It’s fair to say that the first season of SBS‘s documentary series ‘Struggle Street‘ stirred up more than its fair share of controversy.
“Having personally viewed Struggle Street, seen the way Mount Druitt’s reputation was damaged and the resulting widespread community protests at the representation of their community, I will not approve a request that will denigrate the reputation of the suburb and the people of Inala.”
Queensland Premier Annastasia Palaszczuk, who holds the seat of Inala, also stated that she did not want the program to film in her state, or her electorate.
“We do not need a film crew in here cherry picking what they think would be entertainment value for the rest of Australia.”
“I made very clear to him that I do not want the people of Queensland, let alone the people in Inala, made fun of on national TV.”
However, SBS has returned serve, accusing the Brisbane City Council and Queensland Government of deliberately silencing the voices of some of their most disadvantaged citizens, effectively shielding Inala and turning it into something of a Potemkin Village. A spokesperson provided a statement on the issue to press:
“2.5 million Australians live below the poverty line and Struggle Street is giving people the opportunity to share their stories of hardship with all Australians. Greater understanding of the difficulties faced by many people can help contribute to improving outcomes on issues of social and economic disadvantage.”
Regardless of the Government or Council’s assertions, the show is still scheduled to air at some point in 2017. SBS refused to confirm the locations of where filming had already taken place.
