PERTH, WA: July 6, 1989
Registered by Australia Post Publication No. WAR 0202
Number 2643
POST ADDRESS: PO Box 50, Northbridge, 6000 W.A. LOCATION: 26 John St, Northbridge (east off Fitzgerald St). TELEPHONE: (09) 328 1388
FAX (09) 328 7307
Bishop Hickey, the chairman of the Commission
PRICE 600
Hickey: Do it our way... BISHOP SAYS COMMISSION'S ADVICE WILL HELP BEAT POVERTY PROBLEM "If the government takes the Australian Catholic Social Welfare Commission's advice ( and it probably won't), it will be able to solve Mr Hawke's problem," Bishop Hickey of Geraldton said this week. "Mr Hawke does not want any child to be living in poverty by 1990. We've got the solution
here," Bishop Hickey said prior to the launching of a revised A Fair Go For Families. Bishop Hickey is chairman of the Catholic Commission which first published Fair Go in 1986.
Bishop Hickey said that the Commission's proposals will make families better off economically, save the government the
cost of social security benefits and will make sure children do not have to live in poverty. The Catholic Commission wants the government to work towards full family income splitting for taxation purposes and not just income splitting between spouses. In this proposal, tax thresholds would be set
for a spouse and a further disintegration." threshold set for dependBishop Hickey also ent children. criticised the poverty "It is certain our propos- trap into which many als will cost the govern- families were falling ment money. It will because the taxation and mean less tax from social security systems families but the benefit were overlapping and will be the spin-offs, in crashing into each other. taxpayers "Some savings on social security payments, on family receive social security breakdown payments, benefits, and some beneand the network of ficiaries pay tax. The expenses around family government gives with
one hand and takes with the other. This is costly and ineffective." Bishop Hickey said the family had emerged as t he most important group in society but it had been under attack for the past 10 years. Now, he said, political parties were coming out with family packages and "that's a marvellous reversal of the trend".
"We're looking to help all families, not just the poorest because the social security even they receive is being eroded by inflation. "Pope John Paul told us in Familiaris Consortio to have political lobbies on behalf of families and urged us to get together and put the case for the rights of families." • Fair Go — Pages 3 and 7
thil 'go ahead' It's full steam ahead and target date has been set for 1992, says planning chief
Professor Kiel pictured in front of one of the historic Fremantle commercial buildings that is a preferred site for the Notre Dame University of Australia.
The University of Notre Dame Australia is to go ahead. the making In announcement Archbishop Foley said the State Government will be a pproached for the enabling necessary legislation. The project will then be put to the community to enlist support and generate financial interest in the university. "It's full steam ahead," said Professor Geoffrey Kiel, after the archbishop's announcement. Professor Kiel is planning Vice -Chancellor and Chief Executive of Notre Dame Australia and is on one year's secondment from his position as head of the Graduate School of Management of the University of Queensland. The WA Government's enabling legislation is anticipated in the August session of Parliament
and the university hopes to open its doors to its first students in January 1992, Professor Kiel said. He said that the planning board which held a week of discussions before the announcement, had determined that the university is highly desirable for WA and for the Catholic community in Australia. The board also considers that provided the university can raise the funds for its establishment, it can in the longer term be viable and stand on its own feet without being a drain either on the state or the Catholic community. Professor Kiel admits that a major factor for the university will be the raising of its funds. "All we can say is that it is a huge task never before attempted in Australia but we are at the point where no amount of consideration
will answer the question. "The only way now is to go out into the community and say 'here is the vision and here is what we need to make it happen'." The planners have had to also consider whether there was a real need for the university, whether it could attract students, whether there was support in the Catholic community and in the larger community. A key factor in attracting students, he said, will be an endowment fund to be used to fund students.
and bursaries to students with ability to pursue a further education. Professor Kiel said Notre Dame Australia would not just be for the "leftovers" from enrolments at other institutions. "We very much see this as a university of excellence and will seek to attract its share of the very top students. Also, over the next 10 years, Western Australia is going to need about
double the number of places it has today. "We can look as traditionally to the state to provide those places but Notre Dame Australia there is value also in the would not function like pluralist model of educaother private universities tion, providing both state where places are only schools and independent available to those who universities. can afford it. "In its nature NDA will Although Notre Dame be different from UWA, s tudents would be Curtin and Murdoch expected to pay fees the because of its Catholic endowment fund will ethos, and because of its make loans available and Catholic basis." also offer scholarships • More on page 2.