The intricacies related to the desperation of left wing presidential politics. Not a good look.
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The Libs are examining the following issues:
* Chevron's Wheatstone LNG development great news for Australia
* Job advertisements plummet, indicating a further decline in business confidence
* Security expert calls Rudd on National Security Promises
* Threat to aged funding
* Coalition's strong record on ADF recruitment
* Rudd duds Seniors and Carers
* Nelson Doorstop - Carers, Health, Submarines...
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
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NELSON DOORSTOP - CARERS, HEALTH, SUBMARINES...
The Hon Dr Brendan Nelson MP
Leader of the Opposition
DR NELSON:
On Saturday I went to Mackay to visit and speak with flood victims and the volunteers and agencies that have been helping those flood victims, and to thank them for all of the work that they’ve been doing for the people of Mackay. When I was in Mackay I also went to visit Mr Ashley Norman and his wife Pat. Ashley Norman is 73 years old and he’s dying. He’s dying from lung disease, heart disease and other diseases. His wife Pat of 52 years is his carer 24 hours a day. The $1600 that Mr Rudd is proposing to take away from Australia’s 400,000 carers, including Ashley and Pat Norman, might not be in Mr Rudd’s budget but it sure is in the budget of Australia’s 400,000 carers.
These are the most vulnerable, the sickest and the weakest Australians. They’re the people who make the greatest sacrifices for those whom they love. They’re frequently ageing parents with adult children with disabilities. In Mr Norman’s case he is dying, he’s oxygen dependent, he’s losing his lung capacity, he’s had two major heart attacks and a heart operation, he has severe diabetes, his wife at the age 70 is providing care to him 24 hours a day. I strongly suggest to Mr Rudd and his Ministers that they visit the Mr Norman’s of Australia.
Mr Rudd said from overseas that there was no way on god’s earth that he was going to leave Australia’s carers in the lurch. Well the 400,000 Australian carers, the pensioners, the seniors and the elderly who are living here on god’s earth in Australia are yet to hear Mr Rudd say in plain language that under no circumstances will he take that $1600 away from carers, and that he will not take the $500 away from Australia’s seniors, elderly and the frail.
Every Australian needs to ask him or herself what would we do if we walked in their shoes for a day, let alone a week or all of our lives? These men and women, 24 hours a day, often living with very little sleep are going out of their way for those whom they love to provide care. That $1600 for carers, the $500 for seniors and elderly people, it’s in their budgets Mr Rudd and Mr Rudd you need to say in plain language, not Rudd speak or anything else, just in plain language, tell Mr Norman and tell his wife and tell the 400,000 carers in this country that the $1600 that they’ve got in their budgets is safe and secure.
You don’t build a strong economy by attacking the weak and the vulnerable. You build a strong economy so you can look after the weak and the vulnerable. And if Mr Rudd wants to pick on someone his own size he can start with some of the dodgy state governments that are racking up government debt at an alarming rate.
The second issue that I’d like to raise with you is the health care agreements. We know that of all of the things that are important to us as Australians, arguably there’s nothing more important than being able to get into hospital or get your mother or your children into hospital when you need to. The health care agreements between the Australian Government and the states are in the process of being negotiated now. Mr Rudd has announced that Professor Christine Bennett will be chairing this health policy and hospital financing reform commission. It’s absolutely essential that two things need to be done.
The first is that a senior nurse needs to be added to that health care commission and a doctor from rural or regional Australia. The other thing that Mr Rudd must do is put more money into the health care agreements for our public hospitals, roll those agreements over for 18 months, put solid performance benchmarks on Australia’s public hospitals to deliver for us when we need health care, and need it most in hospitals, and the other thing that those agreements must do is actually quarantine the money for our regional base hospitals and our rural hospitals. Doctors and nurses across Australia, outside of our capital cities, are sick and tired of having bureaucrats turn up with clip boards telling them that they’re going to lose their money in rural and regional hospitals to suck it back into already under funded public hospitals in our large capital cities.
The health care agreements for five years should not be signed up until the health reform commission has had an opportunity to have a look at the health care system, to provide its advice, have a senior nurse and a rural doctor on that commission and make dam sure that we lock up the money for our rural and our regional base hospitals because our doctors and our nurses are sick and tired of bureaucrats turning up with their clip boards from the centralised politburo telling people in rural and regional Australia they’re not going to get the health care they need and that they deserve.
