It was American politician Hubert Humphrey who said
It was once said that the moral test of Government is how that Government treats those who are in the dawn of life, the children; those who are in the twilight of life, the elderly; and those who are in the shadows of life, the sick and the needy
I have long felt that this summed up a key aspect of my own political philosophy. The first two categories (children and the elderly) are the focus of much government action, and rightly so. While political parties might disagree on the nature and extent of the work with the very young and old it takes up much of the time of government.
Those who live in the shadows of life are not always so fortunate. People who fall outside the system are often not given the attention they need. This is one reason why I am very pleased to see that my colleague Moana Mackey is leading a call for a parliamentary inquiry into homelessness.
This is a much misunderstood issue. It starts with the definition. It is not just people living under bridges (though there are many of those who need support and assistance). It is people who with a variety of health and social problems find themselves unable to hold down permanant accomodation. They might be alcoholics who”couch surf” from one risky situation to another, they might be mental health consumers who spend time in sub-standard boarding houses or night shelters. They are almost certainly not getting the help they need to address the issues that have driven them to this situation. There is a huge human cost here- but also an economic one, with cost borne by the health sector, police courts and correctional systems and social service agencies.
As a society we do not always want to know about these problems. If we see people living on the street we feel an urge to look away. The recent response to the proposed Wet House in Island Bay in Wellington is a case in point. While the specific proposal may have had some shortcomings, the attitude of many in the community is to want to wish the problem away.
We can’t do that if we want to live in a caring and humane society. We can’t do that if we don’t want to throw millions of dollars at the consequences rather than the causes of issues like homelessness. Last night I attended the 40th anniversary of the Downtown Community Ministry in Wellington. For 40 years they have looked after those who live in the shadows of life. Their work is inspiring and often under the radar. As a wider society we need to acknowledge it, and take steps to ensure we all play a part in responding to the social needs of the most vulnerable in our community.
I think it’s great what Labour are doing. I’ll be more than happy to contribute in tax to make sure the elderly are kept decently.
I feel for the drunkards on very low income who wander the streets and get ridiculed by passers by.
Grant, really glad to see this post. The work of the Ministry is indeed very inspiring but also very practical. They get some of their funding from local and central government. I hope none of this is under threat.
These are compelling concerns, and should be up there alongside economic concerns, rather than contingent upon them.
Grant, you may find Humphrey was embellishing FDR, who said many years before that “The test of our progress is not whether we add more to the abundance of those who have too much – it is whether we provide enough for those who have too little.”
Ironically, it was Labour who started the closing down of all these mental institutions that have contributed to the homeless. Take the ‘liberated’ mental patients out of the equation and you will see a large difference in the numbers.
That said, homelessness is a national concern, especially as the cost of accomodation skyrockets year after year.
It really digusts me how hard it is for people to find accomodation.
In whangarei there are homeless mental patients roaming the streets.Liberated people i dont think so.
[...] my colleague Grant Robertson posted earlier, Labour is hoping to establish an inquiry into homelessness at the social services select [...]