National CSTDA Community Alliance

Carers for disabled plan protest on PM's doorstep
by Adam Cresswell, The Australian Health editor | October 06, 2007

CARERS are stepping up pressure on both sides of politics for a big increase in the availability of long-term accommodation for people with severe disabilities.
Campaigners are planning a second sit-in at John Howard's campaign office in Eastwood, part of his Bennelong electorate, on October 17, after a previous one at his Gladesville office last week attracted some 60 protesters. Read full article

In the lead up to the Federal Election people with disability, their families, agencies and supporters across Australia, are coming together, to TAKE A STAND and FIGHT for the supports and services that should be there!

The governments of Australia are negotiating a new Disability Agreement (CSTDA). They are deciding, in effect, whether or not they will provide the support services that people with disability and their families need over the next five years. To date, it looks as if they will not!

We must send the clearest message, in the strongest possible way, that this is not acceptable!

WE ARE CALLING ON PEOPLE ACROSS AUSTRALIA TO
…DO THREE THINGS BEFORE THE ELECTION…

Tell your politician your story. Tell your politician that Australians in 2007 expect our elected leaders to make sure, as an absolute minimum, that people with disability and their families get the supports and services that they need! For more information click here.

Tell them your story. Tell them that people with disability and their families and supporters have been left with no choice but to take their case to the public and take a stand in the lead up to the election!
For more information click here.

Action is being planned to take place in every State and Territory between 12noon and 2.00pm on Tuesday 25th September. Put this date in your diary! Further information to follow!!

AIHW releases Current and Future Demand for Specialist Disability Services report.

ABOUT 24,000 Australians with a disability have been left without proper accommodation and respite services, and the situation will only get worse, a new report reveals.

The report, which looks into the current and future demands for specialist disability services, was released today by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.

It projects the number of Australians with a profound disability will increase to more than 752,000 by 2010. That is a 4.8 per cent, or 34,600, rise from 2006.

But the report shows people with a disability are already missing out on vital services.

“Conservative estimates indicate that in 2005, there were 23,800 people aged 0-64 with unmet or under-met demand for accommodation and respite services,” the institute's Dr Xingyan Wen said.

The situation was better for those accessing community access services in 2005, with just 3700 people missing out.

But Dr Wen said that estimate could be misleading as it did not take into account people who had their demands only partially met.

While 1700 people were estimated as being unable to access disability employment services in 2005, that figure also was under question with the report saying it was unreliable and should not be used.

However, the report confirmed that 200,493 people accessed services funded under the Commonwealth, State and Territory Disability Agreement (CSTDA) in 2004-06, up from 187,806 the previous year.

Intellectual or learning difficulties were the most common reason for accessing the services, accounting for 45 per cent, followed by physical disabilities, at 19 per cent.

The most common services accessed were community support services, accounting for 46 per cent.

Thirty-two per cent used employment services, 22 per cent community access services, 17 per cent accommodation support services and 12 per cent respite.

But the report emphasised that disability services alone could not meet all the needs of people with a disability - they also had to rely on a range of other government services.

“People ageing with a disability may need complementary combinations of support from both the disability and aged care service providers,” Dr Wen said.

“This is of particular relevance to people ageing with an early onset disability and younger people with a disability living in residential aged care accommodation.”

... For its part, the ACT is seeking to overcome a serious disparity in base funding - currently the ACT gets 17 cents from the Australian Government for every $1 it spends on specialised disability services. Some States receive well in excess of double that amount. The average is 24%, still well ahead of the ACT.

People with disability, families and supporters came out in force across the country today in support of a new Commonwealth State/Territory Disability Agreement (CSTDA) that makes a commitment to providing the support that people with disability and their families need.

In Brisbane people with disability and families from all States and Territories met with Disability Ministers prior to their formal meeting. Supporters gathered outside the meeting and around the country people ‘Sat-In’ at the Electorate Office of their Members of Parliament. minister meeting families

Minister Mal Brough meeting families at the Disability Ministerial Conference held on 3 April 2007

The Australian Government’s position is that the States/Territories must produce good data on unmet need for accommodation support and state how much they are prepared to fund. The Australian Government has committed to match, dollar for dollar, the funding required to address unmet need for accommodation support. The Australian Government also stated that it was prepared to negotiate with individual States and Territories if it could not get a combined Agreement.

