Media Release
20 October, 2009
Carers Week 18 October, 2009 – 24 October, 2009
Carer Recognition Legislation is lip service without a funded national family-carer
advocacy network.
Yesterday’s announcement by the Rudd government of Carers Recognition Legislation
suggests a lot but has little practical detail” said Mary Lou Carter, party secretary of the
Carers Alliance.
The Carers Alliance welcomes the Federal Government’s concern for the health and well-
being of carers. But until carers are given the practical means to participate to the fullest
extent possible in the social and economic life others take for granted, then all the words,
goals, strategies, frameworks and Carer Recognition Grants are hollow promises. And
carers are heartily sick of hollow political promises.
The Carers Alliance believes the best way for the Government to recognise and support
unpaid family carers is to fund a national family-carer advocacy network across Australia.
This would show carers that the Government is serious about improving their quality of life.
A family-carer advocacy network would provide a sound building block to develop policy
from a family-carer grassroots perspective. This would - for the first time – make careres
part of the decision making process that ultimately affects their lives and the lives of the
people for whom they care.” continued Carter.
The Carers Alliance wants Australian Carer Recognition Legislation similar to that enacted
in the UK which gives carers:
1.
Entitlement to assessment of needs and provision of services to assist carers
2.
Entitlement to find and secure employment, undertake tertiary and vocational
training and leisure-time
3.
Entitlement to assessment of the ability of the carer to provide care
Carers Alliance has consistently called for :
1.
Funded family-carer advocacy at national, state and regional level
2.
Federal legislation recognising the carer role and carers’ entitlements to support
and services
3.
A National Disability Insurance Scheme as the centrepiece of a National Disability
Strategy.
Contact: Marylou Carter, Carers Alliance Party Secretary
0425 363 421
Carers Alliance is a national political party formed to represent family carers and promote actions to
help carers support the family member/s they care for
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