A TOOLKIT: How carers in Tasmania can advocate for change - www.caringfairly.org.au - Caring Fairly
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A TOOLKIT: How carers in Tasmania can
advocate for change
www.caringfairly.org.au Caring Fairly is represented in TAS by:
www.facebook.com/caringfairlycampaign
@caringfairly
@caringfairly
WHO WE ARE Caring Fairly is a national campaign led by unpaid carers and specialist organisations that support and advocate for their rights. Launched in August 2018 and coordinated by Mind Australia, Caring Fairly is led by a coalition of over 25 carer support organisations, NGOs, peak bodies, and carers themselves. In Tasmania, Caring Fairly is represented by Mental Health Carers Tasmania, Carers Tasmania and Brain Injury Association Tasmania. We need your support, and invite you to join the Caring Fairly coalition. Caring Fairly wants: • A fairer deal for Australia’s unpaid carers • Better economic outcomes for people who devote their time to supporting and caring for their loved ones • Government policies that help unpaid carers balance paid work and care, wherever possible • Politicians to understand what’s at stake for unpaid carers going into the 2019 federal election To achieve this, we need your help. WHY WE ARE TAKING ACTION Unpaid carers are often hidden from view in Australian politics. There are almost 2.7 million unpaid carers nationally. Over 850,000 people in Australia are the primary carer to a loved one with disability. Many carers, understandly, don’t identify as a ‘carer’. Caring Fairly wants visibility for Australia’s unpaid carers. We are helping to build a new social movement in Australia to achieve this. Unpaid carers prop up Australian society. Like all Australians, unpaid carers have a right to a fair and decent quality of life. Caring Fairly is advocating for vital reforms needed to bring fairness to the hidden world of unpaid care in Australia.
We need your support.
With your support, we can shape a new public conversation about the value we attach to unpaid carers in
Australia, and advocate for the changes urgently needed by so many Australian families.
We can only do this together.
Join the movement, shape the conversation, and lend your support to the Caring Fairly campaign and
coalition at:
www.caringfairly.org.au/takeaction @caringfairly
www.facebook.com/caringfairlycampaign @caringfairly
WHAT’S UNFAIR? THE KEY ISSUES
There are 2.7 million unpaid carers in Australia, and over 850,000 primary carers.
Unpaid carers aren’t able to go on strike, but if they did, the Australian Government would have to spend over
$1 billion per week on formal health and social care services.
Australia’s reliance on unpaid carers is unsustainable and unfair. Over two thirds of primary carers are women.
Many carers aren’t able to get paid work on an equal footing to other Australians. Many older carers retire with
limited savings.
Young carers get a raw deal. Many children and young people who provide care to a loved one have poorer
educational outcomes and fewer employment and training opportunities than other Australians.
WHAT NEEDS TO CHANGE?
THE KEY MESSAGES
Caring Fairly believes the Australian Federal Government must take urgent action to bring fairness to care. It
must look beyond short term policies, and invest in long term solutions. It must drive a cultural change in how
we as Australians, value the unpaid carers in all our communities. Ahead of the 2019 federal election, our three
key messages are:
1
Government must invest in the long-term economic
security of unpaid carers
2
Government must make it easier for unpaid carers to
balance work and care, on an equal footing with other
Australians
3
Government must make sure that all young carers can be
identified and assisted
These three key messages are drawn from Caring Fairly’s 2019 policy platform. To read the full document, and
our evidence base, visit www.caringfairly.org.au.
TAKE ACTION
GIVING TASMANIAN CARERS A VOICE IN THE
2019 FEDERAL ELECTION
Within the next few weeks or months, Australians will go to the ballot box to elect a new federal government.
Caring Fairly wants unpaid carers to shape the outcome of this election. We want to use our collective voice to
achieve a fairer deal for carers, and a fairer society for all Australians.
It is essential that federal politicians hear from you to understand exactly what’s at stake in this election - in
Tasmania, and for you, your family, and your community. Here are some ideas about how you can use your
voice.
Pressure your local senator to take action
Meeting with Tasmania’s federal senators is a great way to influence the people who represent you at the
highest levels of government. Senators hold substantial power within their respective political parties. Senators
serve six-year terms in Parliament, making them the perfect driver for the long term policy changes we are seeking.
