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Nationals Support Carer Claims

The Nationals Member for Gippsland Province PETER HALL has demanded support from the State Government for families caring for people with disabilities and mental illness.

By Peter Hall - 14th September 2005 - Back to News

Carers rallied outside Parliament House in Melbourne yesterday as part of a National Day of Action to present a log of claims to Federal and state governments.

Speaking at yesterday’s "Walk A Mile in My Shoes" rally on the steps of Victorian Parliament House, Mr Hall accused the government of failing to care for the State’s carers.

He declared his support for the carers’ log of claims and called on the Victorian Government to immediately implement them.

"Carers from across Victoria have presented a very clear message to state-elected representatives that the State support systems have failed families caring for people with disabilities.

"The carers have presented a seven-point log of claims and I commend those claims to the government."

The log of claims asks governments to:

• Take immediate action to stop the age discrimination in the provision of and choice in cared accommodation, by taking full responsibility for all Australians with dependant disabilities
• Act to remove discrimination in access to facility-based respite care and in-home support services throughout the nation
• Implement a parliamentary enquiry and review of funding policies and delivery systems for cared accommodation and family support services for all persons with dependent disabilities.
• Implement urgent strategies to address years long disability waiting lists with particular emphasis on frail and aged parent carers.
• Implement a parliamentary inquiry and review of funding policies and delivery systems for mental health services so all Australians with mental illness have access to adequate mental health care and rehabilitation services
• That people with mental illness have access to adequate housing and support before leaving these services
• An agreement that both of these enquiries be publicly released and responded to within three months of their conclusion.

Mr Hall said there were 1.6 million unpaid family carers nationally and they saved governments at least $30 billion a year.

He said the waiting list for supported accommodation in Victoria exceeded 4000 and more than 1000 of those people were classified as urgent.

"Carers do a mighty job of caring for family members and partners with disabilities, in many cases profound, lifelong disabilities, and they do all this with minimum support from the Bracks Government.

Source: http://gippsland.com/

Published by: news@gippsland.com

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