Cartoons of the Week

Cathy Wilcox

John Shakespeare

How to look for a missing friend or relative during the February-March 2022 NSW floods

NSW Police, News, 1 March 2022:

Police are encouraging people within the impacted flood areas to register their movements using the Australian Red Cross ‘Register, Find, Reunite’, as emergency services continue to respond to several calls for assistance. 

 A significant rain event has impacted several communities in Northern NSW since late last week, with towns such as Lismore isolated due to flood waters.

Evacuation Orders issued by the NSW State Emergency Service (SES) remain in place for several northeast NSW communities, including Lismore, Ballina, South Ballina, Casino, Woodburn, Coraki, Murwillumbah and Mullumbimby. 

 A full list of current evacuation orders and warnings can be found on the NSW SES website: https://www.ses.nsw.gov.au/. 

Yesterday (Monday 28 February 2022), police from multiple units including Police Rescue and general duties, SES volunteers, NSW Surf Life Saving, NSW Rural Fire Service, Fire and Rescue NSW and more than 200 members of the community assisted in rescuing more than 3000 people from homes within the Lismore area. 

The Australian Defence Force has also deployed to the region, with aircraft assisting with rescue efforts and around 200 officers supporting on the ground. It is estimated multiple people remain isolated in their homes across the Northern Rivers today (Tuesday 1 March 2022), with emergency services recommencing rescue operations to locate and assist them. 

As the rescue operation continues, State Emergency Operations Controller, Deputy Commissioner Mal Lanyon, is urging all those who have been rescued to register their movements using the Register, Find, Reunite website – https://www.redcross.org.au/emergencies/about-register-find-reunite/ – which is a National system managed and operated by Australian Red Cross. 

“Whilst emergency services and members of the community rescued more than 3000 people yesterday, only around 1000 of those have let authorities know they are okay,” Deputy Commissioner Lanyon said “The system of reporting a flood rescue can come from multiple avenues – either through the NSW SES on 132 500 or through Triple Zero (000). 

“As we continue our efforts to rescue as many people as we can from homes in the Northern Rivers, NSW Police also need to account for the whereabouts of a number of people who were rescued yesterday. 

“We understand communications in the region have been significantly impacted by this weather event, and this can add to the stress of not being able to get in contact with family and friends. 

“If you or any family members reside within the impacted area, the Register, Find, Reunite service is a helpful tool to let people know you are safe, and to allow Police, with consent, to share details of family and friends with each other,” Deputy Commissioner Lanyon said. 

The Register, Find, Reunite website – https://www.redcross.org.au/emergencies/about-register-find-reunite/ – is a National system managed and operated by Australian Red Cross. 

It is a service which registers, finds and reunites family, friends and loved ones after an Emergency. 

It allows people to: 

• Register to let people know they are safe 

• Find people who may be affected by an Emergency and know they are safe 

• Reunite through a matching process which enables Police, with consent, to share details of family and friends with each other. 

The Public Information and Inquiry Centre (PIIC), has also been activated to support the severe weather operation. 

The principle function of the PIIC is to not only provide accurate, up-to-date general information to the public, but to also answer their inquiries regarding the flood event which has impacted on the community. 

The Public Information and Inquiry Centre can be contacted by calling 1800 227 228. 

Members of the public in flood affected areas should continue to listen to local radio stations, or check the websites listed below. 

It should be noted this inquiry hotline does not replace the State Emergency Service emergency hotline. 

Members of the public seeking emergency assistance during a flood or storm should call the NSW State Emergency Service on 132 500, or visit their website www.ses.nsw.gov.au. 

The State Emergency Operations Centre at Homebush has also been stood up and will provide real-time assistance and intelligence to emergency services in the affected communities. 

For the latest weather warnings, please visit the Bureau of Meteorology website: http://www.bom.gov.au/. In life-threatening situations and emergencies, the public are advised to contact Triple Zero (000)

The death toll is beginning to mount in the Northern NSW floods of February-March 2022. 