QUESTION:
Dr Nelson will you step down as Leader if the merger between both parties doesn’t materialise?
DR NELSON:
Oh nonsense.
QUESTION:
Mr Nelson can I ask you how can you (inaudible) on your proposed merger (inaudible) expressing the National Party that it won’t simply be a takeover, and it will be a genuine merger?
DR NELSON:
Well I’m here to talk about carers, pensioners, the elderly and the frail and Australia’s hospitals and health care agreements. I’ve already made remarks about a proposed merger between the Liberal and National Parties and I don’t intend to add to them.
QUESTION:
But Dr Nelson while there’s so much to be said about the removal of the carers payment, and probably other cuts under a Rudd Government razor gang, why would a distraction like the merger of your party and the National Party even need to come up?
DR NELSON:
Well look I’ve already made comments about that proposal, it’s something that’s been around for a number of years, it’s come to a head in more recent months. I’ve got nothing else to add to what I’ve already said on the public record.
QUESTION:
Are you aware of any approaches being made to Joe Hockey from the State Liberal Party?
DR NELSON:
No. By the way Joe Hockey is no cardboard Kev, he’s going to be in the Federal Parliament for quite some time.
QUESTION:
But surely it would be a fairly attractive option for him now given that you yourself commented on the state of the state government here, to be perhaps you know pinning himself there and hoping to get back into power sometime sooner than it’s looking in the federal stage?
DR NELSON:
Well Joe Hockey’s fired up big time representing the people of North Sydney. He’s the Shadow spokesman for Health, the Manager Opposition Business in the parliament, he’s no cardboard Kev and he’s going to be around for quite some time.
QUESTION:
On the WorkChoices bill that’s about to be passed in a fortnight, can you assure that your party will give a clear passage?
DR NELSON:
Well as I’ve said we have heard what Australians said during the election in November 2007. As I’ve said previously in hindsight in 2006 we got it wrong by not having a no disadvantage test, we reintroduced it in 2007 in government, Australians made the decision last year at the election, we respect the decision that’s been made. We will not be opposing the government’s legislation, subject to the final outcome of course of the Senate inquiry. We will be going through the process of the Senate inquiry but we will not be opposing the government’s legislation.
QUESTION:
So in your view the bill will be passed in a couple of weeks?
DR NELSON:
Well we’ll need to wait until the Senate inquiry has been completed. I mean people need to understand as a former Cabinet Minister myself for six years for example, legislating complex things like workplace relations is such that the draftsmen in the legislation and those who put the policy together sometimes don’t anticipate problems that they might have and that’s why a Senate inquiry is quite useful, but we need to wait for it to finish.
QUESTION:
Dr Nelson you’ve talked about patients being fed up with the bureaucrats, so I imagine you’re not talking about the bureaucrats of the last 100 days of the Rudd Government? You’ve also talked about rollback of WorkChoices, are you beginning to feel like a sacrificial lamb for the Howard days?
DR NELSON:
We are very proud of what we achieved over 11 and a half years. As a parent of two apprentices, apart from anything else, we are a stronger, more prosperous, more confident country, confident in ourselves and in our place in the world. And the fact is that the health care agreements are about to be signed. They’re in the process of negotiation between the Australian Government and the states and territories. The state and territory governments actually own, operate and administer our public hospitals in Australia. Any Australian that’s had any contact with a public hospital in the last few years know that we’re being let down by our state governments in administering them. I mean we are living in a country where a women had the indignity of suffering a miscarriage in the toilet of a major teaching hospital in Sydney.
Every single day, whether it’s in our large teaching hospitals across Australia in our large cities or whether it’s in our regional base hospitals or our dwindling rural hospitals, Australians know that it’s time for an increased investment in our hospitals. We also want to make sure that our doctors and our nurses have a greater say in the management of those hospitals.
We are sick and tired, and I say this as a former doctor myself and a former President of the Australian Medical Association, we are sick and tired of having bureaucrats turning up with clip boards to our hospitals telling our medical and nursing staff what they will do. It’s more important that the people who administer and run our hospitals, and our politicians in particular, take much more notice of our doctors and nurses. We need a senior nurse, we need a senior rural doctor in the health policy commission. That commission needs to tell Mr Rudd what should be done with public hospitals before he signs us up for the long term, and in the meantime we must make sure that the dollars that go into our base hospitals and our rural hospitals are quarantined from the vampires that come out of the politburos or the bureaucracies in the large cities to take that money out and put it back in to already under funded public hospitals in large cities.
