[dbaust] Fw: A Christmas letter of sorts from the Every Australian Counts campaign for the NDIS in Victoria and Tasmania
- From: "Heather Lawson" <lawsonhj@xxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <dbaust@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Wed, 21 Dec 2011 19:21:06 +1100
Hello everyone
I want to forward this, see below from James who worked very hard for NDIS. He
wrote a few sentences about Victorian Deafblind community. Please have a read.
I hope all states in Australia would have the same opportunately with NDIS in
near futre.
Merry christmas and Happy new year to you all. All the best for 2012.
With christmas cheers - Heather
----- Original Message -----
From: James O'Brien
Sent: Wednesday, December 21, 2011 5:33 PM
Subject: A Christmas letter of sorts from the Every Australian Counts campaign
for the NDIS in Victoria and Tasmania
Dear NDIS supporter,
2011 has been a huge year as the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS)
edges closer to reality.
Today, we have just achieved our target of having 100,000 supporters sign up to
the Every Australian Counts campaign for the NDIS . Woo hoo!
We are now a movement that cannot be ignored.
The NDIS is now supported 'in principle' right across the political spectrum –
the Australian Government, the Federal Opposition, the Greens and Independents
as well as State Governments and their respective Oppositions have all
indicated their support for the NDIS as recommended by the Productivity
Commission in August this year.
Work is now underway across Governments via the Council of Australian
Governments to advance this vital national reform.
In 2012, this ‘in principle’ support must be transformed into action. No
backsliding and no wriggling out of it. It is time for action.
We want to see:
· the NDIS legislated,
· the National Disability Insurance Agency established to administer the
scheme and;
· the NDIS launch sites announced.
During 2011, it became clear that support for the NDIS runs deeper than just
the disability sector and our politicians.
A wide and diverse range of supporters publicly backed the NDIS - from large,
powerful organisations such as the Australian Council of Trade Unions and the
Australian Medical Association, multinational corporations like Cisco Systems
all the way through to local governments, primary schools, churches, sporting
clubs and grass roots community groups like the Country Women’s Association.
All of these organisations, as well as our 100,000 signed up supporters,
recognise that things must change and the system condemned by the Productivity
Commission as "inequitable, underfunded, fragmented and inefficient" can only
be fixed by a well designed and properly funded NDIS.
On the ground, the campaign visited many cities, suburbs and towns in Victoria
and Tasmania and thousands of people attended public forums and meetings in
communities including:
(Note - the following list is best read to the tune of “I’ve been everywhere
man!” for maximum effect).
Bacchus Marsh, Ballarat, Bendigo, Box Hill, Broadmeadows, Brunswick, Burnie,
Campbell Town, Carnegie, Cranbourne, Camberwell, Cheltenham, Colac, Coburg,
Drysdale, East Melbourne, Ferntree Gully, Footscray, Frankston, Geelong,
Gisborne, Glen Waverley, Hobart, Kew, Kingston, Knox, Kyneton, Launceston,
Lilydale, Malvern, Melbourne, Mildura, Morwell, Mount Evelyn, Northcote,
Nunawading, Ormond, Preston, Springvale, Thornbury, Warnambool, Warragul,
Werribee, Woodend and gasp … Yarraville.
Apologies to any communities I may have missed ...
And by way of wrap up, here is a quick recap of just a few of the highlights
across Victoria and Tasmania from 2011:
· On Australia Day, we launched www.everyaustraliancounts.com.au and
formally kicked off the campaign.
· In February, over 500 people rallied in support of the NDIS at our
first major campaign event on the Geelong waterfront – shortly after, the City
of Greater Geelong follow closely as the first local government in Australia to
support the NDIS. Later in February, the Productivity Commission released its
draft report on the NDIS to a largely positive response from the media and
politicians.
· In April, a full house at Parliament House in Hobart heard from
Senator Mitch Fifield, Senator Carol Brown, Tasmanian Minister for Human
Services Cassy O’Connor, Federal Independent MP Andrew Wilkie and Campaign
Director John Della Bosca.
· In May, the National Disability and Carers Congress was held in
Melbourne where over 1200 activists turbo charged the NDIS campaign.
