Fremantle Shipping News is please to publish this Opinion Piece by Tony Pietropiccolo AM* WA is rich in resources and opportunity. Australia prides itself on prosperity, generosity and helping people through hardship. Yet too many children in WA and across the nation are growing up in poverty.  Household income figures alone do not show what poverty means for a child: insecure housing, poor nutrition, limited healthcare, missed school activities and sport, and exclusion from everyday experiences their peers take for granted.  The effects reach into children’s health, education, relationships and sense of belonging—and can limit opportunity long after childhood. Poverty also underlies many of Australia’s social problems.  Life circumstances that offer little hope of a better future can contribute to young people engaging in anti-social…