ICAC PATS Said The Cash Cow

Hello Israel, Canada, the UK, and everyone right here in the Seat of Barker, South Australia, Australia...only one sleep to go to vote in the Federal election...(unless you aren't registered-Ed)...indeed...(or not old enough-Ed)...well obviously...(or you did a 'pre-vote'-Ed)...sure...(or a postal vote-Ed)...right, that's enough...

I'll do the Heywood Interconnecter/Wind Turbine Tomorrow...sorry...this one got away from me...

But first: Another thank you to Mr Jim Leane, the Australian Electoral Commission's Returning Officer for the Seat of Barker, who not only rang me yesterday to confirm that my complaint letter re Nomination bias had been forwarded, but also sent me an email to confirm his confirmation...to me, this tangible, written response is a positive indicator of appropriate action having been taken by Mr Leane...thank you.

And a quick quote from Premier Jay Weatherill (today's The Border Watch Friday 6th September 2013) about the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC)...
      "I firmly believe we will have the best model in Australia for investigating corruption and, if
        and when corruption is identified, it will be referred to the courts for criminal prosecution
        in full public view."

(Go on-Ed)...bollocks...the SA model has already been lambasted and dismissed by a range of commentators and/or law professionals who identify the 'Secret Squirrel' nature of closed hearings and other secrecy provisions as being unacceptable in a context where disclosure and openness guarantee appropriate scrutiny of all involved, including scrutiny of the ICAC itself...('let the light shine in' is I believe the subtext being expressed-Ed)...very nicely put Ed...let the light shine in...

Further to that I completely reject any alleged structure of accountability established by the Rann/Weatherill Labor state government, particularly when they had vehemently opposed an ICAC or similar structure for so long, and then introduce a 'Star Chamber' style 'secret Inquisition' that has sweeping powers to shut down public debate about issues.


Consequently I reserve the right to discuss what I want when I want, and that particularly refers to any of the issues I have covered in this here my blog...(go big fella-Ed)...and most specifically the St Martins Lutheran School Child Abuse Cover-up...and I will not accept further attempts to censor my blog, eg,  via orders from the ICAC...a secret ICAC is a broken vessel awash in a sea of corruption...(nice use of mixed metaphors-Ed)...ta... 

I note that I am still waiting to receive a specific response from Mr Weatherill re his lie on ABC Radio on July 1st 2013 and other issues arising from the St Martins Cover-up...the last I heard was the email from his office in mid July.  

If you are not familiar with the role that Premier Weatherill has played in the St Martins Cover-up, please review my previous posts.
 
Earlier this week I saw part of a report on SBS/ABC (?sorry) about Cancer treatment in India that really hit home given my experience as covered in previous posts...and as always made me feel like a bit of a whinger...but then again my experience is relative to the Health system we have available to us...

I didn't catch the name of the major public hospital or in which city, but it offers free treatment to Cancer patients but not accommodation, which leaves patients literally camping on the footpath outside the hospital...(ah, I know where you're headed...this is about PATS, right?-Ed)...well it is in the title...(oh yeah-Ed)...and these 'path dwellers' are under pressure to move because of the health/sanitation issues created by their presence.

The extraordinary contrast if not irony of patients receiving free treatment and then living in the streets...and there's no Patient Assistance Transport Scheme in India...(there you go-Ed)...

I know it is a clumsy even ugly comparison but I'm trying to embrace the positives of a PATS set-up that ultimately defines the massive discrepancies and discrimination faced by Regional patients...and this current review will only make that worse.

As discussed previously, PATS reimburses patients who need to travel over 100kms for treatment, usually to Adelaide, but does not cover any taxi costs, only pays at a petrol rate of 16c/km, an accommodation rate of $30/night, and charges $30 to process an application...(it's an outrage-Ed)...

Damn straight...a bloody outrage...and it is not irresponsible to suggest that PATS is a minimal and requisite recompense for an abject failure to provide appropriate services around Regional SA...(a situation that has worsened under the supposedly Socialist Rann/Weatherill Labor government with the closure and/or withdrawal of services and gross underfunding of that which remains-Ed)...well said...

Rather than increase funding from the pitiful $7million per annum currently available to thus allow full reimbursement for all regional patients, this 'Review' is set to deny more patients even accessing the scheme by increasing the distance to 150km and/or only allowing concession card holders, and other potential changes to application criteria...

And why MP Don Pegler would want to try and take credit for a 'Review' that is going to increase the burden on many country patients, is absolutely beyond me...and then to tell people to get involved and tell their government that it isn't good enough, is...well...(not good enough?-Ed)...exactly...

If you know all the current problems, Mr Pegler, and you know how bad the 'Review' is, and you are genuinely trying to actually do something to improve the PATS, why tell us that we need to go to a government that clearly isn't interested?...the outline of the 'Review' clearly shows that they just not interested in doing the right thing by Regional patients...

At the very least, you 1) claim to know what needs to be done, and 2) are the elected member...it's your job to stand up in parliament and scream blue bloody murder about this outrageous discrimination against Regional patients...and get in the media and scream some bloody more...

It is not your job to tell us to chase the Labor state government who have definably written off the entire South East...(and pretty much anything and/or anywhere outside metropolitan Adelaide other than the Barossa perhaps-Ed)...indeed...

And I make no apology for this repetitious venting about both the ICAC and the PATS, but...(oh, I get it-Ed)...get what?...(the title...the joke in the title...the Cash Cow, which is us, is saying that it poohs out pats...'I cack' meaning I pooh and/or I laugh and/or I laughed so hard I poohed...because both the ICAC and the PATS Review are laughable...brilliant-Ed)...even if you do say so myself...

Anyway, that is enough for one day...so...

Tomorrow: The Heywood Interconnecter and Wind Turbines

Because the 2 are inextricably linked...it's all about moving relatively cheap electricity to the East when windy in SA, and then us importing expensive electricity from Victoria..

And tomorrow the Election...yay...  

I am Nick Fletcher and this is my blog...laters...