Tasmania has twelve senators. You don’t have to meet with all of them, but you can ask for meetings with each, or
with one senator from each of the major parties, or any senator that you’d particularly like to speak to - the choice
is yours.
As a constituent you are entitled to request a meeting with your Senators on any issue of importance to you. Here
are some tips to make the process as easy as possible:
• You can request a meeting by calling or emailing the Senators from your state. You can also use the letter
template attached in this pack for some ideas on what to say
• Expect to wait a few weeks before the meeting occurs
• Plan what you’d like the Senator to know about your experience or situation and why you are passionate about
changing things
• Have a clear idea of what you’d like to ask them to do on your behalf - you can refer to the Caring Fairly key
messages for some ideas
• You can encourage your friends and family to sign the Caring Fairly petition in this kit and present this to
your senator to show the widespread community support for change.
• You can request a follow up meeting for a few months time to discuss and track progress on the issue
• The more voices your senators hear from on this issue, the harder it beomes to ignore our voice, and our
demands for change
Your Tasmanian senators
Senator Eric Abetz Senator Steve Martin
Liberal Party The Nationals
(03) 6224 3707 (07) 5441 1800
senator.abetz@aph.gov.au senator.martin@aph.gov.au
@SenatorAbetz @Senator_Steve
Senator Wendy Askew Senator Nick McKim
Liberal Party Australian Greens
(02) 6277 3500 (03) 6224 8899
senator.askew@aph.gov.au senator.mckim@aph.gov.au
@NickMcKim
Senator Catryna Bilyk
Australian Labor Party Senator Helen Polley
(03) 6229 4444 Australian Labor Party
senator.bilyk@aph.gov.au (03) 6331 2599
@Catbilyk senator.polley@aph.gov.au
@polley_helen
Senator Carol Brown Senator Lisa Singh
Australian Labor Party Australian Labor Party
(03) 6231 0099 (03) 6223 1135
senator.carol.brown@aph.gov.au senator.singh@aph.gov.au
@SenCarolBrown @lisa_singh
Senator Richard Colbeck Senator Anne Urquhart
Liberal Party Australian Labor Party
(03) 6424 5960 (03) 6423 1933
senator.colbeck@aph.gov.au senator.urquhart@aph.gov.au
@richardmcolbeck @ausenator
Senator Jonathon Duniam Senator Peter Whish-Wilson
Liberal Party Australian Greens
(03) 6231 2444 (03) 6331 0033
senator.duriam@aph.gov.au senator.whish-wilson@aph.gov.au
@duniamjonathon
@SenatorSurfer
WHAT’S AT STAKE THIS ELECTION IN YOUR STATE?
Every election is often decided by a few marginal seats in each state. If you live in one of the following federal seats, it
is worth contacting your local MP and candidates as well as your senator. If you are not sure which federal electorate
you live in you can check at www.aec.gov.au. Do you live in one of the following?
Braddon Lyons Bass Franklin
If you live in one of the following:
Check out the Marginal Seats Guide at the end of this toolkit to discover a bit about the candidates in
your local electorate and how to contact them.
Engage with your local supports
Whether it’s an online support group or one you might attend in person - let your support networks know about this
campaign and why you support it yourself. You can share our posters, petitions or social media graphics with the group
but don’t forget to explain your personal perspective as a supporter of the campaign.
Not sure what supports are available in your local area?
Head over to www.caringfairly.org.au/takeaction and fill out the contact us form. We can give you some
information on what supports are available through our affiliated support organisations.
You can also visit our Tasmanian partners’ websites directly:
• Mental Health Carers Tasmania - mentalhealthcarerstas.org.au
• Carers TAS - www.carerstas.org/
• Brain Injury Assoiation of Tasmania - www.biat.org.au
Host an event
One of the best ways of spreading our message is through face-to-face conversations in a social setting. Hosting an event is also
a really helpful way of engaging with other carers. The following ideas could be used to bring people in your community together to
discuss this important issue.
