June 12, 2018 Opposition welcomes backflip on Grandcarers Assistance The State Opposition has welcomed the State Government’s decision to reverse its mean-spirited decision to cancel the Grandcarers Assistance Program. Shadow Minister for Child Protection Nick Goiran said the announcement that funding of $125,000 would be restored for a further year was positive news, but the support should be extended for more than one year. “In the May budget, the McGowan Government made a heartless and ill-considered decision to discontinue funding of the Grandcarers Assistance Program, which provided enormous support for grandparents who had full time care of their grandchildren,” Mr Goiran said. “These grandparents do an amazing job fulfilling a role that would otherwise be provided and funded by the Government, so they are in fact saving the Government money. “The Grandcarers Assistance Program funded respite services to give grandcarers a break “It was mean spirited of the Government to not renew this funding while finding money for its own pet projects.” Shadow Minister for Seniors and Ageing Tjorn Sibma said he was disappointed the Minister had only committed to restore funding for one more year. “Last year the Government found $1.77 million for their local projects, local jobs slush fund – that would have funded the Grandcarers Assistance Program for a decade,” Mr Sibma said. “The Minister has been dragged kicking and screaming to restore this funding and she should be ashamed for her lack of support for grandcarers, her lack of empathy when she made the cut and her reluctance to restore funding until it became a public issue. “All she has done as Minister is criticise the Federal Government, but this is simply a distraction from her own lack of support for grandcarers and to cover up her heartless cut to this section of the community.” Having had the funding cut reversed, the Opposition will now use the next year to encourage the Government to understand the important work grandparents rearing grandchildren do and encourage them to extend its support, not reduce it. “It is evident the McGowan Government’s priorities are certainly not with those outstanding members of our community working hard to bring up their grandchildren and we will do our utmost to change the Government’s attitude,” Mr Sibma said. Media Contact |
