Today, Jesuit Social Services CEO Julie Edwards, will present at the public hearings of The People’s Inquiry into Privatisation in Australia.
The People’s Inquiry provides a welcome opportunity to engage in a broader conversation about the issue of privatisation and the role of government in service delivery, what kind of public services our community needs, and ultimately, what kind of society we want to live in. In particular, we need to explore the impact of privatisation on vulnerable populations in the community, especially regional and remote communities.
Strong democracies, like Australia, rely on a dynamic interplay between community service organisations, broader civil society and government to continually develop and improve our collective responses to complex social problems.
“Human services are vital in creating a more just society from the big picture – developing cohesive communities – to the small picture that allows individuals to flourish,” says Ms Edwards.
“We know that effective human services work to strengthen the social fabric of our communities. Jesuit Social Services has contributed to this for almost 40 years by working with the most marginalized members of society.
“Jesuit Social Services’ work is effective because it has relationships with people and communities at its heart. We and other community organisations work with people to help them reach their goals and aspirations. A shift in the landscape towards a competitive market would be extremely challenging for community organisations who would divert valuable resources towards competing in a crowded market.”