The States were unanimous in their concern that this would see the demise of the CSTDA. They were also strongly of the view that the Australian Government should specify what money they are prepared to contribute. The States concluded the meeting and asked for another meeting within three to four weeks.

People with disability and families continue to urge all governments to work together to ensure that the support services that people with disability and their families need are available. They have waited too long for the assistance they need. They have been left with no option but to take a stand and fight for the help that most Australians would assume is available.

The National CSTDA Community Alliance reminds all governments of the recently released Senate Report into the CSTDA which recommended that a substantial injection of additional funding into disability services, particularly accommodation support, was required of all governments.

The CSTDA Alliance calls on all governments to give the CSTDA the priority our community expects and to do the right thing!

PEOPLE WITH DISABILITY AND THEIR FAMILIES SHOULD HAVE THE SAME OPPORTUNITIES AS EVERYONE ELSE TO LIVE, WORK, AND BE A PART OF THEIR COMMUNITY! THAT CAN’T BE TOO MUCH TO ASK – THAT’S JUST A FAIR GO!

Parents Protest Respite Care Crisis

Parents and supporters of carers of disabled children protested outside Salerwong Respite Centre at 9 Salerwong Place Ryde last Thursday.

They were highlighting the lack of respite places available to the seventy families in the Northern Sydney area who are supposed to use the six beds at the Salerwong centre for respite from their children who they look after 24 hours a day at home.

Problem is that most of the beds are being used permanently by clients who should be found supported accommodation, Shadow Minister for Disability Services Andrew Constance said.
He called upon the State Government and Minister John Della Bosca and Ryde MP and Deputy Premier John Watkins to “immediately provide respite care for the many families in the Ryde area”.

Mr Constance is pictured, kneeling centre, together with Lane Cove MP Anthony Roberts, Ryde Liberal candidate Clr Vic Tagg and Epping Liberal candidate Greg Smith with parents and disabled children outside the Salerwong Respite Centre.

Vigil held by 200 people outside a Liberal party fundraiser in WA attended by many members of the Federal Cabinet including Prime Minister Howard.

The Howard Government has completely ignored a unanimous bipartisan report of the Senate Community Affairs Committee into the Funding and Operation of the Commonwealth State/Territory Disability Agreement which calls upon all governments - Commonwealth, State and Territory - to provide substantial additional funding for much needed basic support services for people with disability across Australia.

The Senate Report unanimously highlights that government performance at all levels has been unacceptable. The Howard Government’s own Senators have acknowledged the severely compromised quality of life of Australians with disability. Liberal Senator Gary Humphries, Chair of the Senate Community Affairs Committee, comments that those affected by disability rank as one of the most disadvantaged groups of Australians today. Former Minister for Family and Community Services, Senator Kay Patterson, includes the Howard Government in her pleas for a response to this embarrassing state of affairs.

Instead, the Howard Government has stated that it will not provide any additional money towards these much needed support services for people with disability. The Howard Government has not only denied this additional funding, it has also threatened to walk away from the agreement which provides for people with disability. They continue, instead, to blame State and Territory Governments for the unacceptable state of disability services across Australia.

“This blatant disregard for Australian citizens with disability by the Howard Government is completely unacceptable. The time for political wrangling is over. Inaction is no longer an option”, says National CSTDA Community Alliance spokesperson, Co-Convenor Su-Hsien Lee, “The responsibility to resolve this issue lies with the Commonwealth, State and Territory governments. All must work in partnership to meet the needs of people with disability and their families.”

People with disability, their families, advocates and the Australian community ask the Howard Government:

CONFIRMS CRITICAL SHORTFALL OF SERVICES
FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITY ACROSS AUSTRALIA

The Report of the Senate Community Affairs Committee Inquiry into the funding and operation of the Commonwealth State and Territory Disability Agreement (CSTDA) tabled on Thursday 8 February confirms what people with disability, their families and the disability sector across Australia already know too well that the supports and services people with disability need are not there.

Thousands of people with disability and their families across Australia are not able to access the most basic services they require - services that our community would assume are available. The Report makes its primary recommendation “that Commonwealth, State and Territory governments jointly commit as part of the fourth CSTDA to substantial additional funding to address identified unmet need for specialist support services, particularly for accommodation services and supports”.

