Katoomba Leura Online

If the results of the BMG poll for the state election are to be believed, it could be a very interesting race indeed.

The online poll has had over 500 responses, and places Independent Janet Mays in first place, with 32.2%, leading Libs Rosa Sage on 29% and Labor’s Trish Doyle at 26.2%. If such a result translates to the polling booth, preferences will prove vital to deciding who will represent us in Macquarie Street. The election will be held on 26th March.

Terry Tremethick is a devoted husband and father of 3 children the eldest of whom has quadriplegia, so disability is the lived experience of Terry and his loving family.

Terry has live in the outer western suburbs of Sydney all of his is life. He currently works in IT and had lent his hand to many charities and organisations as a volunteer over the years.

Terry knows from personal experience that political outcomes can be influenced by direct action. Terry’s wife and son appeared on Channel 10 to argue that carer-families in NSW should be exempted from the increase in registration for heavy vehicles. Their direct action influenced the NSW government to exempt carer-families from the increase from 1 July, this year.

Carers Alliance is proud to have Terry as a candidate in Macquarie. Terry has a strong track-record in advocating for people with disabilities and carer-families. His desire is to change the face of government so people with disabilities and carer-families are tangibly recognised in Australian politics.

Policies – The first is the major one supported by many not just us. All are taken from Carers.org.au

National Disability Insurance Scheme (see http://www.ndis.org.au/)

It’s time to change the way services for people with disabilities are funded and structured in Australia.

It’s time to make services for people with disabilities and their families effective, equitable and efficient.

Almost every Australian has cared, or is caring, for a family member with a disability, or knows of a family doing so. Many of these families fall through a huge gap in Australia’s social services network.

Those who acquire a disability through a workplace or a motor vehicle accident generally receive financial support. However, for those who acquire permanent disabilities in other accidents, are born with a permanent disability, acquire a permanent disability through a medical condition or have a permanent mental illness, there is no automatic support to meet their needs.

Other policies here –

Protecting the rights of children

Carers Alliance believes society owes the Child the best it has to give. Accordingly children must be given the support requisite for their normal development, materially, physically, emotionally, intellectually and spiritually.

A National priority

All children with special or additional needs must have a legislated right to service.

All children deserve the right to the supports that will maximise their potential whatever that may be.

The health system is the first point of entry for all children: There must be:

• National global assessments of developmental, emotional and physical ability at prescribed stages of infant and early early childhood
• Full assessment of physical (including vision, hearing and dental), emotional and psychological health of the child at prescribed developmental milestones up to the age of 16 years.

Special Needs Health

Developmental Disability Health

Many adults with intellectual disabilities do not need special medical attention. It is important for primary care physicians to recognize that, in general, adults and older persons with an intellectual disability have the same needs for disease prevention, diagnosis, and treatment as the general population.

Having said this those who do need medical attention discover that Australia’s hospitals are ill equipped to deal with people with moderate and severe cognitive disability with limited communication who are often unable to express pain and discomfort and often serious illness is left undiagnosed.

For this reason Carers Alliance believes there is a place for specialist developmental disability clinics in all major teaching hospitals to provide educational and clinical practice supports for primary care physicians caring for people with intellectual disabilities. These clinics would enable medical practitioners to gain experience in clinical conditions  or other discomforts which are often expressed through challenging behaviour and often result in the patient being sedated without pain relief with the primary condition left undiagnosed.

Aged Care

Individualised Funding of Aged Care Services
Most people as they age would prefer to remain living in their homes, surrounded by those they know and the comforts of familiarity.

Carers Alliance will fight in the Senate for individualised funding for in home services and community support services.

Mental Health

Carers Alliance is deeply concerned with the narrow scope of mental health policy from the major parties.

Carers Alliance will work towards ensuring that 15% of the health budget is for mental health services

Person Centred Funding

Macquarie’s only Independent candidate,Amy Bell,  is a 31 year old mother of three from Katoomba.
With a Bachelor of Nursing from UWS and a history of grassroots environmental activism,  moving into Birth activism after witnessing a medical monopoly over womens autonomy in pregnancy and birth.

Amy cites the passing of key legislation by a determination signed the night before the election was called as the catalyst to her candidacy .

In the last year consumers have despaired at the control the medical lobby has exerted over both major parties regarding health reform.  We are now facing a situation where long awaited Medicare reforms are completely controlled by the medical lobby.  Doctors will have to physically agree to all care that a midwife, with a Medicare provider number – a registered health practitioner in their own right – provides before the mother is eligible for a rebate.

This reform could have given women in the Blue Mountains greater safety through a local midwifery service, instead they will continue to face uncertainty and danger. The Blue Mountains Hospital maternity service is not sustainable in its current form.

Amy has a strong sense of community, having volunteered with Australian Breastfeeding Association, represented consumers on the maternity consumer consultation board at Katoomba Hospital, performed with Ruby Bloomers Womens circus and co-hosts the Birth Hour on BluFM.

Amy knows the concerns of the community, because she is part of the community, and will represent the voices from Macquarie.
www.macquarie2010.com.au