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Post by spaceyone on Apr 25, 2012 10:19:44 GMT 7
Hi Spaceyone, Have you made your allegations of corruption to the Commonwealth Ombudsman previously? If so did they reply to you in writing? Hi Rowdy. Yes, at the outset, when I only had suspicions and no proof, I lodged three separate complaints. One of their staff rang me and told me that my complaint about the corrupt JCA interview had been resolved when Centrelink replied that JCA interviews had nothing to do with DSP applications. I laughed and asked her if she really believed that. She stated that she did. I informed her that they have everything to do with an application for DSP. She was unmoved. I told her to forget it. Later, I applied for the Ombudsman's own records about my cases. It seems someone went and cancelled them all, by claiming that I had rung them up and did so myself. I later put a complaint into the Ombudsman's department about that, and had a phone call from his one of his immediate subordinates. He kept offering up excuses for On-Q HR and Centrelink's behaviour, which had already been proven to be not valid or questionable. So I just spoke rudely and loudly to him about how I felt about all of that, until he hung up the phone on me Actually though, there was one issue they did pursue for me. On-Q HR's refusal to give me a copy of their records on me. It was the Ombudsman Department who argued against On-Q's lawyer, all the way to the PM's office of FOI, about whether or not private employment agencies were except from FOI laws. The result of that, was that Mr Allan Simakoff, of the PM's FOI department tried to get rid of it all by responding to me with a lie. When questioned, he caved in and admitted that the Office of the Privacy Commission would probably be able to get it for me. Which they did, in the end.
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Post by newtodsp on Apr 26, 2012 14:41:20 GMT 7
Hi Spaceyone, This reads a lot better than your first version. I hope you don't mind my pointed comments! I have a few more: 1) What about a catchy header? We, the people of Australia, have been made aware..2) If you use a platform where the petition can be widely distributed, you may pick up signatures from NZ as well (since we have a few of them living here!) so why limit it to those in Australia! 3) I think a brief directive addressed to Senator Kim Carr at the beginning could be a good idea - "we urge you to investigate/streamline processes/stop..." for instance. Using action words, pointing out what outcomes we would like - this focuses positively on outcomes we want. 4) I quite like the 'this must stop!' but i do think there is value in pointing to outcomes we want, what do we want in place of what is happening. 5) This commentary has wider appeal than your previous one, however, it still makes more sense for those who have had bad experiences with Centrelink, and there are many. But I think another useful thing the petition can do is raise awareness and get signatories who might not know what has been going on at Centrelink. Perhaps including a few sentences on a few cases which have been in the media, and providing a reference might be a good idea - to provide solid evidence of what is happening, and for further reading for the curious? Just an idea. There was a bit written in the media about the job agency rorting. 6) mentioning senator carr's name will personalise the petition 7) I feel the last paragraph where it says we will start demonstrating outside centrelink, may discourage some potential signatories. 8) I feel you cover a lot with this petition, I wonder if it would be more marketable and easier to sell with less. Whether separate petitions on a few of the issues would be better. People get overly intimidated/confused if there is alot to digest unfortunately. Or maybe I"m being too cynical! Just some random comments!! I hope I didn't offend! But otherwise I think its great that you're taking this intiative. Lots of people like to whinge, which is fair enough, but what we really need is rallying together, political movement and unity.
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Post by newtodsp on Apr 26, 2012 15:18:47 GMT 7
@ Banjo, I am very much in agreement with you, 1 million is a huge voting block, if only we could band together to achieve our outcomes. The fear of centrelink backlash is justified though, but I do believe there are ways around this.
The media and certain politicians do a good job of talking s*%t about people on welfare, which makes it harder for the underpriviledged to feel worthy and band together.
A big concern for me is the change of the impairment tables, which would put a fair few DSPensionsers onto Newstart, which just isn't approrpriate for the sick. If the government can't find it in their hearts to let these people stay on the DSP, there should be a more appropriate payment for them, between the DSP and Newstart. Newstart is not appropriate for the chronically sick who are incapable of work.
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Post by spaceyone on Apr 27, 2012 8:07:44 GMT 7
Thanks again, newtodsp. No offence taken, the text is posted to ask for input from others. Your advice has been great, on both occassions.
I have been thinking of shortening the whole thing to pretty much request a Royal Commission into DEEWR itself.
They alllowed the rorting by employment agencies to occur and continue, long after people started complaining about it.
DEEWR runs Centrelink, the Ombudsman and Privacy Commissioner's Departments, and even the Commonwealth Resolution Service. The latter three are doing nothing to protect people from the corrupt actions of C/L.
They also run Fair Work Australia, which has been in the news in disgrace a lot lately as well.
They would have also administered all of the funds for schools, which were squandered and rorted.
Anyone agree that we should go for the whole of DEEWR, and to have whichever fat cat is getting fatter from mismanaging the place fired. Or limit our complaints to being about Centrelink?
I will post another draft a bit later today.