A 54 year old identified man from Matcham on the Central Coast found in creek after his vehicle was swept off a causeway by flood waters. (24-25 February 2022)

An identified woman believed to be in her 80s found in a flooded home in Ewing St, Lismore. (1 March 2022) 

An identified woman believed to be in her 80s found inside a flooded home in Casino St, South Lismore. (1 March 2022)

An as yet unidentified man believed to be in his 70s found in a flooded unit in Cromer St, Lismore. (2 March 2022)

An identified man in his 50s found floating in flood waters at the corner of Uralba and Dawson Streets, Lismore. (2 March 2022) 

By 3 March the national death toll from the February-March 2022 floods stood at 14 people.

Many people are living through the NSW floods, many more are seeing the disaster on their TV screens - it's very clear they know the cause

Major flooding also causes fires
Lismore Feburary-March 2022
Image: The Australian

A 93 year old woman recued at Lismore....

The story of what my Nan did to survive the Lismore floods https://t.co/ez7QuABUIM what the story doesn’t say, she woke in water, moved in her room 3 times, walked down a hall to another room to a higher bed, and was treading water holding onto the mattress

— MeasureTwiceCutOnce (@_MeasureTwice) March 2, 2022

In Lismore we have done floods for ever. This is not a flood - this is catastrophic. This is extreme. This is climate change. Lismore needs back up. People are on and in their roof some are screaming for their lives and water is still rising. Friends are rescuing friends. pic.twitter.com/NwikdHTX0V

— Sue Higginson (@SueHigginson_) February 27, 2022

The Sydney Morning Herald, 3 March 2022:

Our state is experiencing unprecedented floods ("Specialist rescue teams sent to Lismore", March 2). It went through catastrophic bushfires in 2019-2020. Rain bombs and firestorms. The effect of these catastrophes on the mental and physical health of communities and the economy is devastating.

What more do climate change deniers and those responsible for enabling change need to accept the truth? Yes, change will be expensive. It is false economy to do the bare minimum. A federal election is looming. It's time for action. Inaction and complacency will be at our peril.

Jane O'Donnell, Turramurra

The latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report introduces new words - "cascading" and "compounding" to describe successive catastrophic climate events of droughts, bushfires, sea-level rise and now the "unprecedented" floods that are upending lives in communities across Queensland and NSW ("Australia's climate change to cost 'hundreds of billions", March 2). As your correspondents have noted, MPs frequently say "now is not the right time to talk about climate change", but this is exactly the time for everyone who is not directly involved in the clean-up to consider our climate crisis. The reality is our federal parties' performance on climate and energy has been appalling as they remain addicted to the money and influence of the fossil fuel industries.

Rob Firth, Cremorne Point

The current flooding is a one in a 1000-year event, according to the NSW Premier ("Sydney braces for expected savage storm cell," March 2). What if it is a one in 10-year event as a result of climate change? Politicians often reach for statistical salvation.

Ian Clague, Bellbowrie (Qld)

Where did the Premier pull the "one in 1000-year" event from to describe the floods? Extreme weather events are the new normal, Premier. Are you and your government ready?

Kate Lumley, Hurlstone Park

In 1968, the Club of Rome was formed to study issues such as overpopulation and climate change. Their reports were quite alarming. We are now experiencing these weather events forecast all those years ago. The warnings were ignored and climate scientists have been ridiculed by ignorant politicians across the world. In Australia, funds to CSIRO were cut. No doubt politicians will have their theories about these extreme events and will carry on as before. New houses will be built in the areas that have been flooded and it will happen all over again. Will we ever learn?

Gill Graham, Bowral

Perhaps now the eye-watering and ongoing billions of dollars in damage will finally get the people in charge to quit the fossil fuel industry. They must surely see no amount of exported coal and gas can possibly justify the tragedies taking place due to climate change.

Kris Mckeon, Cowra

Given the number of "unprecedented" events in the past decade, we either have an unprecedented number of politicians unable to plan for the future or an unprecedented number of politicians rushing to excuse their inaction to deal with said "unprecedented" events.

Brian Everingham, Engadine

 

Australian Society 2022: Are Australia's frail aged ever going to receive the care, dignity and respect that is their right?