· In June - about 30 members of Victoria’s deaf blind community
supported by a number of tactile interpreters attended a special NDIS forum at
Ross House in Melbourne
· Also in June, the 2011 Australian of the Year Simon McKeon joined with
Yachting Victoria’s Disabled Sailor of the Year Marty Waller to back the NDIS.
If you missed it and have a moment you can listen to a podcast here:
http://www.abc.net.au/pm/content/2011/s3251866.htm. Mid year, Andy Drewitt from
the Melbourne Leader Newspapers put together a moving multimedia special on the
challenges confronting carers - you can check it out here:
http://specials-leader.whereilive.com.au/carers/CarersInCrisisArticle.html
· At the end of July, the Productivity Commission handed to the
Government their landmark 1300 page report on disability support and care which
recommended the creation of the NDIS.
· August was a massive month – over 100 DisabiliTEA morning tea events
held around Victoria and Tasmania including a celebrity studded mega-event at
Wonthaggi which attracted 400 people. Bruny Island hosted the most southerly
DisabiliTEA event in the nation. Thousands of people attended events around the
nation and it really showed our politicians just how much clout the campaign
has.
· The Melbourne Vixens netball team joined with NDIS champion and
Victorian Community Services Minister Mary Wooldridge to back the campaign.
· Then on the 10 August, we had the big announcement by the Prime
Minister that the Government ‘shared the vision of the NDIS’ as recommended by
the Productivity Commission – shortly after on 19 August the Council of
Australian Government’s also backed the NDIS.
· Later in August, we had the Western Bulldogs Football Club also come
out and back the NDIS.
· In October, Spicks and Specks and stars Myf Warhurst and Alan Brough
joined with rockers Rudely Interrupted to show their support for the NDIS -
this was followed up by a blistering show by the Rudlies in November to support
the campaign.
· October also saw about 80 Federal MPs attend a campaign breakfast
event at Parliament House in Canberra where again the bipartisan nature of the
NDIS movement was on show. Many MPs I have spoken to report that they are
frequently visited by campaigners pushing for the NDIS – making escape from the
Every Australian Counts campaign impossible.
· At the end of November, over 500 people across Victoria and Tasmania
took part in Spread the Word week – about 15,000 houses were letterboxed with
campaign material and many others got the message directly about the importance
of the NDIS. There are still reports of campaigners stomping around the suburbs
handing out leaflets!
· At the start of December, hundreds of people attended International
Day of People with Disabilities events across Victoria and Tasmania. December
also saw a Cabinet reshuffle that saw Disability go into the Cabinet for the
first time with Jenny Macklin appointed Minister for Disability Reform with
responsibility for driving the NDIS.
Throughout the year we were fortunate to attract many, many new supporters. It
was great to have the Young Victorian of the Year Anj Barker, the Victorian of
the Year Father Bob Maguire and the Australian of the Year for 2011 Simon
McKeon all join together to support the NDIS.
We are also gratified by the high level of political attention and interest in
the campaign and the push for the NDIS. The bipartisan nature of the NDIS has
been remarkable when you consider the range of other issues that polarise
opinion at the national level, whether it be carbon pricing or refugee policy.
Amidst this divisive landscape, back in March at the time of the release of the
draft PC report, Paul Kelly Editor in chief of The Australian observed that:
"Amid the current rancour here is something rare: the hope for reform based
upon bipartisanship."
Indeed.
The campaign really relies on the pure persistence and effort of campaigners
like yourself, doing the hard (and occasionally unglamorous) work to ensure
that we don’t miss the opportunity to get the NDIS introduced.
By having people with disabilities, family members and carers tell their
stories to their MPs and also the media, we managed to get the message about
the NDIS heard in the corridors of power in Canberra but also more broadly in
the community.
So a big thank you to all who have contributed to the campaign during 2011. A
particular thank you as well the NDIS Campaign Taskforces in Victoria and
Tasmania ably led by Scott Sheppard and Jane Wardlaw respectively.
I hope you have a wonderful Christmas and New Year and I look forward to seeing
you in 2012 to continue the push for the NDIS.
Cheers,
James O'Brien
State Campaign Coordinator-NDIS
Victoria & Tasmania
Ph: (03) 8341 4316
Fax: (03) 8341 4333
Email: james.obrien@xxxxxxxxxxx
Web: everyaustraliancounts.com.au
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