WHAT IS CERTAIN WITH THE ALP IN THE COURSE OF HIS/HERSTORY - Part 1

The Liberal National Parties would not have thought to use Commonwealth money to invest in your health needs. 

Thanks to the WHITLAM-HAWKE-GILLARD GOVERNMENTS we Australians have universal health insurance coverage(MEDICARE), and now to complete the process -

MEDICARE AND DISABILITY CARE ARE 

 LAW IN AUSTRALIA

The Lead up to an NDIS - an article at The Monthly mag.

ABC's link to Disabilites discussions, debates, news

I have a disability, I have worked for Disability Sevices public and private, and my husband now supports me with his pay from his work in disability services - this triumph of the ALP in running with the idea completes the process of Whitlam/Hawke Medicare to DisabilityCare. The other sides would never have done this - the Queensland LNP wouldn't even give it a trial. GO GILLARD!

Not liking the Prime Minister's voice is no reason to vote for Tony Abbott. He is not your friend.

She picked a winner and now everybody wins. Minister for Disability Reform Jenny Macklin.

Australian Policy Online on Health History  or how the ALP provides the policy action and the conservatives wreak it to keep the money for themselves.
OUR LNP MP Ipswich West HAS SOME QUESTIONS TO ANSWER ON THE MOST NECESSARY OF HUMAN SERVICES. taken from    qt.com.au

IPSWICH mums have rallied against rumoured changes to a midwifery program at the Ipswich Hospital.

Daniele Day started a Facebook page calling for the Ipswich Midwifery Group Practice's antenatal services to remain accessible to all women, after she heard that low-risk women might not be able use the service because of a change in focus.

Ms Day said some clients had been told they might not be able to access the midwives' free antenatal services for any future pregnancies.

"A new mum said her midwife told her they may not be able to see her again," Ms Day said.

Ms Day understands the service now has a new focus on more at-risk mothers.

New mum Harriet Gibson said she had also been told that she "wouldn't be able" to access the group practice's services if she had another child.

"In taking high-risk mums they're not able to cater to low-risk mums they've already seen... they won't have time," Ms Gibson said

However, West Moreton Hospital and Health Service chief executive Lesley Dwyer denied any changes had taken place.

"The Midwifery Group Practice program remains available to all eligible women, including those with low-risk pregnancies," Ms Dwyer said.

"While we acknowledge that we may not be able to offer this service to every woman, our goal is to ensure our midwives provide a safe, midwifery-led birth experience to the region's women."

Midwifery models gave clients continuity of care, but they are just one service available to women, Ms Dwyer said.

Ms Dwyer said the maternity system also included general practitioners, obstetricians, and other care models.

Ms Day said it was important to remind people of the value of the service's continuity of care.

"It's a free public service and having a midwife makes a huge difference to birth and afterwards," Ms Day said.

"Not having a midwife means the hospital will see you for a booking-in visit and then send you to a GP or the university midwifery clinic," she said.

Ms Day said the hospital should be given more money if it had to focus on priority groups.

"If the same number of midwives have to meet the same quota (of mums) for priority groups with complicated issues, it's going to take them longer and there won't be the same quality of service," she said.

Ms Gibson said part of the problem was a lack of funding.

"The number of midwives has not been expanded," Ms Gibson said.

"It's such an amazing service and if I had missed out I would've been devastated."

Ms Dwyer said the group practice catered for about 200 women each year.

The Midwifery Group Practice was introduced at Ipswich Hospital in 2007. 





 Yes, there is power in numbers - don't delay - fight the Tony Abbott forces with your money, participation and vote in a social democracy.
http://www.queenslandlabor.org/supporter-central/join/

SEPTEMBER 14th 2013 - ALP FOR ME

TRUMPED AGAIN TONY! OUR CLEVER PRIME MINISTER SAYS PUT THIS IN YOUR DIARY & LET'S SEE WHAT YOU'RE REALLY MADE OF...

• I would have had such an idea, dampen the incessant questions from the media about the timing of the next election, and making us all irritable.
• Great for ALP branch members and their M.P.s to plan and prepare the campaign  at the grass roots.
• Her confidence and authority in governing will always put (misogynist) Tony Abbott off-balance. It's not all about the power of testesterone action man for the cameras like the Russian, Putin or the Everyman he claimed to be at the Press Club.

      February will be fun: 

Shayne Neumann M.P.Blair and I
ready to argue the ALP case for continuing Government.

Sunday 17th February is my first date in the diary as a Fifty Year Old local Somerset branch member at the Fernvale Markets, assisting Shayne Neumann M.P.for Blair at his regular gig listening and responding to the people - informing them of the great reforms the Gillard Labor Government has done even with a minority government, and what it wants to fulfill:

Like former Labor Prime Ministers before her who steered our country into a modern, principled nation with Universal Health Care, and free education for working-class kids, our current P.M. is determined to put the National Disability Insurance Scheme next to Medicare so everybody can achieve their potential. A FAIR GO BY FAIRER TAXES PLEASE! It's proved that the rich get richer and the poor get poorer.
Rich business man Dick Smith admitted to broadcaster Philip Adams last year on the ABC that many rich people he knows don't redistribute enough of their wealth to help break down the barriers to wealth creation. 
We will have to wait for the May budget.

Since this, the LNP Government proved what Tories do -

demolish the hope of equity by refusing to participate in
 a Trial of the NDIS

 because they don't see any value in it or us.

If it's all about TRUST Tony - I trust the Independents have found they were wise to go with Julia Gillard to form Government and put her in the Lodge. 