A dinner of chicken nuggets and chips at an aged care home
IMAGE: The Age, 1 March 2022] 

The federal government does not know how much of almost half-a-billion dollars it paid aged care providers to improve nutrition was spent on meals, as families report residents are still being served “disgusting” food. The $10 basic daily supplement was a key part of the government’s response to the Aged Care Royal Commission final report a year ago. It has so far handed over more than $460 million to about 2700 homes, without an effective system to ensure it is spent on food....The royal commission heard evidence that two-thirds of aged care residents were malnourished and recommended funding earmarked for food be lifted by $10 a day for each resident. [The Age, 1 March 2022]

Even though residential aged care has been increasing privatised for the last twenty-five years - until commercial delivery of residential aged care dominates what is now an industry - the Australian Government remains the primary funder and regulator of the aged care system. Thus it has many avenues to influence the quality of aged care.

The aged care sector has a troubled history and many older people fear being admitted to nursing homes once they become frail or chronically ill. There have been 18 inquiries and reviews of aged care in Australia since 1997.

The most recent investigation, the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety was established on 8 October 2018 and The Honourable Tony Pagone QC and Ms Lynelle Briggs AO were appointed Royal Commissioners.

The Commissioners' eight volume Final Report titled “Care, Dignity and Respect” was handed down on 26 February 2021 and made 148 detailed recommendations.

In May 2021 the Morrison Government on paper accepted roughly half the recommendations and, rejected outright or offered up a workaround of the other half.

Thus far it appears that only 16 aspects of those 148 Royal Commission recommendations have been acted upon by federal government and, at least one in a way which might not have been expected by the Commissioners.

One of the recommendations which was not readily agreed to and is yet to be acted on is:

Recommendation 87: Employment status and related labour standards as enforceable standards.

1. By 1 January 2022, the Australian Government should require as an ongoing condition of holding an approval to provide aged care services that

a. approved providers: have policies and procedures that preference the direct employment of workers engaged to provide personal care and nursing services on their behalf

b. where personal care or nursing work is contracted to another entity, that entity has policies and procedures that preference direct employment of workers for work performed under that contract.

2. From 1 January 2022, quality reviews conducted by the Quality Regulator must include assessing compliance with those policies and procedures and record the extent of use of independent contractors.

Almost two months past the Royal Commission deadline to demonstrate an increase in direct employment of those providing personal care and nursing care to aged care facility residents, the Australian Treasurer & Liberal MP for Kooyong Josh Frydenberg announces that Productivity Commission would undertake a study of employment models in aged care, and the effects that policies and procedures to preference the direct employment of aged care workers would have on the sector.

Thus kicking ensuring provision of adequate personal and nursing care for aged care residents, further down the road and past the May 2022 federal general election.

One might suspect from the wording of the directive to the Productivity Commission, that Mr. Frydenberg is less concerned about how nursing home staff are employed and more concerned that corporate owners of nursing homes retain their ability to pay low wages to much of their workforce.

Australian Productivity Commission, retrieved 1 March 2022:

Aged Care Employment

Terms of reference

I, the Hon Josh Frydenberg MP, Treasurer, pursuant to Parts 2 and 4 of the Productivity Commission Act 1998, hereby request that the Productivity Commission (the Commission) undertake a Study to examine:

• employment models in aged care, and the effects that policies and procedures to preference the direct employment of aged care workers would have on the sector.

Background

The Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety (the Royal Commission) was established on 8 October 2018 and the Final Report: Care, Dignity and Respect was released on 1 March 2021.

The Australian aged care system provides subsidised care and support to older people. It is a large and complex system that includes a range of programs and policies. In response to the Royal Commission there will be significant reform to the aged care system. These reforms will be underpinned by a new Aged Care Act, which is intended to commence from 1 July 2023, subject to parliamentary processes.

The Royal Commission noted a trend in recent years has been the increased use of ‘independent contractors’ in aged care.

The Royal Commission’s Final Report noted numerous submissions over the course of the Royal Commission inquiry had made the claim that quality care was more likely to be delivered by direct employees than by contractors. However, some stakeholders consider these subcontracting models deliver better consumer choice and flexibility, which is also desired by the sector.

Scope of the study

The Commission will undertake a study to examine employment models in aged care, and the effects that policies and procedures to preference the direct employment of aged care workers would have on the sector.

When examining these issues, the Commission should also consider recommendation 87, as well as submissions and evidence provided to, the Royal Commission.