The National CSTDA Community Alliance spokesperson, Co-Convenor Su-Hsien Lee, commends the Senate Committee for its unanimous report containing many strong recommendations to all governments across Australia. “People with disability and their families from around Australia will be watching the negotiation of the next agreement very closely. Our governments across Australia are called upon to do the right thing and to take heed of the recommendations included in this Report”.

The Report confirms that the CSTDA remains the basis for delivery of disability services across Australia but that a renewed national strategic approach is required in order to ensure a coordinated national approach to the delivery of disability services and to ensure that people with disability can access the services they require throughout their lives.

“People with disability and their families are tired of the buckpassing of responsibility between governments. The Senate Committee acknowledges the unacceptability of governments resorting to buckpassing and clearly supports the rights of people with disability as citizens of Australia to the basic supports and services they require to participate and contribute to society and places responsibility with all governments across Australia”, says Su-Hsien Lee.

The Report of the Senate Community Affairs References Committee Inquiry into the funding and operation of the Commonwealth State and Territory Disability Agreement (CSTDA) is due on Thursday 8 February. It will be posted on the web http://www.aph.gov.au/senate/committee/clac_ctte/cstda/index.htm

This Report is of vital importance to people with disability and their families across Australia. It is through the CSTDA that Australia’s Governments decide how they will work together to provide supports and services to meet the needs of people with disability and their families across Australia. The current CSTDA expires at the end of June and the next Agreement is being negotiated.

The current CSTDA has fallen well short of providing the supports and services that people with disability and their families need. They have been caught in the crossfire of Federal State relations. While they continue to struggle every day against, at times, insurmountable difficulties, governments have blamed each other for not providing even the most basic of services and supports.

The Senate Inquiry has looked very closely at the Agreement and how it has worked for people with disability and their families. The Committee has received submissions from, and spoken to, hundreds of people with disability, their families and organizations from around Australia.

A National CSTDA Community Alliance has been formed by people with disability, their families, organisations and disability sector representatives from across Australia to take a stand for a fair go for people with disability and their families www.cstdaalliance.org.au

Alliance spokesperson, co-convenor Su-Hsien Lee has applauded the Senate for conducting this Inquiry. “The Alliance will be looking to the Report for recommendations to help ensure that the next CSTDA works for people with disability and their families”.

In our roles as President and CEO of the Australian Association for Families of Children with a Disability (AAFCD) we write on behalf of families with sons and daughters with a disability to urge your government to take a more co-operative, decent and fair approach to the current renegotiation of the Commonwealth State and Territories Disability Agreement (the CSTDA).

NDS MEDIA RELEASE
31 May 2007

Commonwealth’s Disability Funding Offer Deserves a Response

National Disability Services is urging the States and Territories to respond positively to the Australian Government’s dollar-for-dollar funding offer on the unmet need for disability accommodation and respite care.

Federal Minister Mal Brough has given the States a deadline of 8 June to respond to the offer.

At present the Commonwealth’s share of funding for State-administered disability services (such as accommodation and respite care) is 20%. The Commonwealth’s offer would lift its contribution to 50% for new accommodation and respite care services. The prospect of a matching Commonwealth dollar for every new State dollar ought to provide State Ministers and officials with a strong case to take to their Treasuries.

The need for a substantial funding boost for disability services from both levels of government was the principal recommendation of a recent bipartisan Senate Inquiry into the Commonwealth State and Territory Disability Agreement (CSTDA).

The five-year CSTDA, which expires next month, is currently being renegotiated. More than 200,000 Australians receive services funded through the CSTDA. But the acute shortage of funding forces many thousands of people with severe disabilities to go without services.

The need for more services extends beyond accommodation and respite care, but that does not diminish the case for injecting more funding into these two areas of need.

NDS accepts that there are details of the Commonwealth’s offer that States and Territories will want to negotiate. In particular, States that have significant growth funding in their budget forward estimates are concerned that the Commonwealth won’t recognise any part of these commitments as ‘new money’ which it will match. In cases where States have made significant future funding commitments over and above normal growth, NDS urges the Commonwealth to modify its position

The Federal Minister is strongly focussed on accountability. NDS supports the development of annual targets for the provision of disability services against which the performance of all governments can be monitored and publicly reported.

NDS also supports the continuation of negotiations towards a multilateral CSTDA.

National Disability Services is the peak body for disability service providers representing more than 600 not-for-profit organisations across Australia.

