A TOOLKIT: How Carers in Tasmania Can Advocate for Change

A TOOLKIT: How carers in Tasmania can advocate for change

www.caringfairly.org.au Caring Fairly is represented in TAS by: www.facebook.com/caringfairlycampaign @caringfairly @caringfairly WHO WE ARE Caring Fairly is a national campaign led by unpaid carers and specialist organisations that support and advocate for their rights. Launched in August 2018 and coordinated by Mind Australia, Caring Fairly is led by a coalition of over 25 carer support organisations, NGOs, peak bodies, and carers themselves. In Tasmania, Caring Fairly is represented by Mental Health Carers Tasmania, Carers Tasmania and Brain Injury Association Tasmania.

We need your support, and invite you to join the Caring Fairly coalition.

Caring Fairly wants: • A fairer deal for Australia’s unpaid carers • Better economic outcomes for people who devote their time to supporting and caring for their loved ones • Government policies that help unpaid carers balance paid work and care, wherever possible • Politicians to understand what’s at stake for unpaid carers going into the 2019 federal election

To achieve this, we need your help. WHY WE ARE TAKING ACTION Unpaid carers are often hidden from view in Australian politics. There are almost 2.7 million unpaid carers nationally. Over 850,000 people in Australia are the primary carer to a loved one with disability. Many carers, understandly, don’t identify as a ‘carer’.

Caring Fairly wants visibility for Australia’s unpaid carers. We are helping to build a new social movement in Australia to achieve this.

Unpaid carers prop up Australian society. Like all Australians, unpaid carers have a right to a fair and decent quality of life.

Caring Fairly is advocating for vital reforms needed to bring fairness to the hidden world of unpaid care in Australia. We need your support.

With your support, we can shape a new public conversation about the value we attach to unpaid carers in Australia, and advocate for the changes urgently needed by so many Australian families.

We can only do this together.

Join the movement, shape the conversation, and lend your support to the Caring Fairly campaign and coalition at:

www.caringfairly.org.au/takeaction @caringfairly

www.facebook.com/caringfairlycampaign @caringfairly

WHAT’S UNFAIR? THE KEY ISSUES

There are 2.7 million unpaid carers in Australia, and over 850,000 primary carers.

Unpaid carers aren’t able to go on strike, but if they did, the Australian Government would have to spend over $1 billion per week on formal health and social care services.

Australia’s reliance on unpaid carers is unsustainable and unfair. Over two thirds of primary carers are women.

Many carers aren’t able to get paid work on an equal footing to other Australians. Many older carers retire with limited savings.

Young carers get a raw deal. Many children and young people who provide care to a loved one have poorer educational outcomes and fewer employment and training opportunities than other Australians. WHAT NEEDS TO CHANGE? THE KEY MESSAGES Caring Fairly believes the Australian Federal Government must take urgent action to bring fairness to care. It must look beyond short term policies, and invest in long term solutions. It must drive a cultural change in how we as Australians, value the unpaid carers in all our communities. Ahead of the 2019 federal election, our three key messages are: 1 Government must invest in the long-term economic security of unpaid carers

2 Government must make it easier for unpaid carers to balance work and care, on an equal footing with other Australians 3 Government must make sure that all young carers can be identified and assisted

These three key messages are drawn from Caring Fairly’s 2019 policy platform. To read the full document, and our evidence base, visit www.caringfairly.org.au. TAKE ACTION GIVING TASMANIAN CARERS A VOICE IN THE 2019 FEDERAL ELECTION

Within the next few weeks or months, Australians will go to the ballot box to elect a new federal government. Caring Fairly wants unpaid carers to shape the outcome of this election. We want to use our collective voice to achieve a fairer deal for carers, and a fairer society for all Australians.

It is essential that federal politicians hear from you to understand exactly what’s at stake in this election - in Tasmania, and for you, your family, and your community. Here are some ideas about how you can use your voice. Pressure your local senator to take action Meeting with Tasmania’s federal senators is a great way to influence the people who represent you at the highest levels of government. Senators hold substantial power within their respective political parties. Senators serve six-year terms in Parliament, making them the perfect driver for the long term policy changes we are seeking.

