NEWS DESK The one-term former MP for Dunkley was chosen over sitting MP David Morris to contest the November state election. The fundraiser being held on Friday 12 August from 5.30 - 9pm by the party’s Mornington Mount Martha branch will be held at Mercetta Restaurant with guest speaker Georgie Crozier, shadow minister for health and ambulance services. As well as finger food and a complimentary drink on arrival the $40 a person cost for the night will also feature an auction, raffles and music. One of the auction items is a 1992 Premier’s Cabinet Chardonnay. The label on the 1992 Pyrenees chardonnay made by the Warrenmang winery at Moonambel states that the coalition government headed by Jeff Kennett included “a record majority” of 34 seats in the Legislative Assembly and 16 in the Legislative Council. All the MPs are named on the front and rear labels. The wine became something of a collector’s item when the then premier Kennett was controversially accused of selling it from his Spring Street, Melbourne office to raise money for the Liberal Party. Bids can be made before the night by calling the chair of Mornington state executive on 0439 988 547. To book for the fundraising night call 0467 035 144.
Premier’s wine to help candidate A “WINTER warmer” evening is being held to raise money for the campaign of the Liberal Party’s candidate for Mornington, Chris Crewther.
Land for Bunurong LAND at Rhyll, Phillip Island previously owned by the late satirist John Clarke and his wife Helen McDonald is being given to Bunurong Traditional Owners. The handover on Friday 12 August will be the first handing back of land to Bunurong Traditional Owners in 180 years. The eight hectare property will be transferred from Trust for Nature to the Bunurong Land Council Aboriginal Corporation under a 12-month transitional management agreement that will ultimately see ownership of the land returned its traditional owners. The property was gifted to Trust for Nature in 2020 by McDonald following Clarke’s death. The handover ceremony will be held at 11am on Friday 12 August at 465 Cowes Rhyll Road, Rhyll.
Veterans service CRIB Point/Flinders RSL sub-branch will hold a service for Vietnam veterans at the cenotaph at Tingira Place, Crib Point, at 10am on Saturday 13 August followed by a sausage sizzle at the RSL in Milne Street.
On the green MOUNT Martha Petanque Club is inviting the public to join in and play three times a week
at Mount Martha Bowls Club in Watson Road, Mount Martha. For details call 0409 413 416 or email andreabowles@bigpond.com
Biosecurity ‘priority’ THE state government will establish an emergency animal disease taskforce to rapidly respond to animal disease such as foot and mouth. The taskforce will be co-chaired by Agriculture Victoria chief executive officer Matt Lowe and the emergency management commissioner Andrew Crisp, in line with the State Emergency Management Plan, taking advice from Victoria’s chief vet Graeme Cooke. The government says it is working with the Commonwealth to keep Australia FMD-free with more than 300 Agriculture Victoria biosecurity staff undertaking training to handle such diseases. Victoria is the only jurisdiction to have a mandatory electronic national livestock identification system (NLIS). On average there are 10.5 million sheep tags bought by Victorian producers each year and Victorian cattle producers buy 2.5 million cattle tags a year. The most significant risk of foot and mouth disease being brought into Australia is through infected illegal meat and dairy products being fed to pigs. Details: agriculture.vic.gov.au/fmd.
COMMENT
Shire not forced to drop aged care services By Dr Sarah Russell*
A MORNINGTON Peninsula Shire councillor claims the federal government “forced” the shire to outsource its aged care services to private providers. Really? This contradicts advice from the Department of Health and Aged Care. The department states that it encourages councils to deliver aged care services: “[Councils] have been consulted, encouraged and supported and may be eligible for a grant to assist with their higher costs.” Furthermore, as a result of the outsourcing, the personal details of thousands of people were given to private providers: 1554 client records were given to Bolton Clarke; 2063 were given to Mecwacare. A member of Older Person’s Advocacy Network has raised concerns with me about whether individual clients gave “informed consent” for this transfer of their highly personal information. “I have raised questions about the stealth of [the shire’s] withdrawal (from aged care) and whether it obtained genuine informed consent for clients' data to be passed on to the replacement providers.” I have not been able to ascertain the steps taken to ensure clients gave “genuine” informed consent for their personal details to be transferred. Obtaining genuine informed consent is an onerous, but very important, task. Without
informed consent, there is a potential to breach privacy laws. Over the past few weeks, I have tried, without success, to speak with the mayor CR Anthony Marsh about councillors’ decision to outsource aged care services. Did they explore other options? Or did they merely accept the council staff’s advice? I have also sought information about how the shire selected Mecwacare and Bolton Clarke as the two providers. I asked the mayor to describe the selection process. I got no response. After having no success with the mayor, I turned to another councillor who was willing to provide details of the outsourcing. I wanted to know what steps the shire took to do the right thing by all older ratepayers. The councillor gave the Nuremberg defence: “We were forced to outsource as that was the federal government’s direction to all councils in an area of funding that they control.” The councillor further stated that: “Councils have no powers to fight against these directions.” This claim is gobsmacking. Councillors are elected precisely to represent their constituents. Of course, they have power. Not so long ago, Darebin and Moonee Valley councils were in a similar position. Their staff had recommended that aged care services be outsourced. However, after outrage from the community and the union, both councils chose to
reject this advice. A Moonee Valley councillor explained the reason for her opposition to outsourcing. “Make no mistake, this decision (not to outsource) was a barometer of the values of our council. Too often, the discussion around service provision is reduced to a simple financial equation, failing to adequately consider the real value in having councils remain as providers. “Our aged care workers are valued and often loved by their clients. Our older residents and their families know there is a peace of mind that comes with having a highly trained council employee provide aged care services for them or their family member. “There are numerous examples of personal service outsourcing failing miserably, of the quest for profit and financial goals diminishing the care and respect that our older community members so deserve. “Councils are the safe hands, the trusted providers driven not by the return to their shareholders but by the desire to ensure our older residents have the best care possible. For most councils, this is not an issue of rate capping or affordability. It is simply a matter of priorities.” Darebin Council also chose to work with older people and aged care advocates (including me) to improve the support provided. Darebin not only continues to provide services under the Commonwealth Home Support Program but also delivers
home care packages. The councillors listened to older people in the community who stated they wanted their council, not private companies, to provide aged care services in their homes. In my research for the Federal Minister for Aged Care, older people spoke highly about local council aged care services. In contrast, older people raised numerous concerns about private providers, particularly large companies. The most common complaint about large private providers was the high turnover of unqualified, inexperienced and poorly trained support workers. A high turnover of staff is a recipe for disaster. It results in strangers being sent to work in an older person’s home. Older people have to just trust that they will be treated with respect and kindness. Mornington Peninsula councilors had the opportunity to follow in the footsteps of Darebin and Moonee Valley councils by rejecting the advice from council staff. Instead, they chose the easier path – to wash their hands of aged care services. The question we now need to ask is: Does Mornington Peninsula Shire Council stand up for its older residents or does it want to be a council that knows the price of everything and the value of nothing? *Dr Sarah Russell is a public health researcher. Her reports on home care are available at: agedcarematters.net.au
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MORNINGTON • ROSEBUD PAGE 10
Southern Peninsula News
3 August 2022
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