TURN THE SCREWS on the Coalition, JULIA, ever so slowly, as Keating would say! because the Federal LNP would be as short-sighted and discriminatory as Queenslanders have discovered to their dismay.

http://queenslandlabor.org/

SOCIALISING DEMOCRATS IN THE SOMERSET SHIRE

4.30a.m. Husband switches off  the alarm news: Charles Taylor was convicted of attrocities on the people of Liberia. The sound of pouring rain outside. It is still dark. Whenever it rains we say our favourite word in unison - FECUNDITY - a hug is filled with knowing; the orchard is flowering pink and white blossom. Fruit and nuts will be picked in the near future, the neighbour's happy cows gorge on the magic pudding of green grass. Digger bandicoots will procreate.

Roy will be earning extra for working on a Saturday as a Public servant - Caring for people with disabilities - much appreciated fought for Rights at Work(AWU).  I can't keep a regular job but I am committed to the cause of social democracy. I dress for an adventure to the far reaches of the rural Somerset Shire - MT KILCOY - to hand out 'How To Vote' leaflets. 


EVERY VOTE COUNTS rain or shine. 

OUR MAN FOR SOMERSET REGIONAL COUNCIL

I SMS Jim to check the roads are safe to where I'm going - It will take me 1half hrs to get there on the wet roads, a couple of wrong turns, and over flowing creek! 

Being a small booth with 400 registered voters it's not too busy and the other booth workers are friendly and sharing of their gazebo. Our Council elections are not based on political party affiliations, but it didn't take long to listen and gather the clues that I was probably the only Leftie in the village!

What we had in common was our civility, bonhomie and common interest in the cultural life of the Shire via the well regarded Esk Choir, the singing Scotsman of Kilcoy and the Toogoolawah Art Group. We were all agreed the new Civic Hall and Theatre was a great investment and started to envisage what kind of performance program would suit the grand opening.

In this little pocket of Kilkoy 130 Km's from home it was a lovely surprise to be with the arty crowd! Then another volunteer from Jim's team (who worked for Federal Labor M.P.Shayne Neumann) drove up with refilling refreshments. On a cool and wet day, a hot coffee and a large box of hot chips for everyone to share was a Madonna-send!

Whenever you drive out of your comfort-zone of home, it is astounding the distances between towns. The Somerset is a small portion of the Federal electorate of Blair which Shayne Neumann diligently traverses in order to represent the views of the whole electorate.

Fernvale Markets mobile office 2010

The old Esk Shire, now incorporates Kilkoy  Shire making it

Somerset Regional Council. Whilst I in the Southern end feel culturally

closer to Ipswich - Kilkoy folk feel closer to Caboolture! And there-in-

the middle lies the town with the mystical mountain - ESK - 

 still has the introduced species of  Red Deer wandering  among the Grass Trees..........

I am naturally going to be provocative living in a rural area(especially in Queensland). Voters come and have a chat with their neighbours and don't hesitate to talk about the days working for Joh. (National Party Premier for three decades). Obviously with the rout of Labor they are feeling very cocky.


Unlike my Nan who said she didn't talk about Politics or Religion I am obsessed with the journey of both! Poetry and Politics have been my raison d'etre due to my life experiences. I can't avoid, adding discordant notes to a conversation when it includes mean ideologies being saluted, or as Martin Luther King said: Not staying Silent about the things that Matter.

The consensus was the Conservatives only know how to manage the economy - the idea that the Tories save money and Labor spends it all is to my mind BS!

I didn't want to debate the fact hoarding money in the Commonwealth Treasury without re- investing into things like job training and education runs down the sector, then it takes the ALP to catch up from the neglect! 

Instead I made the NDIS a local issue, as I know there are going to be Nationwide rallies to promote the cause. I say the great reform of the National Disability Insurance Scheme which the ALP government under Rudd and Gillard has committed to - I hope will be bi-partisan and share the same time-line, as the sector can't wait anymore. It is the unfinished business of Medicare from the ALP Whitlam Government of 1972.

My idea of the new Council using some of its money to audit people with disabilities on what the Somerset could provide to enable them to participate in the life of their region in preparation for the NDIS was met with silence.

I guess the expense of Social Justice was worrying them?

I said within our Shire are isolated and when they do go out they can't shop because their wheelchairs can't get through doors. To survey these people who experience this on a daily basis would allow the Council to identify the needs for people with disabilities who live and visit the Somerset.

One person quipped it might be better not to find out as the findings might be a lot worse than you could provide for... Even so, the aging population alone will be challenging. It can't be shoving people out of sight, out of mind anymore.

To listen and learn and advocate for funding to improve the individuals concerned and mutual benefits between businesses and services. One woman suggested I sounded like a Politician which I took as a compliment but I explained that with my chronic mental illness I couldn't cope with the pressures and whinging!

My passion/compassion to be an activist on this issue arises from casual jobs working as a Diversional Therapist, Residential Care Officer in Ipwich and Gatton in recent years.

The Productivity Commission's report on a NDIS has ticked off my continuing support for the ALP in it's will to implement the scheme - being in tune with Labor's promise of A FAIR GO. 

4.30PM   There is a slow trickle of people, so I decide to drive home before it get's dark - I've done my bit for the progress of society today. Billy Bragg can serenade me around the windy wet Somerset Dam road to the long, long grass of home.

MONDAY MORNING and JIM MADDEN has won a seat on Somerset Regional Council.....and

Gillard-announces-disability-insurance-scheme


Yet there are low opinion polls and speculation of the ALP needing a new Leader to face the next election. There's no pleasing everyone, even on your own side.