The Prime Minister
Hon. John Howard,
Parliament House,
CANBERRA. A.C.T.

25th May, 2005

Dear Prime Minister

In St. Petersburg, Russia,   Professor Leo Semashko   is working to bring about peace in the world by making children a priority in all spheres of life.

The recent research by Tony Kryger, (Research Note no. 49 2004-05) shows that 9.3 per cent of all Australians are living in poverty. In all states, there are proportionately more children than adults living in poverty. In other words, households deemed to be in poverty tend to have more children living in them than adults. In Gippsland, where I live, there is a 12.5% poverty rate. Your latest budget gives an extra $6 to these people - the average price of two cakes. (If there is no bread give them cake).

The drop out rate from education ensures that poverty will remain. Already you are bringing in 20,000 skilled workers from overseas. The Australian Bureau of Statistics, at August 2004, cites 9,615 schools in Australia. Of 3,331,964 full time school students, the apparent retention rate for year 7/8 to Year 12 was 75.5%. The Report of the New south Wales Chief Health Officer, Social Determinants says that "the estimated life time cost to Australia of each early school leavers is $74,000. The year 12 retention rate in NSW was 70.5% in 2003. The drop out rate at the top of the school year sometimes is misleading. The Victorian Government post that "For the year 2002, 25% of Victorian Government Schools had an absenteeism rate peaking at an average of 20.54 days per student in Year 9. This absenteeism includes truancy, school refusal, school withdrawal, early leaving (which refers to absences by children under 15 who drop out of school before completing their compulsory schooling.)

I ask you to discuss with your Cabinet the plight of the poor in Australia, and the remedy - that of making children a priority. Perhaps you should also include in your discussion your policies of allowing high pollution levels in Australia which severely restrict work opportunities. If there is no rain there are no farms, if pollution envelopes our lakes we have no fish. Professor Bernard Phillips of the Sociological Imagination Group in the USA sees the world as suffering from alienation, anomie and addiction. You can begin to change this by making children a priority in Australia, who will be healthy, secure and value other people, as you have valued them.

Sincerely,
HILARIE ROSEMAN

Cc Hon. T. Abbot, Hon P. Costello, Hon. K. Beasley, Hon. K.Rudd, Hon. S.Bracks, Hon. C. Ingram, Archbishop K. Hart, Cardinal G. Pell, L. Dent, Dept of Human Services, Traralgon, Professor Leo Semashko, Professor Bernard Phillips