QUESTION:
Dr Nelson what’s your understanding, the front page of The Australian reported that the submarine services chronically understaffed at the moment. As former Defence Minister what’s your comment on that and what needs to be done?
DR NELSON:
Last year we had a $3 billion package for recruitment in retention into the Australian Defence Force, specific initiatives for retention of submarine personnel. As a matter of dealing with it what’s required is not only money, not only additional payments for submariners, but also flexibility which makes sure that the men and women who look after our submarines and take them to sea have better balance of work and family life, and if it requires more money, and I believe by the way, I do believe it requires more money, my advice to Mr Fitzgibbon and to the government would be an across board wage increase for the men and women who look after our submarines. I mean in the end if your engineer on a sub and you’re pulling $80,000 a year and you’ve got three kids to feed, if you’re got somebody at the gate of the base offering you $130,000 to drive a truck, I mean seriously what are you going to do? And there’s no greater sacrifice you can make for Australia than to wear the uniform of one of our three services. But we’ve got to make sure in an Australia where just about anybody that wants a job is able to get one, that if it needs more money, then more money should be put into it. Thanks very much everybody.
RUDD DUDS SENIORS AND CARERS
Ms Margaret May MP
Shadow Minister for Ageing
Shadow Minister for Ageing and Federal Member for McPherson Margaret May has called on the Rudd Government to stop being the cause of so much anxiety amongst senior Australians and carers.
The fact that the Government has not committed to continuing with the carers’ and seniors’ bonus was causing a sense of anxiety in the community.
Margaret said: “Its been a long time since an issue has generated such a feeling of outrage in the community but the uncertainty about the carers’ and seniors’ bonus has the community on edge.
“I have been fielding a large number of calls and emails from older Australians and carers who have been contacting me with a sense of disbelief.
“They say they feel cheated and are feeling increasingly insecure particularly as the Rudd Government doesn’t appear to know how to manage the Budget.
“This sense of anxiety is only being compounded by the negative talk, indecision and evasiveness of the Government.
“The Budget will be handed down in May.
“Two months is far too long for this speculation to continue.
“Carers and senior Australians want to know now where they stand in relation to the carers’ and seniors’ bonus – they rely on it.
“Carers take on a huge role in caring for someone who is frail and disabled. Often it is 24/7 and the demands on the carer are so great, that they often end up needing care themselves.
“They are the unsung heroes in the community and the carers’ bonus is something they have come to rely on.
“Older Australians are another special group of people and the bonus is a small way of showing our appreciation to them for building the Australia of today.
“Australia has a double digit surplus.
“And yet there is all this talk of cutting back on payments to carers and pensioners.
“If this is Labor’s social inclusion policy in action, then Australians indeed are unfortunate.
“The Australia of tomorrow will bear little resemblance to the caring and harmonious Australia of yesterday.
“To consider taking money from a group of people who are already struggling to cope to make ends meet beggars belief.
“There is a growing sense in the community that the Rudd Government is similar to a puppet show. Ministers will not speak unless they have their lines in front of them.
“I call on the Government to speak out and allay people’s fears.
“If the Rudd Government reneges on seniors and carers, they will go down in history as the dud Government – an uncaring dud Government.
“I call on the Rudd Government to stop being the cause of much anxiety and commit to the carers’ and seniors’ bonus immediately”, Margaret said.
COALITION'S STRONG RECORD ON ADF RECRUITMENT
The Hon Bob Baldwin MP
Shadow Minister for Defence Science, Personnel and Assisting Shadow
The Coalition in Government had a strong record of supporting ADF recruitment, with a number of recruitment initiatives that were achieving real results, the Shadow Minister for Defence Science, Personnel and Assisting Shadow Minister for Defence Bob Baldwin said today.
Mr Baldwin said: “8,924 recruits joined the ADF in 2006/07 - the best result in 10 years and the second-best result in 30 years – which is particularly remarkable given our record low unemployment. By comparison, in 1992/93, just 2,380 people joined after Labor decided to cut two battalions.”
