Learn from the best

July 30, 2026

Any sane and non-ideologically blinkered country would seek out the best performers in any area and look to learn from those. Sadly that is not the case in Australia as any possible solution must first pass a test of ideological acceptability. Thus the success of certain countries in virtually eliminating homelessness are ignored if their political system is deemed to be ideologically unacceptable.

That is certainly the case with China, which has not only raised nearly 900 million of its population out of absolute poverty, but has also virtually eliminated homelessness.

A government that was actually concerned about achieving the same result would ignore those ideological blinders and use the same or similar practices to meet the needs of its population. Not for Australia, as that would mean recognising that the private sector has failed miserably in meeting those needs. Even a supposedly Labor government is held fast by the belief that the private sector solves all problems and all government has to do is get out of the way.

Interestingly, it was the war-time Labor government that created a national Housing Commission and largely eliminated homelessness. But that was before ideological blinders overtook modern Labor!!