10 essentials to make Australia fair

• Graham Currie
• Australian Council of Social Service

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14 June 2007This report details the results of community consultations in all States and Territories and telephone polling on what Australians think are the essentials to make Australia fair.

As Australia experiences a period of economic growth, what impact this change has had on fairness? There is concern around trends that challenge Australia's ideal as the land of the fair go – for example the divide between rich and poor or 'rich poor gap' and the concentration of joblessness and disadvantage in 'poverty postcodes' in rural and outer metropolitan areas.
Ongoing social problems such as homelessness, domestic violence, and the poor standard of living and health of indigenous communities are a human stain on Australia’s economic and cultural prosperity. In responses to ACOSS’s consultation, these concerns were indicated in both general and specific terms with respondents framing their 10 essentials to
make Australia fair as aspirational or as a criticism of contemporary Australian problems such as rising housing prices. The top ten items with the most responses are provided below with a full listing of topics attached as an appendix. The findings of this ranking concurs
with polling data suggesting the particular popularity and concern of Australians about health, housing and education.