Well, That’s Just Super

Post by Shy Ted

A couple of weeks ago the National Press Club “featured” child Minister for Aged Care, Anika Wells. If that doesn’t scare you, this should.

We all know what these things are, vague allusions by Ministers, supine questions from churnalists and a jolly good drink at other people’ expense afterwards. “Crisis”, neglect by the previous government”, “consultation”, all the buzz words and eventually they touch on service delivery for the likes of you and I in years to come.

The Aged Care board, is, of course a who’s who of former politicians and their ilk as a reward for playing the game rather than serving the public. Yep, not a lot of expertise.

So, what’s the nitty gritty of keeping you at home with your Alzheimer’ or inability to bend down and put your shoes on? Or worse, residential care? I give you the NDIS 2!

Yes, you will be assessed and allotted a number of hours and a certain budget and you’ll be able to purchase services from approved service providers, fronts for union and mate’ businesses. Poor old Vishran, who sounds suspiciously like the chap from the call centre, will pop round to pop your shoes on and provide other care, earning $25 per hour and your budget will be charged $80, the other $55 being administration charges. Administered by the usual professional public servants who you’ll never meet.

There will be more residential facilities, built at enormous cost overruns due to union contracts, paid for by superannuation funds which seem to be run by the Greg Combets and Nicola Roxons and the super funds will also “invest in” (own) the service providers.

And there you have it. All your forced retirement savings will flow around union-controlled business entities, (I think super fees and management charges currently run at $25 billion p.a.), accruing unknown further charges until all the money runs out.

Why will you end up penniless? This is the 10th anniversary of the NDIS and all the rorts within that we know about. Tony Abbott, the new PM, had foolishly agreed to run with the NDIS, knowing full well what would happen next. So it has proved to be. But there are is still massive amounts of untapped wealth waiting to be plundered and that’s what the new Aged Care Policy will do.

Go down to the last third of this interview.

Shy Ted considers himself a bit of (not a lot of) a veteran of 
rural and remote life, mostly, but not always, nursing. 
Most of what you might read about in the media, other than the 
superficial headline such as doctor shortages, is nonsense. 
It’s interesting, challenging and rewarding and not for the 
faint-hearted or ideologues. 

Where necessary, names have been changed to protect identity.