Ten questions for ACT politicians

“Do our Aspiring Politicians Really Care about Old People?

…. or do they lack Political Courage!”

Jane Timbrell (Convenor of the Vintage Reds) asked, “Do our politicians really care about old people?” when she examined the returns from aspiring Canberra politicians to a survey we conducted in the lead up to the Territory’s elections.  Jane went on to ask “… or do they just lack political courage!”

The Liberal Party made no responses to the survey at all; ACT Labor sent a pro-forma response to half the questions on behalf of all their candidates (which regurgitated party policy). This left a majority of Green candidates; most of the Sex Party candidates and a group of Independents.  The candidates who did respond, responded very well and very caringly!  But, what about the rest?

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Where are Australian political parties headed?

Anika_Gauja_Uni_of_Syd.jpg

Associate Professor Anika Gauja

This is a review of a lecture given by Anika as part of the Australian Senate Occasional Lecture Series on 30 September 2016 at 12.15pm in the Main Committee Room at Parliament House, Canberra

WHAT IS THE FUTURE FOR AUSTRALIAN POLITICAL PARTIES?

Anika’s research interests broadly centre on the comparative analysis of political institutions in modern representative democracies. Her work to date has looked at the operation of political parties and parliaments, assessing the continuing relevance of these institutions as mechanisms for citizen participation in politics and their ability to represent diverse and conflicting interests. She is particularly interested in how political parties adapt to organizational and social change…. She is currently undertaking research projects on party legitimacy and the dynamics of organizational change, the meaning of contemporary party membership, ‘third parties’ as electoral actors, candidate selection and on the partisan use of state resources (ref. Anika’s handout).

Anika spoke to a packed audience (including a clutch of Vintage Reds), virtually without drawing a breath, for a solid hour.  Of course Jeremy Corbyn provides fertile ground for discussion of future directions of the ALP with its move to membership vote for parliamentary leader. However, as often is the case this talk raised more questions than provided answers e.g. what is to be done with a parliamentary party out of step with its membership?;  how is membership to be constructed and with what rights?; supporters?; who devises and controls policy? etc. etc.etc.

Then there’s the questions of unweildiness and even of the superfluousness of parliaments with the development of interactive internet forums.   Participatory democracy gone mad or not – what do you think?

Don Dwyer’s Spring Calendar

Don’s calendar starts of course with Floriade, which runs in Commonwealth Park until 16 October. The Floriade Nightfest is on from Wed. 28 September to Sun. 2 October.

22 September to 8 October, Theatre 3, Acton, Wed–Sat 8pm; matinee at 2 pm, 1, 2 & 8 October.
Canberra Repertory Society performs Oliver Goldsmith, “She Stoops to Conquer“, a classic comedy of manners first performed in London in 1773.

23 September to 9 October, Queanbeyan showground,
Weber’s Circus, Wild West Australian Tour. www.weberscircus.com, or ring 0448247287.

Tuesday 27 September: Prepolling begins for the ACT Assembly election (Saturday 15 October)

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Family & Community Day in Canberra

The public holiday formerly known as Union Picnic Day is on Monday 26 September. Unions are hosting a free family event at Westside Acton Park near Floriade.

Details: 10am – 3pm at Westside Acton Park, 3 Barrine Drive, Acton. Google map & directions

You can expect free live music, balloons, face-painting and colouring in for kids, fairy-floss and popcorn.

And of course, unions will be raising awareness about the importance of well-funded public services, affordable health care, and protecting penalty rates. (Contact Jeremy Kirkwood at weareunion@unionsact.org.au for more information.)
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The Inadequate Age Pension

Pension-Adequacy_Report-Cover.jpgThis week has seen a new report bursting onto the television screen: “The Adequacy of the Age Pension“.

A National Press Club audience in Canberra heard some hard facts about the inadequacy of the age pension. (See the presentation here, or on the ABC’s iview till the 28th September.)

The Age Pension in Australia (base rate $794 per fortnight) fails to provide a decent standard of living for approximately 1.5 million people who rely on it as their main source of income. One third of aged pensioners live at, or below, the poverty line ($851 per fortnight).

Those at particular risk are renters and single women with low superannuation. People have thought up extreme ways of managing. Some people are disconnecting their hot water for six months of the year; others are avoiding medical care when it comes to specialist appointments or dentistry. There is simply no money for that kind of expense in the fortnightly pension, and the alternative might be not eating an evening meal. One woman had not had a holiday in thirty years.

The three Press Club speakers are co-authors of the report: Everald Compton, chairman of the Longevity Innovation Hub; David Hetherington, executive director of the Per Capita think tank; and Jo Toohey, CEO of the Benevolent Society, a 200-year-old Australian charity.

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September 2016 meeting

Our next meeting is at 11.00am on Tuesday 20 September at Dickson Tradies’ Club.

Please note that the meeting will be held in the ATRIUM on the Ground Floor.

Our guest speaker is Alan Foskett, eminent Local Historian. Alan came to Canberra in 1950 when the population was about 15,000. He is a prolific author, most recently of They Came to Build Canberra: The Story of the Turner Workmen’s Hostel – the People, the Buildings and the Land 1946 to 2014 (2014); and The Campbell community revisited (2016).

Don’s mid-winter calendar

As usual there is plenty going on to get you out of the house!

This month Don’s list begins with a different kind of calendar item. Safe Shelter ACT provides homeless men with a bed for the night, in St Columba’s church hall in Braddon. Ainslie All Saints church is setting up its hall for the same purpose, and is calling for donations to pay for smoke detectors to be installed.

They are also offering training for volunteers. The next (and possibly final) training course for 2016 will be on Tuesday and Wednesday, 2nd and 3rd of August 2016.

To volunteer or to donate, contact safeshelteract@gmail.com, or see their Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/safeshelteract

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