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Post by newtodsp on Apr 27, 2012 10:45:35 GMT 7
No worries Spaceyone. I have not been following the DEEWR in the media and don't know much about Royal commissions- how hard they are to get or how frequently they are done, so I can't comment on that but I do think focusing on centrelink is a good idea.
Centrelink has a negative association/feeling/connotation in the australian public, even among non welfare recipients (when was the last time someone said Centrelink made them feel warm and fuzzy?!) so i think that petiton is more likely to be succesful.
Perhaps 2 seperate petitions are a good idea? Distributing them wouldn't take twice as long as you're going to be distributing the other one anyway..
I shouldn't egg u on too much ;P
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Post by spaceyone on May 30, 2012 8:13:18 GMT 7
I didn't have time to work on this petition recently. Now, instead of incorporating the suggestions, I have gone off on a different tac. Maybe we should send Hank a message, that we have more power in Australia than he does?
* * * *
We the people of Australia demand that Hank Jorgen's contract with Centrelink be terminated.
We believe that Hank Jorgensen is the driving force behind changing a welfare agency, who's charter was to help people financially and to find employment, into an aggressive, heartless machine which seeks to cut off people's payments in a shameless attempt to claim that he has saved the government money.
Hank Jorgen seems to have little regard for ordinary Australians and what we stand for - helping people who are going through hard times, or who have retired from the workforce.
While we do not support rorters, we also do not support Hank's assertion that everyone in receipt of a welfare payment is one of those.
In fact, it has come to light that when Centrelink employees are found to be acting corruptly, it is covered up and they are given a new job elsewhere.
Individual Centrelink branches have become corrupt, and are being allowed to get away with unconsionable conduct. When clients become inflamed by this, or their sheer inefficiency, we are branded as being unreasonable.
Centrelink and DEEWR staff enabled the rorting by employment agencies to occur and to continue, resulting in tax payers being defrauded of millions of dollars.
The Commonwealth Ombudsman's Office and that of the Office of Infomation Privacy Commissioner has been enlisted to cover up for corrupt Centrelink staff, and to deny justice to their victims. This is contrary to their charter, and should cease immediately.
Signed by the people of Australia.
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Post by spaceyone on May 30, 2012 9:49:12 GMT 7
Does anyone have a spare foot they are not using, to donate to our message to Canberra? Human foot mailed to Canadian political partyCanadian police were Tuesday investigating after a decomposing human foot was mailed to the ruling Conservative Party at its headquarters in Ottawa. The package was partly opened by the receptionist who called the police after seeing blood stains and was overwhelmed by the smell. "The Hazmat Unit and Emergency Operations Section were called and upon further inspection of the package it was determined that there was possibly a human foot in the box," Ottawa police said in a statement. The box was then X-rayed and handed over to the local coroner who "determined that the package did contain a human foot. The Ottawa police major crime investigation continues," it added. The police are interviewing post office staffs as well as morgues and hospitals in the area. news.ninemsn.com.au/world/8475585/human-foot-mailed-to-canadas-conservative-party
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Post by latindancer on May 30, 2012 14:23:17 GMT 7
Gives a new meaning to "voting with your feet", doesn't it ? Good idea about Hank, Spacey. It might work if we get enough people. I personally find him to be rather obnoxious. There is something slightly disgusting about his flabby face together with that overbearing attitude.
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Post by spaceyone on May 30, 2012 16:42:59 GMT 7
Gives a new meaning to "voting with your feet", doesn't it ? Good idea about Hank, Spacey. It might work if we get enough people. I personally find him to be rather obnoxious. There is something slightly disgusting about his flabby face together with that overbearing attitude. Lol, re: voting with feet - good one. Maybe that is why their staff have become so arrogant, they are merely imitating him.
