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Disability workers will campaign for quality public disability services in Victoria and against the Andrews Government’s proposed privatisation in the Northcote by-election.

Disability workers will launch their Northcote campaign this week with a blitz of train stations, followed by electorate-wide phone calling and a public rally. A large campaign billboard trailer will also be touring Northcote throughout the campaign.

There are 11 group homes spread throughout Northcote and over 115 disability workers living
in Northcote. Across Victoria, 2,500 people with profound disabilities and 4,500 disability workers statewide are affected by Labor’s privatisation.

HACSU State Secretary, Lloyd Williams, said the Northcote by-election was the perfect opportunity for the Andrews Government - having explored privatisation options and made themselves aware of the wide range of risks and threats to people with profound disabilities and their carers - to make good on their 2014 election commitments not to privatise services and protect disability care.

HACSU will also launch radio advertisements against privatisation in Ripon and Bendigo East this week, with cinema, social media and TV advertising to follow.

A recent Reachtel poll of over 1000 Victorians showed minimal support for disability
privatisation. Nearly two-thirds (63.2%) of respondents opposed the Victorian Government's disability privatisation, with only 9.4% supporting and 27.4% undecided. Over half (54%) of respondents said privatisation of disability of services would influence their vote, increasing to 60% for undecided voters.

QUOTES ATTRIBUTABLE TO LLOYD WILLIAMS, HACSU STATE SECRETARY

"The Victorian community wants a continued commitment to public disability care. They recognise the relationship and bond between long term carers and residents with profound disabilities is crucial to quality services and must be protected.”

“Privatising disability care will mean increased casualisation, which will mean continuity of care is gone.”

"Nobody, especially people with profound and complex disabilities, should be forced to accept different strangers coming into their lives every day. Strangers who undertake deeply personal tasks such as undressing, showering and helping in the bathroom."

"Privatising disability care won’t just take away peoples carers; it will take their dignity.”

"The Victorian Government are going down a high-risk privatisation path but they still have an opportunity to make things right and protect disability care."
 

For more information ring Lloyd Williams, HACSU State Secretary, 0418 542 799 or Joe Taylor on 0400 328 583.