But first, because I simply couldn't stomach agreeing twice in one day with the Liberal party/Council bloc that runs Mt Gambier, after yesterday agreeing with Liberal Federal candidate and former City Councillor Tony Pasin, today I concur with Mayor Steve Perryman's observation in The Border Watch Thursday 8th August 2013 (attached).
He states that both he and the then Grant District Council Mayor and now local Member of the House of Assembly (Lower House) Don Pegler, both took 'Leaves of Absence', 'Stood Aside', whatev's, from their Mayoral positions whilst campaigning for the 2010 state election.
This letter 08/08/2013 is in response to comments by current Grant District Council Mayor and alleged Independent candidate for the Seat of Barker Richard Sage, that he intends to continue as Mayor whilst campaigning for the federal election, and that this is appropriate because it is what Perryman and Pegler did at the 2010 state election.
Personally, I believed that both Perryman and Pegler should have resigned their 'Mayorships' once they had made the commitment to state politics and that this 'Leave of Absence' business was just having a bet each way that showed a lack of genuine commitment...they didn't risk anything because an unsuccessful campaign meant just sliding back into local politics, which is exactly what happened...and in Mt Gambier's case, left us with a rejected Liberal candidate at the helm...not good...
Homelessness was brought into sharp focus for me earlier this week when I was at a bakery and saw a bloke coming along the street wearing thongs (flip flops) and wrapped in dirty blankets...his feet were black with dirt...he had clearly been 'sleeping rough' somewhere nearby.
It was about 7.30am, very cold, wet, and generally miserable and this bloke had been sleeping out in that all night...although I am aware that a number of people in Mt Gambier 'couch surf' or are in temporary supported accommodation, etc, he is the first 'rough sleeper' I have seen in 15 years of living here...
I offered to buy him breakfast, a pie and such, and he politely declined and came into the bakery and bought himself some stuff...
It was only relatively recently that I came to understand that, by the officially recognised definitions, I had been 'Homeless' at various times across the early/mid 90's and then for an extended period of about 6 years when I first moved to Mt Gambier...
As per previous posts, from early 1997 to late 1998 I was working part-time in Adelaide and commuting weekly to Mt Gambier, sometimes twice per week. I'd work 'til one or two in the morning and then sleep in my courier van in friend's driveways, or occasionally on someone's floor, etc, and at this end, sleeping in my van at the Caravan Pk.
A couple of times I slept in my van in a back street of Glenelg, or drove as far as the Coorong and then camped in my car, completing the journey in the morning.
Then when I moved down here full-time in late 1998 I lived at the Caravan Pk for 3 1/2 years (in my own small caravan), then in someones shed/granny flat, then another fairly scummy flat, and then from there to my fabulous current Housing Trust residence where I have been for just over 10 years...it is far and away the longest time I have been at one residence and I consider it my home...
I took this place without seeing it, and was absolutely stunned when I got here...big kitchen that's a bit old and tatty but 3 bedrooms, polished pine floors, a bath, and two toilets...two...and a small yard out the back...to 98%+ of the population of the planet it's a bloody palace...and when stuff breaks the Housing Trust fix it...luxury...but you try to tell the kids of today that and they just won't believe ya'.
It is a constant source of dis-ease and even guilt for me when I hear of families sleeping in their cars, etc, and I have this place to myself...but it's all relative...when I 'left' Adelaide I was working full-time and had a house deposit in the bank...now I am 'long-term unemployed', on the Disability Support Pension, in a Housing Trust property, and cannot imagine that I will ever own my own house...
But I digress; at no time did I consider myself to be homeless because my definition of homelessness was someone 'sleeping rough' in the Parklands, someone who was out in the weather, etc, and I always had a floor somewhere, or was house sitting, or had my courier van with a proper camping mattress, etc.
I loved living at the Caravan Pk because it was/is such a beautiful place, so even by the official definition I don't really consider this to be 'homelessness'...
It never occurred to me at anytime that I was 'vulnerable' or 'at risk', but it is true that I was sort of at that edge looking over...'there but for the grace of god', I believe is the saying...
I feel it (addressing homelessness) is something that I have wanted to involve myself in but have lost sight of, along with so many other things, because of the overwhelming totality of the St Martins Child Abuse Cover-up and the effect that this has had on me personally.
So I attended the semi-official function in the Cave Gardens yesterday and spoke to several people about my experience, and was asked to share it with others as being a classic example of the many types of 'homelessness' that are relatively 'under-recognised'.
I don't know how to specifically address/define situations like the 'Town Camps' around Alice Springs, Darwin, etc, but I would also say that this is homelessness, and to a degree that I have not experienced.
And some people choose to move from community to community, and some have to, etc, and these are to me all degrees of homelessness but I would have to defer to the person involved as to how they feel about it.
We are Australia, and we recognise just how good we have it and we give half a damn about those less fortunate and we do what we can...at least, that's the Australia I want to be a part of.
Personally, I find attending these 'semi-official' outdoor functions to be a great way of addressing Agorophobia and Anxiety issues in a context where I feel I should attend, eg, NAIDOC Week functions, Mental Health Forums, etc, and is one of a number of strategies that I have utilised over the last few years to go 'around' them (A and A)...I can stand off to one side and walk away if I feel like it...
When attending more formal occasions, eg Council's Budget Consultation meetings, etc, I sit near the door and/or at the end of the seating and allow myself the right to just get up and walk out...and for me that works...deciding to allow myself this 'walk out' option before going into the meeting, greatly reduces and even negates the Anxiety of having that 'feeling' come on mid-meeting...
Apart from that, I know going into those Council meetings that I will be met with hatred and abuse, and that makes it somewhat easier to deal with...getting yelled at in the supermarket by Lutheran employees is the sort of thing that is more difficult to address...
These strategies work quite well for me, but I am not a Health and/or Social Care Professional, and if you have issues please access appropriate professional services/providers.
Also, yesterday I cracked wise about 'declaring a cup of coffee' but I forgot to tell the joke that goes with it, namely the farcical front page coverage in The Border Watch several years ago about then MP Rory McEwen accepting and/or not declaring a cup of coffee.
I say farcical because of all the things that Rory should be held to account for, eg, his central role in covering up the Child Abuse at St Martins Lutheran School (previous posts), TBW went with 'a cup of coffee and a scone'...what a joke...and an intimate illustration of the very cosy relationship between TBW and Rory.
Tomorrow: The Candidate Review
Sorry for not fitting this in today, but I wanted to give the Candidates a full post.
I am Nick Fletcher and this is my blog...laters...
*Ed is on long-service leave today, but will return tomorrow.*
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