• A carers morning tea, hosted at your own home or at a community venue. This can be as informal or formal as you would like
• Offer to run a social event as part of a carers support group or community group
• Organise some friends to go with you to your local shopping strip and ask people to sign the Caring Fairly petition
• Hold a carers craft afternoon
• Anything that incorporates fun and social activities with activities to provide information about the Caring Fairly
campaign
Get creative
There are creative ways to tell your story, and to be a voice for change. You might want to:
• Write a poem;
• Paint or draw;
• Write a blog post;
• Engage with your local community radio station;
• Develop an outdoor display or mural;
• Anything else you can think of that engages your artistic skills and expression.
Once your project is complete, be sure to share it with us online, through our website or the other links below.
You can also tag us in anything you post on social media if you are posting it to your personal page.
www.caringfairly.org.au @caringfairly
www.facebook.com/caringfairlycampaign @caringfairly
Use the petition
The Caring Fairly petition can be found at the back of this toolkit. It is a simple and effective tool to start conversations
about this important topic, and to demonstrate to politicians the collective power of unpaid carers in this election. You can
ask your friends, family, neighbours and online community to sign to encourage government to prioritise carers at this
election.
You might want to keep a copy on your kitchen bench or deliver a copy of the petition to the letterboxes
in your street. Most people will be happy to support the cause but they do need to be asked to do so.
Please let the Caring Fairly team know if you are using the petition, so that we can help you maximise your local and
national impact. Send any completed copies of the petition to campaigns@minasutralia.org.au and let us know how we
can support you.
:
Advocate online
Modern elections
: are fought online as much as offline. Using your social media presence to share your story, voice your
demands, and amplify the messages of the Caring Fairly campaign are important ways to get the attention of
politicians, and advocate for change.
• Follow and engage with Caring Fairly’s social media channels
• Share Caring Fairly graphics on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. You can find these at caringfairly.org.au
• Use Caring Fairly frames on your profile picture on Facebook. You can find these at caringfairly.org.au
• Share part of your story online, and set out the reforms you want to see from politicians in this election (more on this
in the next section)
• Create a 30 second online video (see below)
• Engage in online support groups where appropriate and let people know about the Caring Fairly campaign and how
they can get involved
• Engage with politicians and political parties online to raise awareness of the campaign
• Engage in respectful conversations on Twitter and Facebook about your experience
When publishing your story - be sure to tag Caring Fairly on social media so we can help spread the word. You can use
the links below to share.
www.caringfairly.org.au @caringfairly
www.facebook.com/caringfairly @caringfairly
Not sure how or what to share online?
Head over to www.caringfairly.org.au/takeaction and fill out the contact us form. Someone from the
campaign will be in touch to give you some advice about how to share your story online.
Share your story online Sharing your experiences is one of your most powerful advocacy tools. It is one of the best ways to build a sense of connection and a way to captivate, and compel people to action. Writing down your own experiences as a carer can be confronting, emotional, and traumatic. It is important to reflect on your own boundaries around what you are comfortable sharing with other people; be they your family, friends, neighbours, local community or your online environment. Tips to try in your storytelling: Always keep in mind what the purpose of your story is. What message are you trying to convey? Why do you want people to hear about it? This will help guide the shape of your story and give an idea of where the particular points of focus should be. Don’t worry about figures, data or metrics to include in your story. The value of your story is in your experience and the perspective you have as a result. You don’t need to disclose every personal detail. Sharing your story gives you power over how much you disclose and to whom. You can choose to highlight particular aspects of your story depending on your comfort levels and your audience. Allow yourself some vulnerability. This gives your audience something to relate to emotionally. Make sure your story includes characters. Although you won’t want to disclose everything about them, don’t gloss over the participants in the story and their point of view. There is political power in voicing common experiences. Most people will find it very easy to understand issues as they relate to family, or friendships, or suffering, as they are universal human experiences. Use this to your advantage and focus on the most universal aspects of your story. Finish with a call to action. What do you want people to do now that they’ve heard your story? What action do you want to inspire from them? Crucially, what do you want your elected representatives to do? If you share our vision of ‘what needs to change’, we ask you to use our ‘key messages’, found earlier in this toolkit. Need help crafting your story or not sure how best to take action? Head over to www.caringfairly.org.au/takeaction and fill out the contact us form. Someone from the campaign will be in touch to give you some advice about how you can be involved!
Create a 30 second video
Filming a short video on your phone is a great and easy way of sharing your story, adding a human face to this important
issue and getting public attention.
Caring Fairly can help make it even easier for you.
