By Lew Wheeler  ( Fair Go For Pensioners Victoria)

The demonstration on Friday 2 March 2018 outside the Minister for Housing, Martin Foley’s electorate office was well attended by public housing tenants and their supporters.

Passer-byes mostly said keep up the good fight and there were many honks of horns in support. It seems that only the Minister was missing, or at least was hiding indoors.

Anyone who wanted to speak did so with passion and facts, speaking in support of protecting and extending public housing, wanting more public housing, not less, keeping this public land for public housing, not sold-off to private property developers, and wanting their homes and estates refurbished, not demolished.

We were locked out of the Minister’s office and only after about 45 minutes, then allowed into a tiny foyer, but still locked out of the actual office.

Any chance of a deputation from the 40 plus vocal and peaceful crowd seeing the Minister or his staff was dashed. So much for democracy in action!

Following the demo, we then marched along Bay Street Port Melbourne meeting and greeting locals. Unlike the Minister, most were interested and willingly took our information sheets.

We have since been told that the Minister was seen running into his office, about 1 hour after we left the area.

if you have a heart Minister Foley, then come out and talk to the people affected by your heartless decisions that are tricking public tenants out of their homes.

They don’t know where they will be relocated to, or whether they will ever be allowed back into their communities and be permanently locked out.