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When are basic rights a luxury?

‘Advocacy and Disability Not for Profits have reacted strongly to suggestions that funding for the National Disability Insurance Scheme [NDIS] may be cut back or the roll-out slowed. The Coalition Government indicated for the first time that the National Disability Insurance Scheme may be hit by funding cutbacks as part of so called “budget savings”’. Read more from the Pro Bono news website here.

Pro Bono is the ‘online hub for people engaged with Australia’s Not for Profit Communities’.

Here is my NFP Kneebone take on the report:

NDIS Asylum pic

Fine print…

The focus of this month’s issue of New Internationalist is fracking. As NI Co-operative member Dinyar Godrej writes in his web-only extra: ‘The even greater madness is to put the urgency of doing something about climate change on the back burner (in a manner of speaking) just because fracking may offer a few more years’ worth of fossil fuel’.

There is plenty more in the magazine – and on the website, covering a wide range of issues. Here is my Scratchy Lines cartoon from page 8:

Free Trade LR pic

The Continence Gang

The Continence Gang – published in 2001 – was a comic book written by Esther Quintal for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. Esther wrote that ‘Continence is something my people do not understand … It is clear that incontinence is a problem and causes shame for many’. It was a challenge getting the ideas and messages into pictures, but  a lot of fun as  Esther encouraged me not to hold back.

Last week Marjory Kobold, one of the coordinators of the project phoned to say that Esther had died.

Esther’s book was one of the most popularly requested Government publications. Here is the cover and opening story:

Continence Gang cover

Continence page1

The window is always ticking…

The mainstream media – generally – having glimpsed, will move on.

Here is this week’s Pro Bono news website cartoon:

 

cartoon-1411

 

Carers Week

This week is Carers Week in Australia.

Here is this week’s cartoon for the Pro Bono news website.

Pit Crew pic

Economically Rationalise this? Yes we can…

The future getting in the way of the economy?

This month’s New Internationalist cartoon:

carbon price LR pic

Young People in Nursing Homes?

There are many young people with disabilities living in nursing homes.  The new National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) promises a great step forward for supporting people with disabilities getting on with their lives.  However, as  this Pro Bono News post explains, it will not help those young people in aged care nursing homes as there is already a lack of suitable and affordable housing for all young people with disabilities. Research has found that ’53 per cent of young people in residential aged care received a visit from a friend less than once a year’.

Here is my cartoon for the Pro Bono website:

Young in aged care pic

Over the top…

Here is today’s Pro Bono News cartoon.

The not-for-profit sector is set to do it tough under our new conservative government. The government has said it will abolish the charities regulator (ACNC), and the minister in charge of the new Disability Care (NDIS) is not in the cabinet. Read more here.

On the bright side, the UN World Happiness Report has ranked Australia in 10th place. Read the Pro Bono article here.

Happiness Top Ten pic

 

Politics of Envy ….?

The new Australian government will be writing all it’s own punchlines…

Manning Up LR pic

There’s asylum … and there’s something else

This month’s New Internationalist cartoon:

asylum redefined pic