Commenting on the story: ‘Human shield’: Ex-Hutt St Centre chief cops flak for budget cuts

I am utterly at a loss to understand any kind of rationale behind cuts to our mainstay homelessness providers, Hutt St Centre, and Catherine House.

These two names are well known, and a first port of call for anyone in a dire situation. 

Being a well known name is vitally important when looking for services if one is in a crisis and where decisions and options need to be found very quickly.

It is completely unreasonable to go to a ‘tendering process’ with all the associated wah that goes along with filling out tender applications and competing for service provision where the lowest cost provider wins a tender for 12 months, then is at risk of losing it all over again, in order to allow the provision of basic services. 

Basic services, and basic rights, provided in our first world city where taxpayer dollars are collected in order to try and assist our society in functioning in a reasonable way. 

Basic services which prevent homelessness, try to counteract the effect of domestic violence, and assist in meeting some of our population meet the most basic of human needs at a time of crisis. 

What is expected of this government is that taxpayer dollars go into already well established and highly respected organisations who do a great job, in order to maximise the services to reduce homelessness at this most difficult of times for women who need somewhere to go to escape unsafe environments, and men and women who need shelter due to a range of reasons to do with poverty and loss.  

I absolutely oppose this decision as a taxpayer. – Geraldine Senior

Commenting on the story: ‘Unprecedented’: Clinicians report 139 people waiting in hospital EDs

Where were these unions when their Labor mates decimated the health system with Transforming Health?

Where were the unions when the Bannon/Arnold Labor government closed down Hillcrest Hospital and then the Weatherill Labor government drastically reduced services at  Glenside.

Remember every reduction in services has repercussions that may last for years or decades, and unfortunately there are still more to come. – Fred Driver