Why the Houso Diary is past its use by date

DH has had to face up to the depressing question of who reads this blog. While she flatters herself that the Diary is avidly sought out by the vanguard of the Houso Intelligentsia, Sitemeter reveals a more tragic reality: most of her visitors appear to be senior citizens from Boca Raton, Florida, wanting information about sex with dentures. Yes, DH's heartfelt political manifesto, Wake up and smell the bad breath: Something Rotten in the State of Howard's Australia , on the Howard Government's despicable funding cuts to dental services, has turned her into the first port of call for halitosis sufferers and denture fetishists the world over.

DH long ago stopped having much of a go at the Department of Housing. It's not their fault that Howard and Co, in their 10 year reign, transferred $3 BILLION dollars from Public Housing into the pockets of private landlords, with predictable results: inflated rents and housing shortages. In DH's experience, most Housing Department staff are dedicated people working hard to drag a behemoth of a department full of aging, poor quality housing stock into the 21st century.

The NSW Government's response, "Reshaping Public Housing", a seemingly lame-brained attempt to squeeze the shortfall out of society's poorest, has fallen off everyone's radar, and will remain so until the first round of evictions of tenants on fixed term contracts. What a shindig we'll have then! The Ministers for Tenant Bashing, Joe Tripodi and Cherie Burton, have been rolled and the new Minister has not upset anyone as yet... talking about the new Minister, has anyone seen him lately, or at all? Should someone send out a St Bernards? A free latte to the first person who can remember his name...