Rescue package will keep JobWatch running
May 7, 2012

A CARLTON workers' rights legal centre has secured federal funding in tomorrow's budget, saving it from further crisis after the Baillieu government cut money for it by 60 per cent last year.   

JobWatch and four other community employment advice programs in other states will share in $7.1 million over four years, says Workplace Relations Minister Bill Shorten. 

The money will go to not-for-profit organisations that provide advice, assistance and information to people who have difficulties in asserting and exercising their rights at work.


JobWatch executive director Zana Bytheway said funding was slashed in the first Baillieu budget and JobWatch had since been in ''survival mode''. Some staff were made redundant as a result.   

''This is a lifeline, our future would have been shortlived,'' Ms Bytheway said.

Greens deputy leader, Melbourne's Adam Bandt, helped secure the $400,000 for JobWatch through negotiation with the government, a point Mr Shorten acknowledged in a statement yesterday.   

Mr Bandt said services that were under threat included free and confidential telephone information service, legal practice, and community education, advocacy and law reform services.

He said JobWatch handled more than 20,000 calls a year and had recovered $3 million for workers in the past decade.   

The four other recipients of the funding are Working Women's Centres in South Australia, Queensland and the Northern Territory and Western Australia's Employment Law Centre.

Meanwhile, the fate of the $1 billion-a-year Medicare dental scheme remains unresolved despite a deal with the Greens for a $500 million alternative program over four years.

The budget deal was expected to hinge on an agreement with the Greens to support the scrapping of the increasingly popular Medicare chronic disease dental scheme, which enables patients with doctor-certified medical problems to access up to $4250 in dental surgery at taxpayer expense.

The government has structured its budgetary planning on the basis of shutting the scheme this year, but has faced continuing opposition from the Coalition and the Greens.

Greens leader Christine Milne made it clear yesterday that Greens' support in the Senate to repeal Medicare dental would not be forthcoming until they were satisfied with increased funding for an alternative in addition to the $500 million boost in tomorrow's budget.   

The government announced at the weekend that its proposal would provide treatment for 400,000 disadvantaged patients on the long waiting lists for public dental care, many of whom would not qualify for the existing Medicare scheme.

The government's expansion, much of which does not kick in until after next financial year, also includes measures to move up to 300 dentists to rural areas and to expand places for dental graduates and oral therapists in public clinics.

Senator Milne said on Channel Ten's Meet the Press yesterday that the Greens had agreed to work with the government over the next three months ''to try and design a better scheme, which will ultimately give universal access to dental care''.   

Greens health spokesman Richard Di Natale said the budget measures were ''a great first step''.

''But we would need to see more funding before we close the chronic disease dental scheme,'' he said.

With MARK METHERELL

Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/business/federal-budget/rescue-package-will-keep-jobwatch-running-20120506-1y70p.html#ixzz1u7mLELgW

Good on Adam.

Meanwhile the old parties are racing to the bottom arguing over cutting the economy hard and the ramifications of Australians losing their jobs on mass.

you do realize this govt is BUYING votes dont you...do they really want another business folding under their watch... my god how many now?


its very noticeable crook you never count the amount of business closures.. or bankruptcies or receivership's.. that have happened in the past 2 years alone..

funny that?.. I bet if this was an appalling Liberal govt you would have all those figures on the board every week.

the govt started up a lot of things.. and then hands it all over to the States..

and then the States if they can pass it all on to local govt...



all without the means to carry the load. of course..

its only the dim witted that fail to see this ruse.

Now, now Cods.  You know as well as I  do, that every government, both Labor and Liberal buy votes.   

Still doesn't explain how they are different to fairwork imsook?

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do they take 3.5 years to do a search.. and come up with a resolution??????

perhaps they are another FAIRWORK industry that basically doesnt work... ding ding.