Examples of short videos from campaign supporters can be found on our facebook page at facebook.com/caringfairlycampaign
Caring Fairly would love to hear your stories via video and help you reach a wide online audience. We can edit, brand, and
‘polish’ your videos, if you want us to. When you tag Caring Fairly on Facebook or Twitter with your 30 second video, we will
help you share and promote your video.
We are collecting the stories of carers to help raise public awareness of the campaign and make sure a wide variety of voices
are heard. We are asking Caring Fairly supporters from Tasmania to record a 30 second video of themselves and submit the
footage via our
Facebook inbox or email: campaigns@mindaustralia.org.au. Make sure you tag us if you upload your video on social
media as well.
www.caringfairly.org.au @caringfairly
www.facebook.com/caringfairlycampaign @caringfairlyTAS MARGINAL SEAT GUIDE: THE TOP 4 Caring Fairly is non-partisan and apolitical. We want to see improved government responses, policies, and committments from all parties, politicians, and candidates. This information is accurate at the time of publishing and is subject to change. To stay up to date with election developments follow /CaringFairlyCampaign on Facebook. Braddon ALP Candidate: Ms Justine Keay MP Ms Justine Keay was elected to the House of Representatives for Braddon in 2016. She was elected again at the by-election in July 2018 after resigning in May 2018. Born and raised in Braddon, as the daughter of a seafarer who was a strong union man, Ms Braddon has inher- ited his sense of equity, fairness, equality and justice. She is the first female elected to represent Braddon. In her maiden speech, Ms Keay said “Mental health needs to become a long-term national priority, and I know this is very important to the people in my electorate. Earlier this year I graduated from Monash University with a graduate diploma of psychology, which will serve me well in this place, and I have developed the understanding and passion for better mental health services for Braddon. This will be a focus for me during this term. People need and deserve better access to responsive mental health and allied health services in our cities and towns.” Ms Keay was also quoted on Labor’s promise of a new headspace in Burnie saying "By creating a dedicated headspace centre in Burnie, Labor will help ensure that when young people put their hand up, say they are not well, and they need help, services are available and accessible." Email:Justine.Keay.MP@aph.gov.au Phone: Parliament office (02) 6277 4626 / Electorate office (03) 6431 1333 Liberal Candidate: Mr Gavin Pearce Mr Gavin Pearce is a family man, beef farmer and small businessman who lives at Lapoinya and is the Vice-Chair of the Yolla Coop, which represents the interests of 800 local farmers. He is a decorated soldier with 20 years of military service and supports veterans to reintegrate into the community as President of the Wynyard RSL (Returned and Services League of Australia). In October 2018, Mr Pearce used a media event to highlight his community connections and personal understanding of key issues, including mental health through his role at Wynyard RSL. Mr Pearce supports the headspace funding and posted on his social media: "Good to visit the staff and management at headspace Devon- port. A vitally important service provider for youth and adolescent mental health services across Tasmania. I welcome the Liberal-National government's record announcement of $1.45 billion for community mental health services and improved funding models to ensure security for both jobs and services. In our state of Tasmania, the Primary Health Network is expected to receive $41.9 million over a three year period to help tailor services and to meet specific needs in our region and help deliver a stronger more integrated mental health system. Personally, I'll continue to fight for these types of services to be pushed further out into our regional towns and communities where I know that a very real need exists." Email: gavin.pearce@tas.liberal.org.au Phone: 03 6224 1015
Lyons ALP Candidate: Mr Brian Mitchell MP Mr Brian Mitchell was elected as the member for Lyons in 2016. Mr Mitchell is a strong supporter of Medicare and a public health system. In his maiden speech, Mr Mitchell spoke about extending Medicare to more Australians and asked for “More focus on mental and preventative health…” In October, Mr Mitchell made a supportive statement for National Carers Week, saying: “Today marks the start of National Carers Week, a week dedicated to recognising and commending the contribution of unpaid carers to our country. And yet, for the most part, many of these people do not consider themselves carers but feel that they are instead simply taking on a role that comes with being part of a family or being a friend of someone who needs support.” Email:brian.mitchell.mp@aph.gov.au Phone: Parliament office (02) 6277 4270 / Electorate office (03) 6263 3721 Liberal Candidate: At the time of publishing in March 2019, there