Contact: Ken Baker, Chief Executive, National Disability Services
Ph: 02 6283 3203, Mbl: 0409 606 240

NCID CSTDA Open letter to Parliamentarians
29 May 2007

The Prime Minister’s offer to fund unmet need on a 50/50 basis with States and Territories is an historic opportunity to make a significant contribution to people with disability and their families. NCID demands that:

the States and Territories make a counter offer of 50/50 funding in • which all unmet need will be addressed. As people’s lives are not limited to accommodation support and respite, their plans must be ‘whole of life’, and include day supports to ensure that individuals can participate and contribute within the community
appropriate levels of funding is provided to ensure that people have • a good quality of life (as aspired to by the general population), and include sustainable levels of indexation and growth, and increasing needs as people get older.

A full copy of the letter is available on www.ncid.org.au

Dignity for Disabled

MEDIA RELEASE
21.05.2007

“DEAR KEVIN”

D4D does not know how closely you are watching the Adelaide press. Because there is an election coming and there are 5 or 6 marginal seats in S.A. D4D assumes you are keeping an eye on things. You might even be getting some information from the state governments “Media Monitoring Centre” which ironically is on the same floor, in the same building as the Minister for Disabilities office. Media monitoring, which no doubt costs millions, might be important to politicians but personally we would rather see this big brother type operation closed and the money put into disability services that are chronically underfunded in Adelaide.

If you are looking at the Adelaide media you must have noted the barrage of people writing to the editor including three more on Friday, complaining that Labor in SA has moved away from its traditional base and basically does not give a stuff about people with disabilities.

If these traditional disenchanted Labor voters are of interest to you maybe you should consider picking up the phone and asking why? As SA Labor prepares to deliver its 6th Budget since taking office we thought we should send you the facts about why people in SA with disabilities and their families and carers are so distressed. They were promised a lot before Labor was first re-elected but have been hung out to dry since by a Government who seems more interested in opinion polls than vulnerable people who genuinely need help.

The Australian Productivity Commission report released in January 07 shows SA ranks last of all states in support per disabled client. The shortfall is $112 million per annum recurrent just on national average. We don’t want best, just average would be a massive help. This means that SA spends 45% less than it should to give quality of life to people with disabilities. Why would a Labor Government do that? Don’t they care that people with disabilities can not get accommodation, transport, respite or in home care?

The Minister always says the figures “are bad but not that bad” but we know politicians often handle the truth a little?

Prior to the last SA election when D4D asked for his figures the Premier gave us the attached chart. We think this is the best set of figures the SA Government could come up with and they still look dreadful. Putting aside the fact that his figures are based on “per capita” which sounds pretty stupid to us as providing disability service on the number of people who live in a state and not based on the number of disabled community members who need services, sounds like fitting screen doors not hatches to S.A ’s beloved submarine contract.

The Premiers per capita figures show SA is;

29% under national average expenditure per capita or $44.6 million underfunded by the state government per annum and that is their best spin!!.
If S.A was at nation leading benchmarks it would be spending more like $150 per head/ per capita or an additional $77 million per annum recurrent. Can you imagine the enormous difference that would make to the 20,000 South Australians who rely on CSTDA for services .In a State Budget of $11 Billion plus is it too much to ask that SA delivers average national funding. $50 million is just 0.5% of their huge budget.

Recently the SA Disability Minister called the opposition leader “an ignoramus” for not knowing the difference between one off and recurrent spending. Every one in the SA disability sector understands the difference, because one off grants are mostly what the sector receives from this government.

Kevin we know you have strong philosophical, professional and family interest in people with disabilities so if you want traditional Labor voters in Adelaide to stop writing to the paper and complaining publicly about your state ALP branch maybe a phone call would be in order before the state budget on June 8th. D4D thinks many in SA would appreciate your call.

D4D would ask that you forward this information to your friends, clients and other disability supporters so they remain informed. People wishing to be removed from the D4D database should advise by return email. Supporters wishing to be added to the D4D database should email as below.

DIGNITY4DISABLED
“Our voice counts”
email@dignity4disabled.com.au
Information; David Holst 0418555683

Lack of disability funding drives civil disobedience

"More funding is urgently needed to address unmet need in the disability
sector," said Senator Rachel Siewert, the Australian Greens spokesperson
on disabilities today.

Senator Siewert is calling on Federal, State and Territory Ministers to
increase funding to disabilities, when they meet today in Brisbane to
discuss the new Disability Agreement (CSTDA).

