newsletter March 2006
Tasmanian Council of Social Service Inc. inside this issue E lect ion 2 0 06 A Fa i rer Tasman ia :
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F rom t he CE O by Mat Rowel l :
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A Vision fo r a Fa i re r Tasmana by Luke Ma r t i n :
Election 2006 : A Fai rer Tasmania
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Indust r y Development Repo r t by David Owen : 6
TasCOSS Resea rch Project - Pre-Payment Mete rs in Tasman ia by Kat h McLean : 7
HACC Consume r Consul tat ion Project by Paul i ne Ma rsh : 8
The major focus of this edition of the TasCOSS Newsletter is the 18 March election. The outcome of this election could well be crucial in determining the policy settings and resource allocations that will impact on low-income and other disadvantaged Tasmanians. TasCOSS is actively participating in this campaign. The reports from CEO Mat Rowell and Social Policy Officer Luke Martin provide more information on what TasCOSS has been advocating, and how we have attempted to ensure that the interests of your organisations and your clients are prominent in the public debate during the campaign period. Included as a ‘stop press’ insert is our summary of how
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the major parties have responded to the key issues raised by TasCOSS. Please study these responses carefully and do what you can to ensure that your coworkers, Board members and service users are aware of the parties’ positions. Elections matter to lowincome Tasmanians. The reverse is also true. As we have stressed in our discussions with the political parties, four out of every ten Tasmanian voters are in receipt of either a Health Care Card or a Pensioner Concession Card. That’s a substantial voting bloc. Join us in helping to make those votes count on 18 March.