Tasmania has twelve senators. You don’t have to meet with all of them, but you can ask for meetings with each, or with one senator from each of the major parties, or any senator that you’d particularly like to speak to - the choice is yours.

As a constituent you are entitled to request a meeting with your Senators on any issue of importance to you. Here are some tips to make the process as easy as possible: • You can request a meeting by calling or emailing the Senators from your state. You can also use the letter template attached in this pack for some ideas on what to say • Expect to wait a few weeks before the meeting occurs • Plan what you’d like the Senator to know about your experience or situation and why you are passionate about changing things • Have a clear idea of what you’d like to ask them to do on your behalf - you can refer to the Caring Fairly key messages for some ideas • You can encourage your friends and family to sign the Caring Fairly petition in this kit and present this to your senator to show the widespread community support for change. • You can request a follow up meeting for a few months time to discuss and track progress on the issue • The more voices your senators hear from on this issue, the harder it beomes to ignore our voice, and our demands for change

Your Tasmanian senators Senator Eric Abetz Senator Steve Martin Liberal Party The Nationals (03) 6224 3707 (07) 5441 1800 [email protected] [email protected] @SenatorAbetz @Senator_Steve Senator Wendy Askew Senator Nick McKim Liberal Party Australian Greens (02) 6277 3500 (03) 6224 8899 [email protected] [email protected] @NickMcKim Senator Catryna Bilyk Australian Labor Party Senator Helen Polley (03) 6229 4444 Australian Labor Party [email protected] (03) 6331 2599 @Catbilyk [email protected] @polley_helen Senator Carol Brown Senator Lisa Singh Australian Labor Party Australian Labor Party (03) 6231 0099 (03) 6223 1135 [email protected] [email protected] @SenCarolBrown @lisa_singh Senator Richard Colbeck Senator Anne Urquhart Liberal Party Australian Labor Party (03) 6424 5960 (03) 6423 1933 [email protected] [email protected] @richardmcolbeck @ausenator Senator Jonathon Duniam Senator Peter Whish-Wilson Liberal Party Australian Greens (03) 6231 2444 (03) 6331 0033 [email protected] @duniamjonathon [email protected] @SenatorSurfer WHAT’S AT STAKE THIS ELECTION IN YOUR STATE? Every election is often decided by a few marginal seats in each state. If you live in one of the following federal seats, it is worth contacting your local MP and candidates as well as your senator. If you are not sure which federal electorate you live in you can check at www.aec.gov.au. Do you live in one of the following?

Braddon Lyons Bass Franklin

If you live in one of the following: Check out the Marginal Seats Guide at the end of this toolkit to discover a bit about the candidates in your local electorate and how to contact them.

Engage with your local supports Whether it’s an online support group or one you might attend in person - let your support networks know about this campaign and why you support it yourself. You can share our posters, petitions or social media graphics with the group but don’t forget to explain your personal perspective as a supporter of the campaign.

Not sure what supports are available in your local area?

Head over to www.caringfairly.org.au/takeaction and fill out the contact us form. We can give you some information on what supports are available through our affiliated support organisations. You can also visit our Tasmanian partners’ websites directly: • Mental Health Carers Tasmania - mentalhealthcarerstas.org.au • Carers TAS - www.carerstas.org/ • Brain Injury Assoiation of Tasmania - www.biat.org.au Host an event One of the best ways of spreading our message is through face-to-face conversations in a social setting. Hosting an event is also a really helpful way of engaging with other carers. The following ideas could be used to bring people in your community together to discuss this important issue. • A carers morning tea, hosted at your own home or at a community venue. This can be as informal or formal as you would like • Offer to run a social event as part of a carers support group or community group • Organise some friends to go with you to your local shopping strip and ask people to sign the Caring Fairly petition • Hold a carers craft afternoon • Anything that incorporates fun and social activities with activities to provide information about the Caring Fairly campaign Get creative There are creative ways to tell your story, and to be a voice for change. You might want to: • Write a poem; • Paint or draw; • Write a blog post; • Engage with your local community radio station; • Develop an outdoor display or mural; • Anything else you can think of that engages your artistic skills and expression.