was not yet a liberal candidate annouced. Greens Candidate: Gary Whisson Gary has a lifelong passion for the environment and social justice issues, which led to a career in the environmental protection and conservation fields. He is an owner builder, member of the Alternative Technology Association and the Wilderness Society. Email: gary.whisson@tas.greens.org.au Bass ALP Candidate: Mr Ross Hart MP Mr Ross Hart was elected as the member for Bass in 2016. Mr Hart has a strong law background, being a lawyer and partner at Rae and Partners law firm from 1998-2016. Mr Hart places particular importance on mental health, and in 2017 he officially opened a suicide pre- vention event stating: “Events such as these are vital to raising awareness around suicide prevention and supporting those in the commu- nity who might be dealing with mental health issues.” Mr Hart also believes in the importance of carers, and in a speech about the Social Services Legislation Amendment (Payment for Carers) Bill 2018, Mr Hart expressed sympathy for carers and recognised the important work they do. He said: “I’m acutely aware of the invaluable contributions carers make to our community. We should all be aware of the burden they assume.” Email: Ross.Hart.MP@aph.gov.au Phone: Parliament office (02) 6277 2069 / Electorate office (03) 6334 7033 Liberal Candidate: Ms Bridget Archer Ms Bridget Archer is a farmer and is the Mayor for Georgetown. Ms Archer graduated with a Bachelor of Arts and a Graduate Certificate in International Politics and had worked in hospitality, administration, and agriculture. Archer believes strongly in breaking down stigmas surrounding mental health, a view she expressed in a post on her campaign page. She said: “Like many Tasmanians, mental health issues and suicide have impacted on my life and working to address these issues is a cause very dear to my heart. I have long been a supporter of initiatives that support and assist people, build more resilient communities and break down stigma and I am delighted that a re-elected Hodgman Liberal government willinvest $95 million dollars over the next six years on a range of measures in this important area.” Email: bridget.archer@tas.liberal.org.au Phone: 03 6224 1015
Franklin ALP Candidate: Hon Julie Collins MP The Hon Julie Collins was elected to the House of Representatives for Franklin, Tasmania, in 2007; and re-elected in 2010, 2013, and 2016. She has been the Shadow Minister for Ageing and Mental Health from since 2016. Ms Collins has previously urged the government to pay more attention to policies surrounding mental health, saying words must translate into action and long-term mental health reform must be front and centre in the Government’s Budget. Ms Collins works closely with Senator Deborah O’Neill, Shadow Assistant Minister for Mental Health. Together they stated their approval of a Productivity Commission Inquiry into Mental Health but disapproved of the government’s steps to act on it. Ms Collins is a strong advocate for mental health in Australia, posting on her social channels regularly to promote brands aligned with mental health charities such as Triple J Hottest 100 and The Movember Foundation as well as promoting the work that headspace does. She also posted: “Today, on World Mental Health Day, I promise to continue to work hard to ensure people living with mental ill health are able access support when they need it.” Email:Julie.Collins.MP@aph.gov.au Phone:Parliament office (02) 6277 4107 / Electorate office (03) 6244 1222 Liberal Candidate: Mr Dean Young Mr Dean Young is a small business owner and liberal candidate for the 2019 Federal election for Franklin. Mr Young is the owner of newsXpress Glenorchy, a newsagency, and was the CFO of Ballina. Mr Young achieved a Bachelor of Commerce in accounting from the University of Tasmania, and later graduated with a diploma in law from the University of Western Sydney. In December, Dean shared a post from Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s plan to inject 1.25bn into community health, including mental health services. The post said: “Today I am announc- ing that we are putting an extra 1.25 Billion extra into community health and hospitals right across the country. That $1.25 Billion is going into cancer treatment; It’s going into drug rehabilitation. It’s going into access to clinical trials. It’s going into mental health right across Australia.” Email: dean.young@tas.liberal.org.au Phone: 0404 818 370 Greens Candidate: Kit Darko Kit is a software developer and activist who is passionate about climate justice and tackling greed and corrup- tion in our political system. Kit is a firm believer that empathy and compassion can never be underestimated or over-valued. Kit is quoted as saying “I seek to inspire change in our world by appealing to the best in people, instead of to their worst; to unite, instead of targeting our vulnerable”. Email: kit.darko@tas.greens.org.au
Help bring fairness to unpaid care
Sign to show your support for great fairness and recognition for carers.
