Story by Emmjay

So, Tasmania always looks like a great place to move to when the mercury hits the thirties and above on the big island.  That is, unless you need a job.

And you wouldn’t want to get sick in Tasmania either.

The Hodgman government is allegedly looking for ways to address overweening demand for emergency services at the Royal Hobart Hospital.  (Where have we heard that tune before ?  Answer:  every state and territory in the federation.)

But for my money the lowest mean act is that to save money they are defunding Palliative Care Tasmania.  According to the ABC, Palliative Care Tasmania is the organisation that trains palliative care workers and offers support to terminally ill people and their families.  This is without a doubt an outrageous thing to do.

Patients with terminal illnesses and their families in my opinion are the people smack dab between the rock and the hardest place one faces in life.  Anyone who has sat with a loved one in God’s waiting room and shared the pain and suffering so many folk experience at the end of their life will know just how critically important is quality palliative care. And the carers in my experience do the most difficult, incredibly important and demanding jobs – for the lowest pay.  SO this is a double if not a triple whammy.

But it’s lucky that the Taswegians have a sympathetic ear in Canberra.  Regardless of who’s the Minister for Health and ageing this week.  Gadzooks – NOT GREG Hunt !  They’re really up shit creek now.

According to the ABC, Palliative Care Tasmania has worked with 250 organisations across the state, has been going for 20 years and was granted $2.6M in 2012 to ramp up its programs.  The fact that the organisation is facing closure now because government funding has dried up, gives the lie to the allegation that state and federal politicians and bureaucrats have any concept that government is for the long haul.  And it’s certainly not rocket surgery to understand that with an ageing population the demand for end-of-life care is rising.

It beggars belief that the Minister Darren Mathewson recognised that this would be a significant loss.  That was it.  Well done Darren.  Thanks for coming.

Effing outrageous.

On a lighter note, the Turnbull government has managed the unthinkable – lower approval ratings than even the Abbott government.  Couldn’t possibly be because they haven’t actually done ANYTHING since they fluked re-election.  Could it ?  Well, I suppose standing down Susan Ley was a major achievement.  And replacing her with Greg Hunt.  Masterful leadership, Mal.  Fucking masterful.  And what a great job you’re doing looking after the refugees.

This is not a government.  Cat spew would be better at running the country than these guys.

So, if Tasmania is out, and the American rich have not purchased all of New Zealand, maybe it’s time to cash in some of the goodwill Australia has gained by accepting, no questions asked, kiwi economic refugees in the past.