President's Report May - June 2010

President's Report May - June 2010

I urge you the members to attend LFAA National Conference if you possibly can on the 16th, 17th and 18th June 2010 in the Main committee room in Parliament House Canberra ACT. There is a host of Ministers and MPs as guest speakers on Family law, Child Support, Men’s Health, DNA Testing, Domestic Violence, Family Relationship Services and much more.

LFAA is still going well although I am very concerned with both our funding cuts due to the Child Support Agency Communication Project coming to an end, and with the budget cuts that will also affect many low income families, and lone parent families, the big rise in food, rent, mortgage health etc. I state this because its coming to us, from you people the members, and others from Parents Without Partners Australia which are by far the two biggest lone parent organisations in Australia, by old people who can’t afford 3 meals a day and heating to keep them warm.

At the PWP National Convention held in Perth over the Easter weekend attended by state delegates and members it came out loud and clear how families are struggling with these rises. $150 seven months ago used to buy you at least 5 bags of groceries, now your lucky to get 2 to 3 bags. Coles and Woolworths have become some of the dearest grocery stores in Australia.

Members stated Private Medicare is a complete joke. It has risen 3 times in the last 3 years putting it right out of reach of the average weekly earning and low income earners. Members stated how concerned they are for their families and their own health because unless they have private health cover, many having witnessed how long it is taking to get members of their families both children and adults into a hospital. It’s disgusting, one lady I know a very low income earner pays $115 a month ($1380 a year) private health with extras to Medibank Private. She had to have an operation on her back it cost over $4000. How much do you think she got back from Medibank Private ?$1500, a loss of $2,500 yet she paid to cover the extras.

The communications project that LFAA received funding for to run our National Office has ceased as of the 31st December 2009. The Minister did find some funding for us, but unfortunately we lose $60,000 and this is going to make it extremely very hard for us to keep the National Office open and to pay the office worker 3 days per week plus super, plus insurances for the office, volunteers insurance, public liability insurance, association liability insurance not only for the office for the branches also, and then run the office. It has got to the position that unless I can attract more funding I will have to make a decision to let the office go and close it down, as our priority is to keep and be able to support our branches as they are the structure of LFAA.

I have applied for funding to the Attorney General through the family law pathways but have no idea if we will be successful.

It’s a shame LFAA has been helping men and women for 38 years in this country with all their family law and child support problems yet we have never been properly funded. The discrimination that goes on in funding between the sexes is distressing to say the least. Maybe its time to close shop and direct all peoples problems to their State and Federal politicians, FAHCSI, and CSA. I don’t thing that they would be happy to get close to 35,000 calls per year from distressed Parents, and that is just from LFAA. Imagine if all us groups did this it’s a thought that we may have to discuss with the other groups.

To all our branches and the volunteers that give so much of their time helping others we thank you and salute you.

Hope you can make the Conference.

Kind Regards

Barry Williams BEM,JP,CMC

And finally some very sad news.

LFAA sends their deepest sympathy to Bob and Sue Tuddenham whose dearly loved daughter recently passed away. Bob was for many years President of LFA SA. Bob and Sue our thoughts are with you. God bless and help you both to get through this.

Barry Williams
On behalf of us all.