Consultation news
Whyalla welcomes Consultation
The Whyalla community seemed to welcome the Consultation with open arms, with the session attracting a diverse group of participants. This ranged from local steelworkers to social work students, representatives of the Catholic Church and the Salvation Army to young unemployed people. The Labor MP for the State seat of Giles, Lyn Breuer also attended, together with other local residents.
As the group was relatively small, participants joined together in a single group discussion. This close-knit style of roundtable meant that our Whyalla session was particularly rewarding, with many well-considered contributions and questions.
Some people had an interest in human rights but wanted more information. A point of significant concern for many participants was the lack of services for people living outside Adelaide. This related particularly to access to health services, but was also extended to concern about the availability of water, including the state of the Murray River.
Issues were also raised about the treatment of asylum seekers in detention centres, with some incredibly interesting and varied opinions on the matter shared. There was also broad support for a charter of rights, as well as other mechanisms to improve the protection of human rights in Australia.
Thank you Whyalla, another rewarding session.
Mary Kostakidis