Once your project is complete, be sure to share it with us online, through our website or the other links below. You can also tag us in anything you post on social media if you are posting it to your personal page. www.caringfairly.org.au @caringfairly www.facebook.com/caringfairlycampaign @caringfairly Use the petition

The Caring Fairly petition can be found at the back of this toolkit. It is a simple and effective tool to start conversations about this important topic, and to demonstrate to politicians the collective power of unpaid carers in this election. You can ask your friends, family, neighbours and online community to sign to encourage government to prioritise carers at this election. You might want to keep a copy on your kitchen bench or deliver a copy of the petition to the letterboxes in your street. Most people will be happy to support the cause but they do need to be asked to do so.

Please let the Caring Fairly team know if you are using the petition, so that we can help you maximise your local and national impact. Send any completed copies of the petition to [email protected] and let us know how we can support you. : Advocate online

Modern elections: are fought online as much as offline. Using your social media presence to share your story, voice your demands, and amplify the messages of the Caring Fairly campaign are important ways to get the attention of politicians, and advocate for change. There are creative ways to tell your story, and to be a voice for change. You might want to: • Write a poem; • Follow and engage with Caring Fairly’s social media channels • Paint or draw; • Share Caring Fairly graphics on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. You can find these at caringfairly.org.au • Write a blog post; • Use Caring Fairly frames on your profile picture on Facebook. You can find these at caringfairly.org.au • Engage with your local community radio station; • Share part of your story online, and set out the reforms you want to see from politicians in this election (more on this • Develop an outdoor display or mural; in the next section) • Anything else you can think of that engages your artistic skills and expression. • Create a 30 second online video (see below) • Engage in online support groups where appropriate and let people know about the Caring Fairly campaign and how Once your project is complete, be sure to share it with us online, through our website or the other links below. they can get involved You can also tag us in anything you post on social media if you are posting it to your personal page. • Engage with politicians and political parties online to raise awareness of the campaign • Engage in respectful conversations on Twitter and Facebook about your experience

When publishing your story - be sure to tag Caring Fairly on social media so we can help spread the word. You can use the links below to share.

www.caringfairly.org.au @caringfairly www.facebook.com/caringfairly @caringfairly

Not sure how or what to share online? Head over to www.caringfairly.org.au/takeaction and fill out the contact us form. Someone from the campaign will be in touch to give you some advice about how to share your story online. Share your story online Sharing your experiences is one of your most powerful advocacy tools. It is one of the best ways to build a sense of connection and a way to captivate, and compel people to action.

Writing down your own experiences as a carer can be confronting, emotional, and traumatic. It is important to reflect on your own boundaries around what you are comfortable sharing with other people; be they your family, friends, neighbours, local community or your online environment. Tips to try in your storytelling: Always keep in mind what the purpose of your story is. What message are you trying to convey? Why do you want people to hear about it? This will help guide the shape of your story and give an idea of where the particular points of focus should be.

Don’t worry about figures, data or metrics to include in your story. The value of your story is in your experience and the perspective you have as a result.

You don’t need to disclose every personal detail. Sharing your story gives you power over how much you disclose and to whom. You can choose to highlight particular aspects of your story depending on your comfort levels and your audience.

Allow yourself some vulnerability. This gives your audience something to relate to emotionally.

Make sure your story includes characters. Although you won’t want to disclose everything about them, don’t gloss over the participants in the story and their point of view.

There is political power in voicing common experiences. Most people will find it very easy to understand issues as they relate to family, or friendships, or suffering, as they are universal human experiences. Use this to your advantage and focus on the most universal aspects of your story.

Finish with a call to action. What do you want people to do now that they’ve heard your story? What action do you want to inspire from them? Crucially, what do you want your elected representatives to do? If you share our vision of ‘what needs to change’, we ask you to use our ‘key messages’, found earlier in this toolkit.

Need help crafting your story or not sure how best to take action? Head over to www.caringfairly.org.au/takeaction and fill out the contact us form. Someone from the campaign will be in touch to give you some advice about how you can be involved! Create a 30 second video Filming a short video on your phone is a great and easy way of sharing your story, adding a human face to this important issue and getting public attention.

Caring Fairly can help make it even easier for you.

