Carers are seeing red

By Melissa Meehan
A SEA of red took over the main street of Pakenham on Monday as more than 100 people marched calling for a National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).
Believed to be the first march through the town in history, the group stopped traffic as they chanted their way from the library to Pakenham Railway Station before making their way to Melbourne to participate in the national rally at Federation Square.
Before their march through the town, a rally was held outside the Pakenham Library where each person who attended was presented with a red sash.
It was an important visual tool for the group who looked unified in their call for support from government and community leaders.
The NDIS would see a Medicare-like reform of disability services which would see support for the disabled become an entitlement rather than forcing them to beg for help.
Led by local disability support provider Outlook, the rally featured speakers from every level of government – Federal Member for La Trober Laura Smythe, State Member Edward O’Donohue and local councillor Brett Owen all spoke at the rally.
Outlook CEO Tony Fitzgerald closed the rally thanking both sides of the government for their support, but highlighted there were still unknowns about the NDIS.
“When they speak up in their party or council room they will get challenged on the cost of the scheme, that we don’t have a trained workforce, that it is all too hard – all of those buts will be thrown at them,” Mr Fitzgerald said.
“After today these very good people, our leaders, will know we are with them totally and they won’t accept a way out, look for excuses or back down.”
He said he had a great sadness in him, that he knew of many parents with disabled children who often said they hoped their child would die before them, because they were worried about what would happen to them when they were no longer around to care for them.
“When you really start thinking about this, you say, of course it’s not an option to keep going as we are,” Mr Fitgerald said.
“Then you ask, well what’s the cost of fixing it – my answer is that’s not the real question. The real question is what is the cost of not fixing it.”
As one each person at the rally burst into applause, and joined the march (under police escort) through the town.
Those who didn’t know about the NDIS asked what it was all about and then congratulated them for speaking out about it.
Mr Fitzgerald said he was surprised and proud that such a large number of people in the community had shown their support for their cause.
He said the rally in Melbourne saw about 3000 people in support.
“On our way back from Melbourne we walked through the park opposite the train station (Bourke Park) and there were some local kids with skateboards that wanted to know why we were all dressed in red,” Mr Fitzgerald said.
“When we told them, they wanted to know more, so we spent about 15 minutes talking to them about it – it just shows that it affects so many people in our community.”