Catholic social justice, welfare groups issue NSW election kit

Sydney
16 February 2003

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Catholic social justice, welfare groups issue NSW election kit

By Chris Lindsay

A coalition of Catholic social justice, welfare and education groups, NetAct, has launched a kit to give voters information on eight key social issues for the coming state election on March 22.

Called A just vote - not just a vote it is based on the Church's teachings on social justice.

It covers issues relating to asylum seekers and refugees, education, environmental sustainability, health care, housing, indigenous people in NSW, law and order and rural Australia.

The kit presents the principle concerned and the issues being dealt with and suggests options for policy-makers to consider.

It outlines Catholic teaching on social justice, offers guidelines for interviewing members of parliament and candidates for election, includes a full address list for NSW MPs, highlights some key principles relevant to a just society and deals with some current social issues.

The producers of the kit claim it "cuts through the rhetoric of the political candidates and shows where the parties should be on these important issues".

NetAct hopes the kit will be distributed widely and used by many in the community to alert politicians to the concerns of Australians who believe in a 'fair go' for all.

NetAct executive secretary Sr Aileen Crowe said the coalition which produced the kit included Catholic education officers from all over NSW, people from Centacare, social justice personnel from the dioceses, retired religious and academics as well as associated groups such as Friends of the Earth.

"We held meeting after meeting to bring this document together," Sr Aileen said.

"Key people from each of the areas were appointed to oversee the development of the alternatives and the editing committee met a lot."

The new coalition declared in a statement at the launch of the kit: "Democratic processes are being challenged, economic rationalist policies are being questioned, the rights and responsibilities of individuals and communities are being diminished by dehumanising procedures, particularly in the area of communication, and the negative effects of economic globalisation go unchecked. In this context we approach an election in NSW."

NetAct suggests voters use the kit to select the issues that concern them and consider the content offered, make an appointment to visit the sitting member or candidates in their electorate, leave a copy of the kit or specific papers with their MP or candidates and use the papers as a basis for talk-back radio or letter writing.

Copies of the kit are available for $5.50 (including postage) from NetAct, 90 Underwood Rd, Homebush, 2140. (Make cheques out to NetAct.)