While I appreciate it won't be a popular opinion I want to acknowledge the difficult decisions council and Wangaratta councillors are currently having to make in order to contain spending while preserving council's core services. Obviously the most recent of those is aged care services. As a community we have become way too comfortable at living beyond our means and particularly expecting that governments at all level can simply borrow to fund service and asset delivery beyond the scope of rates or taxation income. The bill always eventually arrives either in the form of higher taxes and/or rates. Where council is simply competing with or duplicating services already available within the region exiting this one is an obvious move acknowledging that it is and always has been easier to spend money than to cut spending. There is no question such service providers exist already locally. Sadly, the days of being a councillor to make popular spending outlays are probably over - if they ever existed. The bills are arriving and the hard decisions are just starting. For those in our community that question this they need look no further than Albury City Council. While we are currently lucky to be shielded by a rate cap, the Albury Council is facing the highly indigestible prospect of stomaching a 42pc rise in rates and a reduction to services. Quick-Eze anyone? Angus Calder, Milawa Criticism of Victorian magistrates can be justified I read, as a humble former Registered Legal Practitioner in both NSW and Victoria also appearing in Federal Jurisdiction matters in Queensland courts and having had clients in Tasmania, The Northern Territory, Western Australia and South Australia, the mind blowing humbug of a man styling himself as ‘Australian Judicial Officers Association, President” and being also, but in the article unproclaimed, is also a Judge of that august institution, The Victorian Supreme Court. He criticised Angus Taylor’s criticism of a magistrate in Victoria who released on bail a perpetrator of an outrageous murderous attack, but not actual murder, because the Magistrate held that ‘exceptional circumstances’ existed justifying releasing the miscreant onto the streets after his obligation of considering first, that the offender was entitled to the presumption of innocence. Bearing in mind the evidence of identity and surrounding facts already released clearly necessitated a remand in custody. But, the above referred to necessity to apply the presumption of innocence whilst assessing the likelihood of reoffending which should be part of the assessment whether an accused ought to be granted bail or not is only creating a get out of gaol free card in the hands of leftist jurists. Now, one can only assume the above referred to barracker for jurists, is a leftist because he was promoted as a Supreme Court candidate by then ALP Attorney General, Martin Pakula, an occasional resident of Cheshunt, as “‘my best mate”. All criminal laws have been consistently amended by the ALP in government for 24 of the last 28 years. Always in favour of miscreants as it suits their political agenda. Jamie Fisher, Cheshunt Action needed now as Australia's homelessness crisis worsens This National Homelessness Week, 3-9 August, the St Vincent de Paul Society is urging the Australian Government to act on this year's theme, Homelessness Action Now, by recognising housing as a fundamental human right and making it a national priority. Every night, more than 122,000 Australians are without a home. Across the country, an average of 350 people are turned away from homelessness accommodation every day because the services they need simply do not have the capacity to respond. No one should be turned away when they have nowhere safe to sleep. Homelessness is not a personal failure; it is a policy failure. The theme of this week could not be clearer: Australians want homelessness action now because we overwhelming believe everyone deserves a safe, secure and affordable place to live.” The society is calling on the Australian Government to take three immediate steps: 1. Treat housing as a human right. The society continues to call for housing to be recognised as a human right and for the National Housing and Homelessness Plan to be legislated. 2. Expand social and affordable housing. The society is calling for investment strategies to restore social and affordable housing to at least 6 per cent of total housing stock within a decade, and to 10 per cent over the longer term. 3. Fund specialist homelessness services properly. The society is calling for specialist homelessness services to be funded to $670 million per year. Our experience and research reveals that too many people are just one life event away from housing stress — losing a job, falling ill, ending a relationship, or experiencing family and domestic violence. All these pathways cost the state more money to remedy. It is shameful that a single person on JobSeeker cannot afford to rent anywhere in Australia. This is the reality behind the numbers, and it demands urgent national action.” The Society provides a range of housing and accommodation services in every state and territory, which may include short-term crisis accommodation, transitional housing, medium to longer-term community housing, accessible housing for people living with disability, and homelessness services. This National Homelessness Week, we are asking the government to match its rhetoric with resources. Australians overwhelmingly believe everyone deserves a decent life. Treating housing as a human right and funding the services and stock to make that right real, is where action must begin. Mark Gaetani, St Vincent de Paul Society national president