Examples of short videos from campaign supporters can be found on our facebook page at facebook.com/caringfairlycampaign

Caring Fairly would love to hear your stories via video and help you reach a wide online audience. We can edit, brand, and ‘polish’ your videos, if you want us to. When you tag Caring Fairly on Facebook or Twitter with your 30 second video, we will help you share and promote your video.

We are collecting the stories of carers to help raise public awareness of the campaign and make sure a wide variety of voices are heard. We are asking Caring Fairly supporters from Tasmania to record a 30 second video of themselves and submit the footage via our Facebook inbox or email: [email protected]. Make sure you tag us if you upload your video on social media as well.

www.caringfairly.org.au @caringfairly www.facebook.com/caringfairlycampaign @caringfairly TAS MARGINAL SEAT GUIDE: THE TOP 4

Caring Fairly is non-partisan and apolitical. We want to see improved government responses, policies, and committments from all parties, politicians, and candidates. This information is accurate at the time of publishing and is subject to change. To stay up to date with election developments follow /CaringFairlyCampaign on Facebook.

Braddon

ALP Candidate: Ms Justine Keay MP Ms Justine Keay was elected to the House of Representatives for Braddon in 2016. She was elected again at the by-election in July 2018 after resigning in May 2018. Born and raised in Braddon, as the daughter of a seafarer who was a strong union man, Ms Braddon has inher- ited his sense of equity, fairness, equality and justice. She is the first female elected to represent Braddon. In her maiden speech, Ms Keay said “Mental health needs to become a long-term national priority, and I know this is very important to the people in my electorate. Earlier this year I graduated from Monash University with a graduate diploma of psychology, which will serve me well in this place, and I have developed the understanding and passion for better mental health services for Braddon. This will be a focus for me during this term. People need and deserve better access to responsive mental health and allied health services in our cities and towns.” Ms Keay was also quoted on Labor’s promise of a new headspace in Burnie saying "By creating a dedicated headspace centre in Burnie, Labor will help ensure that when young people put their hand up, say they are not well, and they need help, services are available and accessible." Email:[email protected] Phone: Parliament office (02) 6277 4626 / Electorate office (03) 6431 1333

Liberal Candidate: Mr Gavin Pearce Mr Gavin Pearce is a family man, beef farmer and small businessman who lives at Lapoinya and is the Vice-Chair of the Yolla Coop, which represents the interests of 800 local farmers. He is a decorated soldier with 20 years of military service and supports veterans to reintegrate into the community as President of the Wynyard RSL (Returned and Services League of Australia). In October 2018, Mr Pearce used a media event to highlight his community connections and personal understanding of key issues, including mental health through his role at Wynyard RSL.

Mr Pearce supports the headspace funding and posted on his social media: "Good to visit the staff and management at headspace Devon- port. A vitally important service provider for youth and adolescent mental health services across Tasmania. I welcome the Liberal-National government's record announcement of $1.45 billion for community mental health services and improved funding models to ensure security for both jobs and services. In our state of Tasmania, the Primary Health Network is expected to receive $41.9 million over a three year period to help tailor services and to meet specific needs in our region and help deliver a stronger more integrated mental health system. Personally, I'll continue to fight for these types of services to be pushed further out into our regional towns and communities where I know that a very real need exists." Email: [email protected] Phone: 03 6224 1015 Lyons

ALP Candidate: Mr Brian Mitchell MP Mr Brian Mitchell was elected as the member for Lyons in 2016. Mr Mitchell is a strong supporter of Medicare and a public health system. In his maiden speech, Mr Mitchell spoke about extending Medicare to more Australians and asked for “More focus on mental and preventative health…” In October, Mr Mitchell made a supportive statement for National Carers Week, saying: “Today marks the start of National Carers Week, a week dedicated to recognising and commending the contribution of unpaid carers to our country. And yet, for the most part, many of these people do not consider themselves carers but feel that they are instead simply taking on a role that comes with being part of a family or being a friend of someone who needs support.” Email:[email protected] Phone: Parliament office (02) 6277 4270 / Electorate office (03) 6263 3721

Liberal Candidate: At the time of publishing in March 2019, there was not yet a liberal candidate annouced.