In undertaking this Study, the Commission should:

• examine the extent of the aged care personal care and nursing workforce who are not directly employed by aged care providers

• taking into account the wide scope of duties within the aged care sector, ranging from low level care such as grocery shopping and gardening through to high level personal and medical care, examine how different employment arrangements might impact on:

• quality of care

• consumer choice

• job creation and availability of workforce

• employment conditions for the workforce

• worker preferences

• flexible and innovative models of care

• accountability of aged care providers for care delivered on their behalf

• costs of providing care

• viability of aged care providers

• explore any preconditions in personal care and nursing workforce supply that would be required prior to any potential policies and procedures to preference direct employment

• consider whether new policies and procedures would impact other care sectors, such as disability and childcare.

The Commission should support analysis with modelling using quantitative and qualitative data.

Process

The Commission should undertake broad consultation with consumers, the aged care workforce, unions and aged care providers.

The Commission could release a draft report in June 2022, and provide a final report to the Australian Government in September 2022.

The Hon Josh Frydenberg MP

Treasurer

[Received 23 February 2022]

Independent political comment is not pulling its punches in Australia 2022 *WARNING: Coarse Language*

The United Australiar Party has made an election ad, and it’s surprisingly honest and informative. pic.twitter.com/X6Dcr0tEO8

— theJuiceMedia 🌻 (@thejuicemedia) February 28, 2022

North Coast Voices Announcement 1 April 2022

 

North Coast Voices will not be posting again until Monday, 4 April 2022. The exception being one prepared post that can be triggered by an announcement of the dissolution of the Australian Parliament.

Another bad Newspoll for the Coalition published on 27 February 2022. But which Morrison Government MPs might lose their seats if the election night results were as bad?

GRAPH: The Australian

 

Newspoll published 27 February 2022 in The Australian.

Survey conducted by YouGov on 23-26 February 2022.

Federal Primary Votes:

Coalition 35% (up 1)

Labor 41% (unchanged)

Greens 9% (up 1)

United Australia Party 4%

One Nation 3% (unchanged)

Federal Two-Party Preferred Vote:

Coalition 45% (unchanged)

Labor 55% (unchanged)

Preferred Prime Minister:

Morrison 42% (down 1)

Albanese 40% (up 2)

Unsure 18%

Albanese Performance:

Approve 44% (up 4) Disapprove% 43 (down 3)

Morrison Performance:

Approve 43% (up 3) Disapprove 55% (down 1)

Based on Antony Green’s Election Calculator if a federal general election had been held on 26 February then Labor would have gained government with 92 seats in the House of Representatives to the Coalition’s 53 seats and, other parties/independents would have held 6 seats.

Under this scenario Labor would gain 23 former Coalition seats and it might lead to a potential outcome such as this:

Banks NSW ALP 0.2% - David Coleman MP defeated

Ryan QLD ALP 0.5% - Julian Simmonds MP defeated

Hasluck WA ALP 0.7% - Ken Wyatt MP defeated

Menzies VIC ALP 1.0% - new Liberal candidate Keith Wolahan defeated

Bennelong NSW ALP 1.1% - no new Liberal candidate to date but defeat expected

Lindsay NSW ALP 1.5% - Melissa McIntosh MP defeated

La Trobe VIC ALP 1.6% - Jason Wood MP defeated

Brisbane QLD ALP 1.6% - Trevor Evans MP defeated

Deakin VIC ALP 1.8% - Michael Sukkar MP defeated

Dickson QLD ALP 1.9% - Peter Dutton MP defeated

Robertson NSW ALP 2.3% - Lucy Wicks MP defeated

Leichhardt QLD ALP 2.3% - Warren Entsch MP defeated

Flinders VIC ALP 2.4% - Zoe McKenzie new Liberal candidate defeated

Pearce WA ALP 2.8% - Linda Aitken new Liberal candidate defeated

Higgins VIC ALP 2.8% - Katie Allen MP defeated

Longman QLD ALP 3.2% - Terry Young MP defeated

Reid NSW ALP 3.3% - Fiona Martin MP defeated

Casey VIC ALP 3.4% - Aaron Violi new Liberal candidate defeated

Braddon TAS ALP 3.4% - Gavin Pearce MP defeated

Swan WA ALP 4.7% - Steve Irons MP defeated

Bass TAS ALP 6.1% - Bridget Archer MP defeated

Chisholm VIC ALP 6.3% - Gladys Lui MP defeated

Boothby SA ALP 6.6% - Nicole Flint MP defeated