Two leading Catholic welfare organisations have urged voters to ensure important matters are not sidelined in the political campaign leading up to this year's Federal Election.
Catholic Social Services Australia executive Frank Quinlan said he has found the current election campaign "depressing and frustrating" at a fundamental level, reports The Catholic Weekly.
Voters are entitled to “get as mad as hell” if they feel let down both by their political leaders and the media, Mr Quinlan said.
"Big issues like poverty and equality have barely been dealt with at all," he said. "Minor issues, like who leaked what to whom, lead the news for days on end."
Mr Syd Tutton, National President of the St Vincent de Paul Society in Australia, has urged both sides of politics to focus on the people who have been pushed to the edges of Australian society, said the St Vincent de Paul Society in a statement.
Dr John Falzon, the body's National Chief Executive Officer, said: "This election is about the economy. But we must remember that the economy means everyone; not just the prosperous. It is estimated that at least 12% of the population are living in a state of permanent Recession; left out or pushed out."
Mr Quinlan is further quoted saying: "Elections should be about something more than comparing two shopping lists and determining which one will provide the most ‘stuff'.
"Elections should be about the true aspirations of the people. I don't think that can happen unless people like us re-engage personally in the political process."
The groups go on to outline issues that are important, which politicians and the media should be addressing.
FULL STORY
'Mad as hell' over a visionless campaign (The Catholic Weekly)
The Economy Means Everyone: St Vincent de Paul Society (St Vincent de Paul Society)