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Legislative Council - Fifty-Second Parliament, First Session (52-1)
2010-09-15 Daily Xml
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LIQUID LICORICE

The Hon. R.L. BROKENSHIRE (15:35): It gives me great pleasure to briefly raise two issues, although one of them is not for pleasure: it is a serious matter. First, I want to congratulate TAFE SA and Arts SA. Recently, on a Friday evening, I was having dinner at the Willunga Hotel with my wife and I saw all these young people coming in. I discovered that they were called Liquid Licorice and they were performing for free at the Willunga Hotel as part of a week of young people from TAFE SA and through Arts SA moving around country South Australia to bring their skills and entertainment to country people. So often country people miss out on these opportunities, and it was just fantastic to see them out there.

I spoke to the leaders and congratulated them, and I also observed the excellent behaviour of these young people before they performed. While I was not able to stay for the whole performance, I know that they are talented and gifted in the areas of performance, music and the arts. They were second-year actors from the Adelaide College of the Arts. To me, this is money well spent and will not only enhance their skills and job opportunities but also deliver a great opportunity to country people to enjoy something that is often only enjoyed in Adelaide.

The second point I want to raise relates to WorkCover Corporation and issues regarding the Work Injured Resource Connection group. Like many members of parliament, I have had the pleasure—and it is a real privilege in every respect—to know Rosemary McKenzie-Ferguson, who is a champion for those people who are mostly severely injured and really do not have any advocacy at all other than Rosemary, who heads up the Work Injured Resource Connection, and members of parliament.

I have a feeling that some people in the WorkCover Corporation are not happy with the fact that there is representation and advocacy for injured workers through the Work Injured Resource Connection, but I wonder where else they can go for help. I have met a number of these people. They are not bludgers. They are not on WorkCover because they see it as an easy option. They are severely injured workers who have been failed by WorkCover to deliver a return to work, with both physical and often, as a result of mismanagement and mishandling, mental health issues that need to be addressed.

I have noticed a tendency not only with Work Injured Resource Connection but with other advocacy groups that, as soon as people start to speak up for their democratic rights, they get funding pulled from them by this Labor government. One example is the advocates in the South Australian Housing Trust Tenants Association and another group representing senior tenants within the Housing Trust. Their money gets pulled because they speak up. That is not democratic.

I note that, whilst WorkCover has an enormous unfunded liability—which does not help injured workers and certainly does not help employers with rates—it does have money to fund and sponsor different programs. I am not knocking those programs at all; in fact, some of those programs are really important. Having said that, sometimes WorkCover offers tens of thousands of dollars in sponsorship and grant funding to organisations. I have appealed for WorkCover Corporation to actually fund the Work Injured Resource Connection. We are not talking about hundreds of thousands of dollars here: we are talking about probably only $30,000 a year to make a real, proactive and positive difference to the future of injured workers.

I will ensure that the minister receives this matter of interest contribution and trust that we will see some common sense adopted; and, instead of working against organisations such as Work Injured Resource Connection, I would like to see the fantastic recognition that should be made of Rosemary McKenzie-Ferguson and her organisation who work tirelessly for injured workers, supported by at least having annual grant funding to allow resourcing and wage components to be made available for them in their efforts to protect injured workers.

Time expired.

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