Health "USA Style"

Public Housing in Redfern and Waterloo a real indictment of the Liberals

People living in Public Housing in my electorate in the suburbs of Redfern and Waterloo continue to live in fear and squalor. Public policy failings include maintenance and a distinct lack of support services. 

Is it any wonder when $37 million was cut to the Public Housing Maintenance budget? Now after the failure of one Minister’s administration, her replacement is a Minister from Vaucluse. I’m not sure how many residents from Vaucluse would be able to relate to the dreadful conditions that my constituents live in, which would be unacceptable for a developing country, let alone inner city Australia.

A Current Affair recently filmed the violence, anti social behaviour, and drug dealing that is rife in that area. As I said in the interview; When merchant bankers run the government instead of people caring about the poor this is the product".

Have a look at the program for yourself at http://youtu.be/dMfx4GCv7q4

Remember ANZAC Day tomorrow

Ron Hoenig MP talking to residents at Eastlakes 

I enjoyed being out and about in Eastlakes Shopping Center talking to residents about the issues that concern them. They really are quite unimpressed with the new "Merchant Banker" Premier who wants to do things like privatise public hospitals.

I took the opportunity to remind residents of ANZAC Day tomorrow with the nearest Dawn Service being at Booralee Park, Botany, corner Daniel and Bay Streets, commencing at 6am.

Remember ANZAC Day this Friday

I was out early this morning at Mascot Railway Station reminding Mascot residents of ANZAC Day this Friday and the Dawn Service at Botany.

ANZAC Day – 25 April – is probably Australia's most important national occasion. It marks the anniversary of the first major military action fought by Australian and New Zealand forces during the First World War.

In 1917, the word ANZAC meant someone who fought at Gallipoli. Now it is a National Day on which the lives of all Australians lost in war time are remembered. 

The spirit of ANZAC recognises the qualities of courage, mateship and sacrifice which were demonstrated at the Gallipoli landing.

It is the spirit of ANZAC, the hero's, the fallen and those who survived, who sacrificed everything in the name of freedom.

To residents of my electorate living in easy access to Booralee Park, Botany at the Corner of Daniel and Bay Streets, the Commemorative Dawn Service will commence at 6am.

Organised by those wonderful veterans of Botany and Mascot RSL, and generously supported by Botany Bay City Council, a gesture I know the community appreciates.

As a person who has been chosen by the people for public office for over three decades, first as Mayor then as a Member of Parliament, I am always conscious of the privilege to be elected by a free people is because of the sacrifice made by the men and women we honour on ANZAC Day. LEST WE FORGET

NSW Liberal government in chaos with four Ministers sacked - that now makes seven

Opposition Leader John Robertson today said Mike Baird’s Cabinet reshuffle – forced by the chaotic resignation of Barry O’Farrell last week – showed the Liberal Government was disarray.

Mr Robertson said Mike Baird has promoted and protected failed Ministers – and turned his back on the regions with two Ministers from the Hunter sacked and someone from Sydney appointed to the Hunter Ministry.

“This reshuffle has nothing to do with rejuvenation – this reshuffle was forced on the government by the resignation of a Premier last week ......” Mr Robertson said.

“We have now seen 7 ministers and a Premier sacked or resign in just 12 months – with this instability very different to what the community voted for in 2011.

“Mike Baird has promoted Brad Hazzard to the position of Attorney-General despite bungling the planning portfolio – and he has promoted Pru Goward despite overseeing cuts to caseworker numbers and leaving more vulnerable children at risk than ever before.

“We have also seen Mike Baird fail to remove Health Minister Jillian Skinner despite overseeing the longest wait time for elective surgery in the country and longer waiting times in emergency rooms.

“We also now have a Minister for Western Sydney who lives in Manly, a Minister for the Hunter who lives in Willoughby and a Minister for the Illawarra from Rockdale.

“Just eight weeks out from the NSW budget we now have a rookie Treasurer and Finance Minister.

“The last thing NSW needs is a Treasurer and Finance Minister on their L-plates – especially after Mike Baird himself made a billion dollar error with the budget in 2011.

“Today’s reshuffle shows just how out of touch Mike Baird is – with his new Cabinet not properly reflecting the whole of NSW.”