Mr Baldwin said recruitment packages totalling $3.1 billion were announced in 2006 and 2007, with initiatives including:-
$113 million for retention bonuses for specific RAN personnel including submariners;
the ADF Gap Year program;
a new home loans assistance package that provided for higher benefits as members serve on for longer periods ($864 million);
a modern and more flexible pay structure for other ranks ($585 million);
marketing and branding the Navy, Army and Air Force as employers of choice ($228 million);
creating a transition and career advice function within Defence Force Recruiting to assist those who might be considering alternative careers ($125 million);
an expansion and enhancement of the Defence Force Cadet scheme – giving our young people the life and employability skills they need ($100 million);
a boost to the Royal Australian Navy’s Sea Change programme ($87 million);
the introduction of a new Defence Apprenticeship scheme to assist 16- 17 year olds commence an apprenticeship and then join the ADF ($71 million); and
investment in the professional development of Defence medical officers ($12 million).
“And in the 2007 election, the Coalition committed to further funding for skills development, to provide two new Australian Defence Technical Colleges;
Defence Skills Scholarships; Reservist training; and an Australian Centre for Defence Skills,” said Mr Baldwin.
“As The Australian’s article today notes, there are real challenges in attracting submariners, with service on submarines being particularly demanding.
Our submarine fleet is based in Western Australia and the Navy is competing against the resource industries for the same type of skilled labour.
“While the initiatives the Coalition Government put in place are achieving results, recruitment of submariners will be an ongoing challenge for the Navy and the new Labor Government.
“Mr Fitzgibbon would be well-served to focus on important operational issues like this rather than wasting his time finger-pointing on acquisitions, and damaging morale within Defence in the process.”
THREAT TO AGED FUNDING
Ms Margaret May MP
Shadow Minister for Ageing
Shadow Minister for Ageing Margaret May said growing rumours of funding cuts to aged care in the May Budget was of grave concern to her, to the aged care sector and the community as a whole.
Margaret said to keep pace with costs, the Howard Government introduced the Conditional Adjustment Payment in 2004 to assist aged care providers through increased financial assistance to continue to provide high quality care.
“A 1.75% additional subsidy per annum compounding over four years was also part of the Conditional Adjustment Payment with the initiative to be reviewed prior to it lapsing in June 2008.
“It is vital that the 1.75% index be included in the May Budget, otherwise it will cease in June 2008.
“The additional 1.75% index is valued at approximately $102m per annum, bringing in $735.00 per week ($38,000.00 per annum) for a standard sixty bed aged care facility.
“If this 1.75% index were to be scrapped, the care of older Australians would be severely compromised.
“Aged care facilities would have to cut back on services, reduce care staff numbers and older Australians would not receive adequate care and attention.
“This is a critical issue as the industry cannot sustain a cut in funding.
“It is now generally understood that Australia’s population is ageing.
“To meet the increasing challenges, funding increases are needed not funding cuts.
“Senator the Hon Jan McLucas (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Health and Ageing) in Senate Estimates last month would not commit to a continuation of the subsidy. Senator McLucas said “I understand it is part of the budget deliberations”.
“I say to the Rudd Government that this is not good enough.
“Older Australians have enough to worry about with the pension and carers bonus being under attack.
“If older Australians realised a cut to aged care funding was being considered, their security and peace of mind would be ripped from under them.
“There are some areas that can’t be comprised and the care of the frail and elderly is one of those areas.
“I call on the Government to confirm that the additional index of 1.75 per annum on the Conditional Adjustment Payment will not be scrapped and I call on them to commit to it now.
“Levels of anxiety are rising in the community about the way the Rudd Government is going about its business and older Australians want certainty.
“Where does the Rudd Government’s priorities lie?
“The Government’s omission of aged care from the upcoming Australia 2020 Summit agenda is unfathomable.
“Aged care doesn’t even rate a mention on the 2020 Summit agenda even though it is one of the most important and compelling issues of today.
“The Rudd’s Government’s performance so far certainly doesn’t bode well for the future of aged care and older Australians”, Margaret said.
SECURITY EXPERT CALLS RUDD ON NATIONAL SECURITY PROMISES
The Hon Christopher Pyne MP
Shadow Minister for Justice & Border Protection
Shadow Minister Assisting the Shadow Minister for Immigration & Citizenship
A leading counter-terrorism expert has called for greater co-ordination and leadership in Australia’s national security, prompting the question ‘what happened to Labor’s proposed department of Homeland Security?’, Opposition Spokesman on Justice and Border Protection Christopher Pyne said today.
