Prime Minister Moves On Homelessness
29 January 2008 at 3:00 pm
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has commissioned a White Paper report into the increasing problem of homelessness in Australia, calling on the head of the Brotherhood of St Laurence to head an inquiry committee.
Government figures suggest that there are more than 100,000 homeless people in Australia and one any given night more than 14,000 people are sleeping ‘rough’.
Kevin Rudd said in commissioning the White Paper that this growing trend is something you can either push aside and sweep under the carpet or you can say it is ‘dead wrong’ and do something about it.
He said it is something that a country as wealthy as ours in the 21st century just can’t ignore.
The White paper is expected to be a policy document canvassing long term options to reduce the growing number of homeless.
The Executive Director of BSL, Tony Nicholson will chair the White Paper Committee which has until August to prepare its report.
Nicholson told ABC Radio that homelessness presented a major challenge for the Commonwealth and States to forge a collaborative partnership to tackle the issue.
