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Labor’s Tasmanian State Conference | Register now for Walk4BrainCancer | Charities inquiry progresses | Petition launched to save local weather forecasting | Government denies aged care cuts | Labor's boost to women's super | Vale John McCain | Wattle Day | Stroke Week | In brief
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Senator Catryna Bilyk eBulletin #51

Tuesday, 25 September 2018

 

Since my last eBulletin I have been participating in a number of Senate inquiry public hearings on topics including industrial deaths, exploitation of cleaners, the mental health of first responders, and stillbirth research and education. I also attended various community events and the Australian Labor Party’s Tasmanian State Conference in Hobart, followed by another sitting fortnight of Parliament.

I would like to thank Conference delegates and Labor Party members who voted to preselect me as the 2nd candidate on Labor’s Tasmanian Senate ticket. If re-elected to the Senate I will continue to progress the issues that I am currently advocating on including securing funding and support for treatment of low survival cancers, fixing charity fundraising regulation and improving access to palliative care. I will also keep working hard in the community, and together with the Tasmanian Federal Labor team to secure a fair deal for Tasmania.

In regards to getting a fair deal for Tasmania, I took note of an answer by the Government’s Leader in the Senate, Mathias Cormann, about reports of Scott Morrison’s expletive-ridden tirade to in which he reportedly called Tasmania’s Treasurer Peter Gutwein a ‘mendicant’ over Tasmania’s request to get a fair deal on GST. It goes to show how out of touch our Prime Minister is if he thinks Tasmanians aren’t entitled to the same level of service as people in other states.

The Liberals’ disregard for Tasmania is of little surprise when they have been so focussed on themselves. Liberal Leadership aspirant Peter Dutton barely survived a motion of no confidence in the House of Representatives after misleading Parliament about the au pair saga, and despite being asked repeatedly in question time no-one in the Government seems to be able to explain why Scott Morrison had to become prime minister.


Labor’s Tasmanian State Conference


Speaking at Labor’s State Conference in Hobart.

If there was one message to take from Labor’s Tasmanian State Conference on the weekend of 8-9 September it was that, unlike the Liberals, Labor is united and ready to govern. While Labor is often accused by the Liberals of “class envy” the following excerpt from Bill Shorten’s speech to the Conference sums up the difference between our philosophy and that of the Liberals:
 
“Funding hospitals is about decency, not envy. Helping vulnerable people is about compassion, not jealousy. Tackling inequality is about understanding that you judge a society, not just about how the very best are doing very well, but how the most disadvantaged are going.”
 
These sentiments are clearly not shared by a Government which has shelved—but not yet dropped—its policy to give an $80 billion handout to big business, rather than invest in Australia’s schools and hospitals.
 
I moved or seconded three motions at the Conference on the topics of stillbirth, early childhood education and safe rest stops for Tasmanian road transport workers (follow the hyperlinks to watch videos of these speeches).
 
Another highlight of the Conference was the Life Membership Awarded to former State Member for Lyons, Heather Butler AM. My congratulations to Heather on this well-deserved honour.
 



With State Member for Lyons, Jen Butler MP, new ALP Life Member, Heather Butler AM, and Senator Helen Polley.
 
Register now for Walk4BrainCancer

With only six weeks to go until Walk4BrainCancer Tasmania, we are beginning to ramp up our efforts to reach our ambitious fundraising target of $30,000.

I encourage anyone who can spare a couple of hours of their day to register for the walk and participate. Alternatively, if you cannot make it to Dru Point Bicentennial Park on Sunday, 4 November then please sponsor me. Donations of $2 or more are tax deductible.

This is the fifth Walk4BrainCancer in Tasmania, and while the event has managed to raise over $150,000 so far there is a long way to go on improving the five-year survival rate for the disease, which has remained at around 20% for the last three decades.

One of the many uses of the money raised for Cure Brain Cancer Foundation will be to support the $100 million Australian Brain Cancer Mission, which aims to increase brain cancer survival to 50% by 2027. Follow the link to this video to find out more about Walk4BrainCancer Tasmania 2018.



Charities inquiry progresses

The Senate has resolved to extend the Senate Select Committee on Charity Fundraising in the 21st Century, which I am chairing, to February next year. This is due to the extraordinary amount of public interest shown in the committee’s inquiry, which has received over 100 submissions so far.

The Committee has resolved to hold public hearings in Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra and Brisbane with details to be published shortly on the inquiry’s home page.

I recently co-authored an opinion piece with Labor’s Shadow Minister for Charities and Not‑for‑Profits, Andrew Leigh, about the need for charity fundraising reform (click the image below to see a larger version).

 
Petition launched to save local weather forecasting

In a move which Tasmanian unions have said could endanger lives, the Morrison Government is moving local Bureau of Meteorology forecasting services out of the small states and territories and centralising them in Melbourne and Brisbane. Federal Labor Members and Senators are deeply concerned about how this will impact on the quality of Tasmanian weather forecasts and have launched a petition against the changes.
 
I outlined community concerns about the Government’s decision in this senators’ statements speech.
 
Please support our call to retain local forecasting by signing the petition online. Hard copies of the petition are available on request from my office.
 

 

Government denies aged care cuts

Labor supports a Royal Commission into the abuse and cover-ups in the aged care sector, but the inquiry must also examine the impact of the Abbott/Turnbull/Morrison Government’s cuts to aged care.
 