Greens Candidate: Gary Whisson Gary has a lifelong passion for the environment and social justice issues, which led to a career in the environmental protection and conservation fields. He is an owner builder, member of the Alternative Technology Association and the Wilderness Society. Email: [email protected]

Bass

ALP Candidate: Mr Ross Hart MP Mr Ross Hart was elected as the member for Bass in 2016. Mr Hart has a strong law background, being a lawyer and partner at Rae and Partners law firm from 1998-2016. Mr Hart places particular importance on mental health, and in 2017 he officially opened a suicide prevention event stating: “Events such as these are vital to raising awareness around suicide prevention and supporting those in the community who might be dealing with mental health issues.” Mr Hart also believes in the importance of carers, and in a speech about the Social Services Legislation Amendment (Payment for Carers) Bill 2018, Mr Hart expressed sympathy for carers and recognised the important work they do. He said: “I’m acutely aware of the invaluable contributions carers make to our community. We should all be aware of the burden they assume.” Email: [email protected] Phone: Parliament office (02) 6277 2069 / Electorate office (03) 6334 7033

Liberal Candidate: Ms Bridget Archer Ms Bridget Archer is a farmer and is the Mayor for Georgetown. Ms Archer graduated with a Bachelor of Arts and a Graduate Certificate in International Politics and had worked in hospitality, administration, and agriculture. Archer believes strongly in breaking down stigmas surrounding mental health, a view she expressed in a post on her campaign page. She said: “Like many Tasmanians, mental health issues and suicide have impacted on my life and working to address these issues is a cause very dear to my heart. I have long been a supporter of initiatives that support and assist people, build more resilient communities and break down stigma and I am delighted that a re-elected Hodgman Liberal government willinvest $95 million dollars over the next six years on a range of measures in this important area.” Email: [email protected] Phone: 03 6224 1015 Franklin

ALP Candidate: Hon Julie Collins MP The Hon Julie Collins was elected to the House of Representatives for Franklin, Tasmania, in 2007; and re-elected in 2010, 2013, and 2016. She has been the Shadow Minister for Ageing and Mental Health from since 2016. Ms Collins has previously urged the government to pay more attention to policies surrounding mental health, saying words must translate into action and long-term mental health reform must be front and centre in the Government’s Budget. Ms Collins works closely with Senator Deborah O’Neill, Shadow Assistant Minister for Mental Health. Together they stated their approval of a Productivity Commission Inquiry into Mental Health but disapproved of the government’s steps to act on it. Ms Collins is a strong advocate for mental health in Australia, posting on her social channels regularly to promote brands aligned with mental health charities such as Triple J Hottest 100 and The Movember Foundation as well as promoting the work that headspace does. She also posted: “Today, on World Mental Health Day, I promise to continue to work hard to ensure people living with mental ill health are able access support when they need it.” Email:[email protected] Phone:Parliament office (02) 6277 4107 / Electorate office (03) 6244 1222

Liberal Candidate: Mr Dean Young Mr Dean Young is a small business owner and liberal candidate for the 2019 Federal election for Franklin. Mr Young is the owner of newsXpress Glenorchy, a newsagency, and was the CFO of Ballina. Mr Young achieved a Bachelor of Commerce in accounting from the University of Tasmania, and later graduated with a diploma in law from the University of Western Sydney. In December, Dean shared a post from Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s plan to inject 1.25bn into community health, including mental health services. The post said: “Today I am announc- ing that we are putting an extra 1.25 Billion extra into community health and hospitals right across the country. That $1.25 Billion is going into cancer treatment; It’s going into drug rehabilitation. It’s going into access to clinical trials. It’s going into mental health right across Australia.” Email: [email protected] Phone: 0404 818 370

Greens Candidate: Kit Darko Kit is a software developer and activist who is passionate about climate justice and tackling greed and corrup- tion in our political system. Kit is a firm believer that empathy and compassion can never be underestimated or over-valued. Kit is quoted as saying “I seek to inspire change in our world by appealing to the best in people, instead of to their worst; to unite, instead of targeting our vulnerable”. Email: [email protected] Help bring fairness to unpaid care Sign to show your support for great fairness and recognition for carers.