NAME PHONE WOULD YOU LIKE TO RECIEVE CARING
FAIRLY UPDATES? Y/N
EMAIL:
ADDRESS
NAME PHONE WOULD YOU LIKE TO RECIEVE CARING
FAIRLY UPDATES? Y/N
EMAIL:
ADDRESS
NAME PHONE WOULD YOU LIKE TO RECIEVE CARING
FAIRLY UPDATES? Y/N
EMAIL:
ADDRESS
NAME PHONE WOULD YOU LIKE TO RECIEVE CARING
FAIRLY UPDATES? Y/N
EMAIL:
ADDRESS
NAME PHONE WOULD YOU LIKE TO RECIEVE CARING
FAIRLY UPDATES? Y/N
EMAIL:
ADDRESS
NAME PHONE WOULD YOU LIKE TO RECIEVE CARING
FAIRLY UPDATES? Y/N
EMAIL:
ADDRESSA letter to your senator: a guide Dear Senator, Re: Caring Fairly campaign I am writing to ask you to take action in support of the Caring Fairly campaign. There are almost 2.7 million unpaid carers in Australia, across every electorate and in every state and territory. Over 850,000 people in Australia are the primary carer to a loved one with disability. I am one of these people. [A bit of background about yourself, your family, and your caring responsibilities]. Unpaid carers get the rawest of deals in Australia. As you may know, consistent evidence has shown that unpaid carers like me sacrifice own economic security, employment, and health and wellbeing. We are taken for granted in Australian government policies, because our ‘work’ sits outside of the formal economy. The current systems and services that we have in place to support people like me are insuf- ficient, unfair, and at breaking point. There are lots of big social problems that Australian politicians will have to grapple with over the coming years, but our growing need for ‘care’ should be high on that list. Across Tasmania, adults and children alike are caring for loved ones at a scale far above and beyond ‘normal’ family care arrangements. We do this at the expense of our careers, education, and long-term economic security. As our population ages, this is an issue that will affect more and more Australians. This is not sustainable, and it is not fair. Things need to change. If people like me are to continue propping up the formal health and social care systems in this country, then we need radically more support from government. We don’t need short-term policies, or empty commitments. We need long term commitments, from politicians like you, to rethink how Australian society values people like me. Caring Fairly has developed sensible policies to bring about these changes. You can read in detail about the campaign’s policy platform, research base, and supporters at caringfairly.org.au I seek your public support for the Caring Fairly campaign. Caring Fairly was launched in 2018 by a founding coalition of over 20 spe- cialist carer support and service delivery organisations, NGOs, and peak bodies from across Australia. What we are asking for makes sense, and is supported by evidence and the community sector in Tasmania and across Australia. I ask you to support the Caring Fairly campaign by [Action: meeting with me / pledging your support to the Caring Fairly campaign online and through your social media channels / committing to raise these concerns at the highest levels within your party]. As a senator, your voice on this issue can make a vital difference to my family, and the lives of so many others in Tasmania. Yours sincerely [Your name]
Unpaid Carers
Aren’t Able To
Strike
We care too much about
the people we support,
and what we do isn’t
recognised as ‘work’.
If we did, the Australian Government would
have to step in and spend over $1 Billion a
week on replacement services.
Find out more about Caring Fairly, a campaign and coalition advocating for a fairer deal for Australia’s unpaid carers.
www.caringfairly.org.au www.facebook.com/caringfairlycampaign @caringfairly @caringfairlyA FAIRER DEAL
FOR
AUSTRALIA’S
UNPAID CARERS
Find out more about Caring Fairly, a campaign and coalition advocating
Take for a fairer deal for Australia’s unpaid carers.
www.caringfairly.org.au/takeaction @caringfairly
Action www.facebook.com/caringfairlycampaign @caringfairlyMost unpaid care is done by women On average women retire with almost half the superannuation of men. Help bring fairness to unpaid care Find out more about Caring Fairly, a campaign and coalition advocating for a fairer deal for Australia’s unpaid carers. www.caringfairly.org.au www.facebook.com/caringfairlycampaign @caringfairly @caringfairly
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