wealth now being held by just 20 per cent of the population. At the same time around three million Australians now live in poverty.

Man and woman may not live by bread, but they still need bread - and a home and money to pay the doctor’s bill when they fall sick.