Media Release
Thursday October 2 2003
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

"...Tax Cuts or young people's lives?

A young woman has sent this letter to John Howard, pleading with him to rethink his priorities when considering personal tax cuts and the budget surplus..."

6000 young people with complex care needs are still housed in aged care facilities across they country! And while times are good, we need to do something about it so that all Australians can reap the rewards.

For just 4% of the Federal Budget Surplus - a mere $300 million - these Young People In Nursing Homes could realize their dreams of a life worth living!

Instead of returning the entire Budget Surplus as tax cuts, the Young People In Nursing Homes National Alliance this week called on the Federal Government to divert just 64 cents a week per taxpayer to solve this tragic problem. Not only would those young people currently living in nursing homes like Amber then have a life worth living; this initiative would also allow them to function as fully paid up members of the Australian community.

In calling on the Federal Government to fund a $300 million program to address the crisis of young people living in our nursing homes, Bronwyn Morkham of the Young People In Nursing Homes National Alliance said, "4% of the Budget Surplus or 64 cents per week would largely solve this issue and its not only young people with complex care needs that would be helped."

"Moving young people out of aged care facilities would free up desperately needed aged care places for these older people. It would also ease Hospital waiting lists by allowing those 2500 older people living in acute care hospital beds to move to more appropriate accommodation and care in facilities designed to meet their needs; and free up $274 million in Australia's hospital system as it did so."

"This entrenched situation cannot fix itself and if there's a surplus we need to use it to solve real problems and make it a win-win situation all round," she emphasized.

*A personal plea from 29-year-old Amber Foy who lives in a nursing home, follows.

For personal comment from Amber, contact Gayl Foy, 0402 757 731
For comment from the National Alliance, contact: Bronwyn Morkham, 0437 178 078

AN OPEN LETTER TO THE PRIME MINISTER

St Michaels Nursing Home
62 Centre Street
Casino NSW 2470

The Hon. John Howard, MP
Prime Minister of Australia
Suite MG 8
Parliament House
Canberra ACT 2600

2nd October 2003

Dear Mr. Howard

I am a 29-year-old Australian living in an aged care nursing home completely against my will and with the knowing consent of the federal government.

I am an intelligent young woman who is being robbed of her right to the appropriate accommodation and support I needs to live her life as a valued and contributing member of Australian society.

The issue of young people living in aged care facilities that were never intended to deal with this group and have never been funded to support people like me MUST BE ADDRESSED!

That we as a nation could even consider personal tax cuts when there is so much neglect of people in my situation who are robbed of their basic citizenship, is a source of national shame.

A decision to return the surplus in the form of personal tax cuts is an admission that there is no other use for this money. Government should only make tax cuts when there is no other public need and my case shows that this is definitely not so.

Because I have a severe disability that has led me to be living in an aged care nursing home and I'm unable to earn an income, any tax cuts will pass me by and not solve my problem. I would gladly accept $10 a week but this wouldn't change things for me at all!

But if less than 100 people could redirect their tax cuts to provide the support I need, I could move back to the community and take up my rightful position as a fully functioning member of Australian society. I might even be able to earn an income and start to pay tax myself.

I remember you used to want to govern for all of us. When you sit down with Mr. Costello to think about what you will do with this huge surplus, please remember me and the 6000 other young people like me who need such a tiny part of your money to give us a quality of life.

Amber