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Post by spaceyone on May 31, 2012 14:14:17 GMT 7
Current Score: Corrupt Centrelink Workers vs SpaceyOne Despite being advised not to make anymore dodgey appointments for my son while I am banned from entering all Centrelink branches, my local guys went ahead and did so. I advised the minister's office last week that he would not be attending, and left online feedback on the C/L website to the same affect, that we would phone in, since I could not be there as a witness. After reading through his file this week: I lodged an appeal with the Privacy Commissioner's Office about the decision not to a provide a copy of the suspect record from my son's file. I requested that the application be processed by someone who was not corrupt. I lodged a complaint with the Privacy Commissioners Office about the FOI guy illegally hiding the record. Within moments he was on the phone to tell me that Centrelink do have a list of periods that my son had been granted medical exemptions from participation, it just comes up on a different screen to his other records. He offered to send me the list. It arrived today, and confirms the dates and periods of all the certificates I have. However, he still doesn't seem to have copies of the certificates themselves. So, they kept a record of the periods on the side, unofficially, while on the main screen they ignored them completely and kept threatening to cut off his payments for not looking for work. I lodged an appeal against the FOI man processing my own FOI requests, which were to add annotations to my records, as he had sent some back asking that I rephrase them, within a certain time-frame or my application would expire. Originally, I had been going to play his game, but instead put in an appeal to have his decisions looked at, claiming that I have had dealings with him before and already found him suspect. Today, I received more notifications from him, sent a few days ago, that he has rejected pretty much every single one of the annotations I applied to make. They point out the corruptions and misconduct, making it more clear for all to see. This is in preparation for the compensation claim I will finally lodge, after all this time, if I can squeeze a cartridge of toner out of Gillard's next bonus payment. The ex-military intelligence man who swore to me that he was an honest employee, has shown that he was lying again to me with that statement. On the day of the interview, yesterday, we went online and processed my son's form. We left online feedback that he would not be attending the interview, since they don't write it down when we do. We stated that any suspension of his payments would be appealed all the way to the AAT. Originally I had said we would ring to do it by phone. We didn't even bother to waste our time going through that farce, and sitting on hold for half an hour to do it. The Minister received an email explaining that I was sorry, but I really would have to look at taking him to court now, and hold him accountable for the 22 months of corrupt dealings we have been subject to, which I asked him to end for me. I also informed him of some of the corruptions contained in the file, which he had now helped to conceal. I also explained that his staff arranging with Centrelink to have me banned from attending their premises, rather than investigate the incident I had complained about, had bought about this situation where my son's payments might be suspended on that same day, and that it was all going to end up at the AAT as well. Money was in the bank today . 0/1 Sheesh, how aggressive do you have to be to get your entitlements? Son received a phone call from Human Services. Someone is going to call him back next week about his allegations regarding the medical certificates lodged at the branch he attended while staying with his grandparents, which weren't recorded. Three corrupt branches implicated now, all connected to the Gold Coast. SE Qld'ers beware.
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Post by spaceyone on May 31, 2012 14:41:20 GMT 7
Score for Welfare Rights - 0
The attitude of the guy who is now fielding their calls was interesting. I hadn't rung with the intention of making a complaint. I merely wanted to ask what the requirements were for C/L staff in relation to recording face to face encounters with a clients, especially an interview.
I started to explain that the FOI guy had told me that their staff had no requirement to record contacts, it was pretty much optional. (A lady at the Ombudsman's Department couldn't help but let out a laugh when she heard that.)
He stated that I should stop speaking right there! That in all his years of working for welfare rights, he has not once seen a case where C/L did something to someone deliberately.
He went on to explain that he had worked on many many cases, and while he admits they are inefficient and lose paperwork, he has never once seen an outcome which showed that their actions had been deliberate.
I couldn't help but let out a laugh at that.
He then tried to instruct me to keep a copy of everything, and to get it stamped by C/L as well, and manage my own records.
I stopped him right there. I informed him that I had done so, and now I was in possession of proof that C/L employees had done something deliberately to me, but what good was that, when there is no one to complain to.
I did manage to grudgingly extract from him, that while customer contact records are probably subject to some sort of procedure manual (not true), mishandling of medical information might actually be illegal.
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Post by Banjo on May 31, 2012 15:13:05 GMT 7
I'd be extremely surprised if the overturning of more than 50% of their decisions that go to appeal could all be blamed on inefficiency and lost paperwork.
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Post by spaceyone on May 31, 2012 15:25:03 GMT 7
5 Points: For the nice Radiology lady who X-Rayed my son's arm today. She came out and personally asked me if I could bring in some old X-Rays so they could compare the size of the tumor. She went on to say that they wanted to be able to write an accurate report. That they will do a preliminary one for now, about the tumor, but cannot state how much it has grown, without being able to compare it. Maybe that was because the last report we had from that company, a CT scan, had categorically stated there was no tumor in the arm at all. 0 Points - Medicare For the phone call I received last week from a Physiotherapist at Ballina Hospital, reminding me of the appointment I had with him in 1 hour. I explained it was some kind of mistake. He said I had been booked in, therefore he was expecting me to come. I explained that I do not get Physiotherapy for any of my conditions, and that we deal with Tweed Hospitals for my son's condition. He still tried to insist that I attend. I said look mate, I live three hour's drive away, and you have given me 1 hour's notice, I really don't think I am going to be able to get there in time, even if I wanted to. He asked me if there was another person in my area with the same name as me! I replied I have seen 5 on facebook, and knew of two before that. He read out an address to me. I had never lived there. I wonder if I was blacklisted, because medicare thought I was seeking treatments in two different regions, for totally different conditions. I wonder if the war room had come up with that theory, and that I was collecting another DSP as well
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Post by spaceyone on May 31, 2012 16:23:24 GMT 7
I'd be extremely surprised if the overturning of more than 50% of their decisions that go to appeal could all be blamed on inefficiency and lost paperwork. I cc'd one of my emails to the minister, to the investigations address at the Sydney Morning Herald. Not sure how much that affected my outcomes as well.
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Post by Banjo on May 31, 2012 17:25:18 GMT 7
I often thought that your story would make good news if you could find a sympathetic journo.
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