Waleed Aly wants to know why begging is illegal.

During his Something To Think About segment on Monday night’s episode of The Project, Waleed Aly asked viewers why begging is illegal.

The question launched a segment that looked into homelessness by addressing some of the most common arguments against it.

He then, in true Aly-style, smacked down each one with the kind of answer that makes you sit back and go, ‘oh’.

The first issue he raised is the idea that money should be given to homeless services rather than individuals.

“It’s argued that the money society gives to beggars would be better spent on homeless services but here is the problem: we are actually giving those people less money as a matter of government policy,” Aly said.

Without missing a beat, Aly then pointed to Hockey’s 2014 budget where he said $70 million had been slashed on community services programs.

It was then reported that in 2015, 120, 000 people had to be turned away from homeless shelters last year and that of those 120, 000, 36 per cent were escaping domestic violence.

The statistics ultimately backed one of his greatest suggestions: that if Australians were so concerned about funding drug habits or prolonging  poverty cycles, then we wouldn’t be cutting funding to the services that address those problems.

In a powerfully bold move, Aly then proposes that it’s the underlying guilt we all carry that holds us back from helping rather than personal economic circumstance.

“Maybe it is the same sense of injustice in this video that makes each of us recoil; that is the thing that we don’t want to face. Maybe, the reason we are punishing the homeless for begging us to help isn’t because we object to taking some coins out of our pocket. Maybe our real objection is the guilt we are forced to carry away with us when their poverty is rubbed in our face.” He said.

These ideas were then backed by the testimonies of religious leaders involved in homeless services, community leaders and legal professionals.

One Melbourne-based legal service said they had been approached by clients with almost almost $50, 000 in fines. Fines which in South Australia, were reported to be high as $250 if the individual is found guilty upon arrest.

In his summation, Aly poses the great question of: “Why don’t these people just get a job?”

Only to then quote the national statistics of unemployment where South Australia – the state with the incredible fines – is also the state with the highest unemployment rate of 6.8 per cent.

The segment ultimately reminds us that homelessness continues to be persistently underfunded and ignored.

But when our streets remain full with real life examples, is it reminding that we need or action?