"How sad is it that people with disabilities have to stage 'sit-ins' at
Parliamentarians offices to draw attention to their plight?" she asked.

"It is widely acknowledged that there is a huge problem with unmet need
in disabilities support services in this country," said Senator Siewert.

"The disabilities Ministers must agree to increase resources to address
this unmet need."

"A Senate committee inquiry into the CSDTA late last year unanimously
recommended that resources for disabilities services be substantially
increased, yet the Commonwealth is saying 'no new resources'," said
Senator Siewert.

"How is this possible in a supposedly prosperous country?" she asked.

"I support the actions of desperate people with disabilities in seeking
to highlight this issue, but regret that such desperate action is needed
to draw attention to such an obviously worthy cause," she concluded.

For more information or comment call
Chris Twomey on 0407 725 025

Email senator.siewert@aph.gov.au
http://www.rachelsiewert.org.au

DIGNITY4 DISABLED
MEDIA RELEASE

GET READY!

27.04.07

Congratulations to the South Australian Government and Disability Minister, the Hon Jay Weatherill. Disability SA has commenced the long needed audit of unmet disability need.

Whilst the Disability SA method of data collection, an unscheduled phone call, is less than ideal, this long overdue attempt to gather current data is to be highly commended in attempting to quantify the genuine unmet need that is endemic in disability service provision in SA. Dignity 4 Disabled strongly suggests that
Disability service providers ensure all clients are aware that such an audit is being conducted,
Disability advocacy groups ensure all clients have access to this audit,
That all South Australians with a disability who have not been audited should contact their local Disability SA office as a matter of urgency to discuss their levels of service provision,
All people with a disability, their families and carers give prior thought to what their essential service requirements are,
That clients, who after the audit, with more thinking time, believe their discussions were not complete should re contact DSA and amend their file.

Dignity 4 Disabled recommends that DSA clients not lodge ambit claims. A genuine attempt to provide realistic data, D4D believes is in everyone’s best interests. D4D also believes the state government should advise, as part of its report, what percentage of the 20,000 South Australians who use CSTDA services were surveyed and that the state government should give all DSA clients an opportunity to provide more accurate short, mid and long term data regarding future need with a written survey within the next 12 months.

DIGNITY 4 DISABLED
South Australia’s leading Advocacy Group
OUR VOICE COUNTS
Email@dignity4disabled.com.au
David Holst 041855683

NATIONAL CARERS COALITION LETTER OF DEMAND TO ALL POLITICIANS
‘Fix the broken CSTDA’

The unmet service need of persons with disabilities has a shortfall of current Commonwealth, State and Territory [CSTDA] funding estimated at $7 billion recurrent, over the 2006-07 national expenditure of 3.9billion.
Caring families demand an end to the Commonwealth, state and territories ‘blame game’ over the failed CSTDA negotiations and call for reforms that legislate a benchmark funding formula to end the appalling wrangle for all time. Caring families carry 92% of the accommodation and personal care load and we say benchmark funding is not rocket science; the formula already exists in aged care.

The benchmark is achieved simply by halving the percentage of people with a severe or profound disability under 65 years, from the national average of 3.9% of the population to 1.8%, or 18 places/packages per 1000 of the population.

[Such a formula is a mirror of the current aged care formula of 108 places/packages per 1000 of the aged population @ 10.8% or around half of the 22.5% estimate of severe and profound disability in the elderly]

The benchmark funding units are based upon beds or support packages and will deliver 71,670 high care, 71,670 low care and 95,560 community care recurrent services.

[The cost formula is based upon current average costs for a CRU high care bed $83,000, own-home /Low care bed $43,000, and family support/Community care $18,800 with a 30/30/40 split]

The total cost of this benchmark funding formula is $10.9billion and compares favourably with aged care expenditure of some $9billion.

Caring families demand the implementation of Recommendations of the unanimous and bipartisan Senate Report on the funding and operations of the CSTDA. Reform of the CSTDA is imperative to ensure a nationally consistent disability service system that is not age discriminatory; and we further demand:

1. That the Federal Government immediately match the present States and Territories expenditure of $2.8billion on services they administer (an increase of $2.2 billion on the current $0.6billion Federal contribution).

