25 Thousand signatures – buried by the Baird Government
25 Thousand signatures buried by the Baird Government – September 2016 (PDF version)
For some time now, the PSA has been working with the Member for Balmain, Jamie Parker on a means to bring our 25,000 signature petition against the privatisation of ADHC up for discussion in the NSW Parliament.
The petition was handed to the Late John Kaye by PSA General Secretary Anne Gardiner and tabled by Jamie Parker in November 2014. Despite its record breaking 25,000 signatures, the Baird Government used parliamentary process to bury this strongly supported petition.
While having the matter discussed in Parliament is unlikely to bring about the change we are seeking, highlighting to the community the lengths the Baird Government will go to to hide the enormity of its privatisation agenda is an important step toward that outcome.
That is why the PSA is urging members in the Sydney area to come to Parliament House, Macquarie Street on 21 September for our 12.30pm to 1:30pm protest against the secret sell off of NSW services.
At this protest we will be calling on the NSW Government to unearth the petition and bring it to light in Parliament. By coming along you will help achieve this goal.
Escalating the PSA’s Defending Public Services Campaign to the next level
There is no doubt that the PSA’s ongoing campaigning in the media, in the court, in workplaces and in the community has helped to take the shine off Mike Baird.
The PSA was ready and waiting to take advantage of such a change. That is why when it finally occurred we were able to immediately escalate into the next phase of our Defending Public Services campaign to highlight the extent of the privatisations and join together members of the PSA who are facing privatisation.
The PSA’s recently launched “Stop the Secret Sell Off” radio ads, billboards, website and petition are all designed to alert the people of NSW to the enormity of the Baird Government’s privatisation agenda.
You can make a difference by visiting the website and asking your friends and family to do the same. When you are on the website you can hear the radio ad, learn about the other privatisations and sign and share the petition. The website address is:
www.stopthesecretselloff.com.au
Is it worth it? Yes!
Fighting a conservative government hell-bent on dismantling public services was always going to be tough, but it is meaningful work which has already made a difference. The PSA’s RealChoice campaign to defend disability services was kicked off in 2013 and has:
- Led to the indefinite delay of the closure of NSW respite centres
- Exposed the Government’s hidden privatisation agenda (lurking behind the NDIS) to politicians, mainstream and local media and the NSW community
- Prevented the re-election of a number of pro-privatisation Coalition Government MPs in the Port Stephens and Strathfield electorates
To learn more about the campaign behind these outcomes including our doorknocking campaign and billboard in the lead up to the 2015 State Election, please click HERE.
You can also see much of the PSA’s media on this issue by visiting the PSA website and entering “disability” in the search facility.
In the meantime, make sure you’ve made plans to attend the protest with us
21 September 2016
Macquarie Street Sydney
12.30pm – 1.30pm
Download a copy of the rally poster for your noticeboard HERE.
Getting to the protest…
Members should rearrange their shifts, take leave or flex-time to attend the protest.
