Michael Rowney, Perth

Somewhere between 13% and 17% of Western Australian children live in poverty, Annolies Truman, one of two Socialist Alliance's standing for the Legislative Council's East Metropolitan Region in the February 26 state election, told a forum organised by the WA Council of Social Service in the south-eastern Perth suburb of Gosnells on February 18.

“There are hundreds of children going hungry every day”, Truman said. “At the beginning of each school year, there are children who can't start because their parents can't afford the uniforms and school books.”

Truman told the meeting that the Socialist Alliance not only advocates free education, including public funding of all books, uniforms and excursions, “we also support the introduction of free school lunches”.

“It is no secret that the major parties govern on behalf of big business”, Truman said. “We need a government truly of the people, for the people — a government for human need not corporate greed.”

From Green Left Weekly, February 23, 2005.
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