Scott Morrison continues to deny that he made $1.2 billion in cuts to aged care as Treasurer, despite the fact that it is written in black and white in the budget papers. We know these cuts have hurt the aged care sector and are responsible for the home care package waiting list blowing out to 108,000.
 
I highlighted the Government’s failings on aged care when I spoke on the second reading of their aged care bill, and the following week on a motion about aged care. Older Australians deserve to be treated with dignity and respect, and the Royal Commission should not be an excuse for the Government to delay fixing their aged care crisis.
 

 

I met with Tim Jacobson from the Heatlh and Community Services Union (HACSU) and Leigh Svendsen from the Health Services Union (HSU) to discuss the aged care crisis.
 

 

The Liberal Government’s $1.2 billion in cuts to aged care are written in black and white in the 2016-17 Budget papers.
 
 
 

Labor’s boost to women’s super

Because women earn on average around 15% less than men, and other factors that interrupt their careers, they end up with about 40% less superannuation in retirement. Labor has announced a bold $400 million plan to help close that gap. A Shorten Labor Government will:
  • Pay superannuation on Commonwealth Paid Parental Leave and Dad and Partner Pay payments,
  • Phase out the $450 minimum monthly income threshold for eligibility for the superannuation guarantee,
  • Make it easier for employers to make extra payments into a woman’s superannuation fund, and
  • Consider the impact that any future changes to super would have on women.
Of course, the best way to address the gender gap in super is by closing the gender pay gap, which will also be a priority of Labor in government.
 

Vale John McCain

United States Senator John McCain recently passed away, aged 81, as the result of a glioblastoma—one of the most aggressive forms of brain cancer.

As one of the highest profile politicians in the United States, and former presidential candidate, his battle with brain cancer has been an inspiration to many and helped to raise the profile of the disease globally. As a brain cancer survivor, and lone voice in Parliament for many years on brain cancer funding, I hope that this tragedy will encourage more action to combat a disease which kills more Australian children than any other.
I offer my condolences to Senator McCain’s family.
 


I signed a condolence book in Parliament for the late Senator John McCain

Wattle Day

September 1st is Wattle Day, the official start of Australia’s Spring season and a celebration of Australia’s floral emblem.

I joined my colleagues Senator Carol Brown and Senator Lisa Singh in hosting a barbecue at the Republic Bar and Café with the Australian Republican Movement’s Tasmanian Convenor Angela Wilson. Around 50 people attended in support for the call for Australia to have one of our own as our head of state.

I also addressed the issue in the second half of this adjournment speech.


Stroke Week

I was pleased to move a motion in the Senate, which was carried, recognising Stroke Week and to meet in Parliament with the CEO of the Stroke Foundation, Sharon McGowan.
Stroke is one of the leading causes of death and disability in Australia, yet 80% of strokes can be prevented by making healthy lifestyle choices. The Stroke Foundation recommends five tips for a healthy life:
  • Eat well
  • Stay active
  • Be smoke free
  • Moderate alcohol intake
  • Visit your doctor for a health check to help manage blood pressure, type 2 diabetes and atrial fibrillation (irregular heart beat)
 
With Sharon McGowan, CEO of the Stroke Foundation and my motion to the Senate.

In brief
 
Keep buying strawberries!

Despite concerns in the community about the recent food contamination scare it is important that we continue to support Australia’s farmers and buy fresh fruit, including strawberries.

Tasmania Police are advising the public to cut up apples and strawberries before eating them.

 
Labor’s private health insurance cap

Under the Liberals, private health insurance premiums have increased by 27% since 2014 costing families an average $1,000 more, while insurers made $3.7 billion in profits.

As I mentioned in this speech to the Senate, a Shorten Labor Government will premium increases by 2% for two years, delivering families an average saving of $340.

 
Road Safety

Thousands of Australians are killed or injured on Australian roads each year. This is a national tragedy yet many Australians seem to take it for granted that it will continue.

Last week I was pleased to move a motion in the Senate, together with Senators Alex Gallacher, Dean Smith, and Labor’s Shadow Assistant Minister for Road Safety, Glenn Sterle, calling for road safety to be a national priority of Commonwealth, state, territory and local governments.

 
Call for COTA Board members

Council on the Ageing (COTA) Tasmania is looking for passionate volunteers who would like to join their Board of Directors and support them as they advance the rights and interests of older Tasmanians.

They particularly encourage candidates with skills in accounting, investment, bequests and digital marketing.

Board members will be elected at COTA’s Annual General Meeting on 19 November. Nominations must be received by 10 October and you must be a financial member of COTA to nominate (you can join online here).

 
My Health Record

Nearly one million Australians have opted out of the My Health Record because of the Government’s botched rollout of the system.

We are disappointed by the Liberal Government’s failure to gain the public’s trust in the privacy and security of the system, and we have called on them to extend the opt-out period until these concerns are addressed and public confidence is restored.

If you do not have a My Health Record, and do not wish to have one created for you, you will need to opt out by 15 November 2018, which you can do online here.

Alternatively, if you would like to register for a My Health Record, you can do so here.

 
 
 
For more information about what I have been doing to help my Tasmanian constituents, please contact my office on (03) 6229 4444 or visit www.catrynabilyk.com.

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Senator Catryna Bilyk · Shop 3, Kingston Plaza · 20 Channel Highway · Kingston, TAS 7050 · Australia

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