Australia

TODAY NSW Community Services Minister Pru Goward announced the imposition of a ‘bed tax’ on public housing tenants with a ‘spare’ bedroom.

This is part of an ongoing process of harassment and displacement of long term public housing tenants as the NSW government attempts to shift housing responsibility onto the non-government and private sectors.

Why should public housing tenants be forced to move out of homes they have occupied for years, sometimes decades, and into smaller accommodation, which may not have been as well maintained as their own homes.

Newsletter date: 1 July 2013

Contents:

* CAAMA: What does a change of PM mean for Aboriginal people? [Featuring Michael Mansell]
* NITV News: Warren Mundine welcomes Rudd's return
* Gerry Georgatos, The Stringer: The downfall of Prime Minister Gillard began with broken promises about the Intervention

* Living Black's Marc Tong interviews Sylvie Ellsmore: Local Council Says No to Income Management

* Background to the Northern Territory (NT) Intervention
* Background to 'Stronger Futures' new NT Intervention laws

While Kevin Rudd was in the media yesterday committing his ‘in-principle’ support to increase Newstart and help single parents, the Government and Tony Abbott’s coalition joined together on the same day to vote down a motion calling for a $50 per week increase to Newstart.

Once again the Australian Greens were the only party taking a stand on the floor of Parliament – where actions speak louder than words.

- The following article has been republished on a number of sites in various formats, originally from various versions on The Stringer and in The National Indigenous Times. - Gerry Georgatos' investigations reveal the beginning of the end for Julia Gillard as Australia’s Prime Minister started with the revelations of the involvement of the Office of the Prime Minister to use the 40th anniversary Aboriginal Tent Embassy celebrations to wedge Opposition Leader, Tony Abbott. Gerry broke the story nationally that parliamentary staffer, Tony Hodges did not act alone.