Mr Robertson said Mike Baird had also reduced the number of women in his Cabinet – another demonstration of just how out of touch he was with the community.

“Mike Baird should not be reducing the number of women in Cabinet,” Mr Robertson said.

“In only a few days we have already seen Mike Baird’s extreme agenda for NSW – with plans to privatise electricity, privatise hospitals and increase the GST.

“Mike Baird is now in charge of a government in disarray and chaos – with extreme plans that will only hurt families across the state.”

Hunter representation removed from NSW Cabinet under Mike Baird's reshuffle

The Hunter region has fared terribly in Mike Baird’s crisis-driven cabinet reshuffle – with no one from the Hunter left sitting at the Cabinet table to fight for local hospitals, schools and community services.

Maitland MP Robyn Parker and Upper Hunter MP George Souris have been dumped from the Ministry, leaving the region with no Ministers.

Mike Baird has also given the responsibility of Minister for the Hunter to Gladys Berejiklian – who is based on Sydney’s north shore.

“Mike Baird is taking the Hunter’s money back to Sydney while depriving it of even a single voice in the Cabinet,” Opposition Leader John Robertson said today.

“At a time when the Liberal Government has cut funding from Hunter hospitals, TAFE and child protection services – and left key transport and urban projects undelivered – it defies belief that the region’s representation has been eliminated.

“You need that local voice prepared to go into bat for the Hunter around the Cabinet table.

“Mike Baird is clearly someone more at home on the north shore of Sydney than mixing it around the State.

“The new Premier is clearly out of touch with the Hunter community – and the lack of Hunter representation in his Cabinet is bad news for the region.”

Mr Robertson noted that the Liberal Government’s track record in the Hunter over the last three years includes:

• Breaking its word and privatising the Port of Newcastle – with most proceeds sent to prop up the Government’s coffers in Sydney instead of reinvested locally;
• Cutting the Newcastle Rail Line at Wickham;
• Cutting $88 million from the Hunter New England health budget via labour expense savings;
• Leaving the region’s ambulance network in crisis, with response times nearly twice the State average;
• Failure to reopen the John Hunter public eye clinic or begin work on a new Hunter hospital;
• Failure to fund the Newcastle Art Gallery refurbishment;
• Removal of the HSC syllabus across Hunter TAFE – as well as key courses such as hospitality, tourism, welding and boat building;
• Funding cuts to 21 schools across the Hunter and Central Coast, including Morisset High School, Fennell Bay Public School (Lake Macquarie); Lakeside School and Windale Public School (Charlestown); Woodberry Public School, Tenambit Public School and Hunter River Community School (Maitland).
• Hunter child protection services left in crisis with 28 caseworker vacancies – the highest number of vacancies of any region in NSW.

Shadow Minister for the Hunter Sonia Hornery said: “There are now no locals left in in the Cabinet to fight for the critical funding needs of Hunter hospitals, community services, schools and TAFE.”

“With the change of Planning Minister, key projects such as the Newcastle urban renewal strategy have been left in limbo.

“Maitland has lost its only voice around the Cabinet table.

“Mike Baird has shown in only a few days that he has an extreme plan to privatise electricity, privatise hospitals and broaden the GST – all things that will hurt Hunter families.”

Child protection a mess in NSW

The NSW Ombudsman earlier this month issued a devastating report on child protection services in this state.

The Ombudsman’s report found:

• “Young people continuing to get lost in the system”. (p6)
• “The statutory child protection system is still struggling to meet the demands placed on it”. (p8)
• “Response rates will remain inadequate without the injection of further targeted resources”. (p13)

Shadow Minister for Family and Community Services Linda Burney said today that the Ombudsman's report had prompted Labor to demand the Minister, Pru Goward be removed from the portfolio.

Following MS Goward's removal from the portfolio today and being appointed Minister for Planning, Ms Burney said; “The decision to remove Pru Goward from Community Services is appropriate and one that Labor has long demanded – however it is extraordinary that she has been rewarded for her incompetence.”

“The NSW Ombudsman has shined a light on the full extent of the crisis in NSW child protection,” Ms Burney said.

Ms Burney called on the new Minister Gabrielle Upton to commit to implementing all the Ombudsman’s recommendations and righting the child protection tragedy that is unfolding across our State.