“Associate Professor, Dr Ian Wing, used last week’s National Security Australia conference to call for a national director of intelligence. This call has thrown the spotlight on Labor’s much maligned plan for a Department of Homeland Security,” Mr Pyne said.
“In the lead up to last year’s election, Labor committed to establishing a department of Homeland Security. Since the election, Australians have heard nothing about this.
“The question to Mr Rudd is, ‘is this a core or non-core promise?’, and why won’t he be ‘honest and open’ with the Australian people about this?”
JOB ADVERTISEMENTS PLUMMET, INDICATING A FURTHER DECLINE IN BUSINESS CONFIDENCE
Steven Ciobo MP
Shadow Minister for Small Business,
the Service Economy & Tourism
A sharp decline in the number of jobs advertised during the month of February is further evidence business confidence is falling under the new Rudd Labor Government.
The Olivier Job Index released today, which records the number of jobs advertised, fell for the first time in three years.
“Today’s Olivier Job Index is another stinging blow to the credentials of the new Labor Government,” Shadow Small Business Minister Steven Ciobo MP said.
“Almost all industries suffered a decline in the number of job advertisements, indicating employers are nervous and waiting to see what will happen under Labor.
“Trades and services were among the hardest hit falling 14.5 per cent, while hospitality, tourism and travel was down 7.5 per cent in February.
“The mining and tourism state of Queensland saw a drop of 10.6% in the number of internet advertisements last month despite 50% growth over the last year.
“With small business facing uncertainty about Labor’s proposed changes to unfair dismissal, it isn’t surprising business confidence is falling faster than business conditions.
“Labor’s been in Government for more than 100 days yet they still have no clear position on unfair dismissal.
“There’s no commitment from Labor that we’re not going back to the days of “go-away” money.
“This is creating an uncertainty for small business, and when businesses are uncertain they stop employing people, potentially leading to a rise in unemployment.
“With concerns over the global economy mounting, Labor’s inexperience is showing as it adopts a ‘wait and see’ approach to economic policy. Labor is playing with fire.
Mr Ciobo said today’s figures follow the latest Sensis Business Index released last month, which saw the biggest fall in support for Federal Government policies in the history of the index.
“If trends continue we may very well be in negative territory, putting pressure on employers and placing Australian jobs at risk.”
CHEVRON'S WHEATSTONE LNG DEVELOPMENT GREAT NEWS FOR AUSTRALIA
Senator the Hon David Johnston
Shadow Minister for Resources and Energy, Tourism
The announcement by the Chevron Corporation to further develop its gas interests in Australia has been warmly welcomed by Senator David Johnston, Shadow Minister for Resources, Energy and Tourism.
"Chevron’s announcement that it will develop its Wheatstone field off the north-west coast of Western Australia is a very significant step forward in securing Australia’s future energy needs," Senator Johnston said.
"This is a significant project which will have an initial capacity of at least 4.5 trillion cubic feet annually which will be serviced by an initial 5 million ton per annum LNG train with expansion capacity for additional trains. Together with Chevron’s engagement with the Gorgon project and the Barrow Island and Thevenard Island oilfields it reinforces Australia’s position as a reliable and expanding supplier of oil and gas."
Senator Johnston said that Chevron have indicated that they want to get this project up and running quickly with plans to commence front-end engineering and design work next year.
"The Federal and Western Australian governments seem to be in a holding pattern over the positioning of future infrastructure hubs to service projects which are clearly in the national interest to develop. I call upon the Federal Environment Minister and his Western Australian counterpart to act decisively in the national interest and cut away the red and green tape that they are both so very fond of and get this project up and running as a priority."
The great news for Australia, and particularly Western Australia, is that Chevron have indicated is that they will make available commercial gas from this venture to the domestic market.
"With $23 billion worth of projects in the pipeline for Western Australia it is very encouraging to hear of Chevron’s lead in committing themselves to Australia’s future energy needs by supporting a flexible, market based approach to the provision of domestic gas," Senator Johnston said.
"This is a win-win for both Chevron and the developers of resource projects in Western Australia, particularly those in the north west sector."
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