Memo from Mayo - 27 May 2021
Welcome to the latest edition of my Memo from Mayo!
I have some really exciting news. I am hosting two Positive Ageing Forums in the Adelaide Hills and on the South Coast in July, and we have some AMAZING guest speakers confirmed. We have Ita Buttrose, Dementia Australia Ambassador, and South Australian icon Maggie Beer, who will be talking about nutrition at every stage and age. We also have Ian Henschke, National Seniors Australia Chief Advocate; Carolanne Barkla, Chief Executive of Aged Rights Advocacy Service and Ian Yates, Chief Executive of COTA.
After a year of global change and as we face new changes in the delivery of our aged care services, I would like to invite you to one of my positive ageing forums to share information, resources and ideas to celebrate positive ageing. This is a time to bring our community together.
More details below. Bookings are essential.
Adelaide Hills Positive Ageing Forum - Cornerstone College, Mount Barker
Thursday, July 15, 9am-12pm
Guest speakers include Ita Buttrose, Dementia Australia Ambassador; Ian Henschke, National Seniors Australia Chief Advocate; and Carolanne Barkla, Chief Executive of Aged Rights Advocacy Service
South Coast Positive Ageing Forum - Investigator College, Victor Harbor
Friday, July 16, 9am-12pm
Guest speakers include Maggie Beer, Aged Care Nutrition Advocate; Ambassador; Ian Henschke, National Seniors Australia Chief Advocate; and Ian Yates, Chief Executive of COTA
Aged Care Oversight
Rebekha is advocating for a parliamentary committee to oversee the implementation of the recommendations of the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety and the $17.7 billion in extra funding set aside for aged care in the Federal Budget.
A motion lodged by Rebekha, arguing the case for the oversight committee, was debated this week with speakers from the Crossbench, the Opposition, and the Government.
“My Centre Alliance colleague Senator Stirling Griff is looking to introduce a similar motion into the Senate and I met with the Prime Minister Scott Morrison this week to advocate for the committee. The meeting was constructive and the PM said he would consider the matter," Rebekha said.
You can read more on Rebekha's website here.
Age Discrimination
Discrimination of the elderly who acquire a disability is alive and well despite the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety, according to Rebekha.
Rebekha made these comments after Question Time on Wednesday when the Centre Alliance Spokesperson for Aged Care and Disability asked the Government when they would act on recommendation 72 of the Royal Commission which called for every person over the age of 65 – who was also living with a disability – to receive the same support as those accessing the NDIS.
“This is a matter of equity, it was identified as a recommendation in the Royal Commission, and for the Government to effectively say ‘they are looking into it’ is not good enough,” Rebekha said.
You can read more on Rebekha's website here and watch Question Time on YouTube.
KI Vaccine Hub
Rebekha Sharkie has welcomed the news that the State Government will use the Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) to deliver COVID-19 vaccines to Kangaroo Island residents.
This week it was announced that the RFDS, the Barossa Hills Fleurieu Local Health Network, and the Kangaroo Island Council will run a six-day a week program for the AstraZeneca and Pfizer vaccines over three months from June 8.
The announcement follows nearly five months of inquiries by Rebekha with State and Federal health authorities after KI residents in the eligible vaccine groups complained that they could not access the AstraZeneca or Pfizer jabs unless they travelled to the mainland.
You can read more on Rebekha's website here.
ABC Funding Deals
Centre Alliance has welcomed the ABC’s announcement that it has signed agreements with Google and Facebook under the News Media Bargaining Code that will allow the national broadcaster to be compensated for the use of its journalism on these platforms.
Centre Alliance’s Communications spokesperson, Senator Stirling Griff said the payments from the deals will help the ABC deliver its valuable services and has cautioned the Federal Government not to use this as a reason to reduce any of its funding.
You can read more on Rebekha's website here.
Renewables in the Regions
According to Rebekha, one of the omissions in the Federal Budget was the lack of support for renewables.
"I was particularly disappointed that there was no funding set aside for a proposal by my Crossbench colleague, Helen Haines MP, for a new Commonwealth corporate entity, the Australian Local Power Agency," Rebekha said.
"Regional communities are not always seeing the full benefit of the community energy projects being built in regional Australia. The establishment of the Australian Local Power Agency seeks to address this. I wrote a letter of support for the project to the Treasurer."
The Member for Indi is coming to Mayo next month and speaking at an event hosted by Rebekha in Stirling on July 8.
More information at here.
You can read Rebekha's budget response speech here.
Ocean Motion
The Federal Government predicts Australia's ocean industry will contribute approximately $100 billion to the economy each year by 2025, supporting close to 400,000 jobs.
Rebekha recently spoke in the parliament on a motion regarding the Government's $100 million marine environment package in the Federal Budget.
You can watch her speech on YouTube here or read her speech in full here.
Changing the World
Mayo recently lost a compassionate and much-loved young man from our Adelaide Hills community: Leif Indigo Justham.
Leif believed we each have the power to change the world for the better. He created the Instagram handle @changeyoursuper to ask people to think about their super fund and whether it invests in fossil fuels and, if it does, to consider changing to a super fund that doesn't invest in fossil fuels or polluting projects.
Rebekha spoke about Leif's legacy in the parliament.
You can watch Rebekha's speech on YouTube here and read her speech here.
