Disabled pensioner Julian Canty fights back over Budget cuts

[mikey]

THE Federal Budget cuts have angered a Tasmanian pensioner so much she’s decided to get political, for the first time in her life.

Juliann Canty, 61, of Lenah Valley, has organised a forum to be held in Glenorchy on Thursday, bringing together politicians, welfare organisations and community members to discuss the Budget.

A disability pensioner, Ms Canty said measures such as the GP co-payment, increased cost of medicines, lower indexation of pensions, tough welfare restrictions for young unemployed people and loss of pensioner concessions would make it impossible for people already struggling to meet even the basic costs of living.

“We’ve got a lot to go crook about,” she said.

“When I heard the Budget, I thought this is so wrong, [people on pensions] are not living, we’re existing. I thought I’m not going to sit back, I’m going to have my say.”

For the past few weeks, Ms Canty has been flat out phoning and emailing local MPs and senators, letterboxing in her area and handing out flyers on the Glenorchy shopping strip.

“I’ve never done anything like this in my life,” she said.

Ms Canty has been on a disability pension since her 20s because of an inoperable brain tumour and has had mobility issues since a stroke last year.

A regular volunteer with community organisations, Ms Canty said the Federal Budget showed the Government was out of touch.

“It’s all right for them to sit in their ivory towers, they have no idea the worry it causes. I bet none of them have been out to Loui’s Van and seen the elderly lining up. I’m not too proud to admit I’ve had to go to the City Mission and ask for a food voucher,” she said.

“We’ll be doing what they do in America: sitting on the corner with a begging plate.”

Ms Canty’s friend and neighbour Kathy Baines, 47, is a single mum of two children, including a 13-year-old son with multiple disabilities.

She is also concerned about the effects of the Budget and is helping Ms Canty get the word out about the forum.

Ms Baines said the increases to medical costs alone would be beyond her budget, given her son’s medical needs.

Independent Denison MHR Andrew Wilkie will speak at the forum. Labor Senator Lin Thorp will also attend.

Ms Canty said she had contacted several Tasmanian Liberal politicians but so far all had declined to attend.

“They know what we’ve got to say and we’re the ones they are hurting and that’s why I don’t think they will come,” she said.

The forum will be held at Glenorchy RSL on Thursday at noon.

www.themercury.com.au/news/tasmania/disabled-pensioner-juliann-canty-fights-back-over-budget-cuts/story-fnj4f7k1-1226947649046

[Banjo]

For the past few weeks, Ms Canty has been flat out phoning and emailing local MPs and senators, letterboxing in her area and handing out flyers on the Glenorchy shopping strip.

“I’ve never done anything like this in my life,” she said.


That's what has to be done.
A thousand people at a meeting looks a lot more threatening than a thousand names on a petition.

[roxane]

Jun 9, 2014 7:27:18 GMT 7 Banjo said:

For the past few weeks, Ms Canty has been flat out phoning and emailing local MPs and senators, letterboxing in her area and handing out flyers on the Glenorchy shopping strip.

“I’ve never done anything like this in my life,” she said.


That's what has to be done.
A thousand people at a meeting looks a lot more threatening than a thousand names on a petition.

Are u sure?
"Ms Canty said she had contacted several Tasmanian Liberal politicians but so far all had declined to attend."

They don't give a damn
When they start to hang pollies and their allies one by one, that's when they will notice something is really wrong!

[Banjo]

Ooh you bloodthirsty girl you...lol

I meant the spreading the word with letterboxing and handing out fliers.
Then you have the meeting on your Federal MPs office doorstep.

[mikey]

Follow up to the Tasmanian protest forum

THERE was a grim atmosphere at the Glenorchy RSL yesterday as pensioners gathered to show their concern over the Federal Budget.

About 70 people attended the meeting organised by Lenah Valley disability pensioner Julieann Canty.

Budget savings measures, including cuts to concessions, funding cuts to the state health and education systems, the $7 GP co-payment, lifting the cost of PBS medicines, lower indexation of pensions, lifting the pension age and higher fuel costs, have pensioners worried.

Ms Canty said she was mot­ivated to call the forum because people on low and fixed incomes could not endure any further hardship.

“I’m very mad at the Government and what they have done,” Ms Canty said.

Ms Canty said a pensioner’s trip to the supermarket was already an exercise in restraint, a matter of sacrificing one basic item in favour of another.

People on low incomes had no extra money to pay extra for GP visits, fuel or medicines, she said.
“People go without. I’ve seen the elderly at Vinnies’ food vans,” she said. “It’s terrible to see anyone at a food van but to see an aged person lining up at Loui’s Van is the saddest thing I’ve ever seen.

“We’ve been the silent maj­ority for too long.”

The overriding message at yesterday’s meeting was while national debt needed to be addressed, the wrong people were being targeted to fix it.

TasCOSS spokesman Darr­en Carr said Australian Council of Social Services analysis showed 52 per cent of budget savings targeted people on lower and middle incomes, while 15 per cent hit top-level earners.

Independent Denison MP Andrew Wilkie said while the national debt had to be dealt with, savings and revenue raising should target companies making super profits.

Mr Wilkie said he would oppose the Budget “at every turn in Parliament” and urged the Senate to block the Approp­riation Bills.

We can take no more hardship
About 70 angry pensioners attended the meeting.

The Greens and Labor won’t go that far but have vowed to stand in the way of Budget measures including the GP co-payment and lower indexation of pensions. Greens Senator Peter Whish-Wilson said while the Budget was cruel, the Greens did not want to block supply because it would impact on public servants.

Labor Senator Anne Urquhart said the Budget would result in people being “totally disengaged from society”.

www.themercury.com.au/news/tasmania/we-can-take-no-more-hardship-pensioners-tell-tony-abbott/story-fnj4f7k1-1226952477449

[mikey]

It is worth viewing the news item on the website and viewing all the comments. You'll see both sides expressed. Usually much more comments when it's about trees.

There is only one newspaper in Hobart, so the comments are a bit evenly split, even though "The Mercury" is Murdoch press. While Murdoch runs an agenda as much to keep his business going, as opposed to his ideology, in Tassie with a monopoly, the paper tends to be balanced about local issues. Purely for paper sales I'm sure, but when there is no local enemy, no point shooting yourself in the foot.