2. From July 2008 an agreed plan for a national population benchmark for disability services be established; and

3. From July 2009 a yearly 1:1 plan of increased funding be applied until the population benchmark is achieved.

The Senate Report on the CSTDA found that ‘caring families are suffering a crushing and unreasonable burden’ and that ‘a substantial increase in funding is required in the next CSTDA due by 1 July 2007.
Caring families call upon all Australians to join our letter campaign and demand a FAIR GO for all caring families. The future of unpaid care is at stake. That means over $30billion of free care services are at risk.

Caring Families suggest that every elected representative (State Territory and Federal) should read the bipartisan Senate CSTDA Report Feb 2007: http://www.aph.gov.au/Senate/committee/clac_ctte/cstda/index.htm

Authorised by - Jean Tops: Victoria (03) 51271904- Nell Brown: NSW (02) 94772288– Felicity Maddison: QLD (07) 33599131

‘Vigil’ Wednesday 21 February

The Vigil went very well. Over 200 people with disabilities, carers and family members were there. The agencies were wonderful in helping to get people there at very short notice (two days!). A family member did signs for us. The overwhelming feeling was one of determination to continue putting our case until we “get there”!

We were ‘moved on’, nicely, from where we had planned to gather, to a designated “protest area”. This turned out to be not so bad - we were within sight of the main entrance and a good number of people walked past us on their way to the event. Several Liberal politicians came and spoke with us, including the Leader of the Opposition in WA, Mr Paul Omodei and Mr Simon O’Brien, our former Shadow Disability Minister. There were a LOT of police and security people present, as would be expected. We quietly stated our case through our presence and our signs. We also handed information to passers by – a copy of our Media Statement with a copy of the CSTDA Alliance position statement on the back.

Of note, Senator Ross Lightfoot was offered a pamphlet by Luke Garswood from PWD WA. Luke asked “Do you want to know why we are here Senator?” The Senator’s reply was “No. I’ve never seen so many brain damaged people in the one spot” and he walked on. Needless to say Luke was aghast. The incident was passed on to the West Australian by someone present at the Vigil and was reported in the paper today – (see Lightfoot on the offensive opposite).

Apart from the above, and the item before the Vigil, we did not get any media coverage. However, we made many other inroads. Media would have been a bonus!

Meeting with Minister Brough Thursday 22 February.

Senator Chris Ellison assisted in arranging a meeting with Minister Brough for us. (Carol Franklin, DDC’s Family Network Officer, and her son Stephen, ‘adopted’ Senator Ellison, as part of our Politician Adoption Scheme, in 1999!) Carol, Su, myself, and Richard, Julie and Aaron Diermajer, attended the meeting, along with Senator Ellison’s Policy Adviser, the State Manager of FaCSIA WA and Minister Brough’s Disability Adviser.

We were very pleased with the meeting. The conversation was frank and open. We left with a better understanding of the Minster’s issues and felt that our concerns and points were heard.

The key messages we took to the meeting were:

• The next CSTDA must resolve unmet need. Governments must commit to the funding and action required to resolve identified unmet need. The sector will not accept anything less. The AIHW Report will enable a figure to be placed on the minimum amount of money that will be required.

•    It is the responsibility of all the governments of Australia - Commonwealth, State and Territory - to work out between them how they are going to meet the basic support needs of people with disability and their families over the course of the next disability agreement. We suggest that a 50/50 funding split is reasonable, but any ratio is acceptable so long as the funding is there. The ‘blame game’ between governments is not acceptable. People with disability and their families cannot be treated with such indignity.

•   The Commonwealth’s CSTDA offer is unacceptable. The disability sector is stunned by the Commonwealth’s CSTDA offer. It is viewed universally as an outrageous disregard for people with disability and their families. It is not accepted by the sector as an offer. It is regarded as an insult.

•   Ignoring the Senate Report and the pending AIHW Report, among the other information produced over the life of the three CSTDA’s, in preparing for the next CSTDA, is unacceptable. There is no legitimate basis for ignoring these Reports.

•   People with disability, their families and supporters have come together as a sector, nationwide, to take a stand for the CSTDA they need. This action is unprecedented. They are prepared to take their case to the public! They have lived through three disability agreements, over 15 years, waiting for governments to do the right thing. This time they are determined that it will happen. It must happen. We spoke of the action in Sydney, in the Prime Minister’s electorate, taking place as we met!

Will forward news from Sydney as soon as we get it!

Sue and Su

Sue Harris and Su-Hsien Lee
Co-Convenors, National CSTDA Alliance
convenor@cstdaalliance.org.au