Communities

Bringing communities back to life – Pride in the areas where they live, an affinity and humanity for the people who live there. 

What’s to be done ?

• With the support of local residents and volunteers, increase the use of  community halls and centres and provide resources for recreational and skills activities
• Promote support networks within communities to foster mutual engagement, respect and help between older and younger generations.
• Introduce guidelines for trade skills mentoring programmes with seniors agencies and the credentials and incentives for seniors mentors
• Introduce guidelines for tech and computing skills mentoring programmes with youth agencies and the credentials and incentives for youth mentors

How is it to be done?

• Government to finance set up and framework  via slashing $60m + spend on political advertising
• Introduce  incentives for all community members and volunteers to become part of creating a stronger community spirit.
• TAFEs and apprenticeships have featured as political footballs between the ,  mainstream political parties , resulting in poor outcomes for taxpayers: the untapped energy and skills of seniors have been largely ignored,  along with  young people who want to contribute to a more engaged community .

Families.

Families, at ease, protected and celebrated, at the centre of communities – Secure in their communities and safe on the streets.

What’s to be done?

• Establishing a State help desk hotline as a “go to” for Australians receiving malware, scam and related messages, particularly seniors at risk, staffed by students and volunteers.
• Introduce enhanced tracking technology for offenders and those before the courts and on parole to enhance surveiilance and restrain further criminal activity
• Promote in house tracking, security and health monitoring systems to provide protection and assurance to Victorians at risk.
• Install improved CCTV and monitoring devices in suburban areas of high risk
• Review police procedures eg carbon papers at crime scenes v I Pads, to embrace tech efficiencies

How is it to be done?

• A tech working party to review the current deployment of tech tools for enhancing personal safety and security, in some instances still in the 20th century
• Promote technology solutions ,that enhance personal security and safety in the home and outside eg automated forwarding of neighbourhood watch reports
• Incentivise the deployment of cost effective technology solutions that enhance personal security and welfare
• The mainstream parties pursue increased penal and detention measures, without prioritising the advent of tech solutions to strengthen preventative measures

Homelessnes.

Gimme Shelter for the homeless – Every Victorian deserves to have the chance for a secure place to call home and a stake in society.

What’s to be done?

• Fast track the current intervention, capacity, support and response initiatives to expand their deployment and early support and relief for the homeless.
• Integrating strategies and action plans, across,homelessness, mental health, incarceration, dependencies and disabilities for joined up solutions and efficient resourcing
• Outside a 3-4 year election cycle, acknowledging homelessness as a symptom of social despair, develop a sustainable plan for public housing and shelter beyond the current socio-economic landscape

How is it to be done?

• Substantially increase current revenue and capital expenditures , $100ms , away from giveaways, to focus on the homeless committed to self help and re entry to society
• A joined up , “societal wellbeing “structure that crosses housing, health, justice and indigenous portfolios to deliver more efficient, comprehensive outcomes for ALL
• Strengthen current restrictions of purchases of residential property for non- citizens,  impose severe penalties and a robust monitoring system.
• Access properties vacant for extended periods to increase temporary supply.
•  Melbourne’s cleansing of the homeless during the Tennis Open was reminiscent of the globally deplored sweep by the Chinese authorities at the Beijing Olympics ;  $30m in the State Labour 2017-18 budget over 3 years for improving rooming houses v $10 Bn to be spent on level crossings  to get commuters home a couple of minutes earlier

Restoring Regions

Restoring Regions to the centre of Government – All Victorians are to be connected to and included within their local government.

How is to be done?

• Financing and encouraging enterprise in the regions to offer local employment and business opportunities.
• Promoting infrastructure and services to improve self-sufficiency and sustainability of regional economies.
• Introducing tech and digital economy facilities and skills to raise the commercial attractiveness of the regions

What’s to be done?

• Scheduling Parliamentary visits and Committees for the regions.
• With local Chambers of Commerce, supporting local tourist and hospitality initiatives in Regions.
• Opening tourist and hospitality venues for indigenous peoples e.g. museums, art centres.
• Accelerate the movement of government offices and resources to the regions.
• Fund a pilot regional tech centre in Gippsland to float a regional working from home environment.
• The mainstream parties  are Spring Street centric, presiding over ongoing migration from regions to Melbourne and an absence of creative solutions ,

Your Money

It’s our hard earned money, and that’s how we spend it. Victorians are entitled to value for their money and to see it with their own eyes. The cancellation costs for the toll road exceeds the annual state budget for aged care support.

How is it to be done?

• Victorians to be better informed on how effectively and honestly their money is spent
• Transparency and accountability for material costing mistakes and expenditure overruns v budgets
• Contractual terms for expenditure to be revisited to safeguard taxpayers’  liabilities and interests

What’s to be done?

• Eliminate political advertising, cap PR and entourage complement and expenses
• Communicate crisp, periodic, independent budget statements for access by taxpayers
• All quango appointments to be subject to policy and oversight by an independent body.
• The mainstream parties don’t get it ; the State Labour government rorted $388,000 of taxpayers’ money to win the election , with no subsequent prosecutions or falling on their swords

A Force for Change

A force for change, inclusive of those left behind – Restoring trust and credibility when it comes to politicians who are defining how this state is run.

How is it to be done?

• Ethics and behaviour to be aligned with the position of trust and opportunity for Victorians.
• Rigorous enforcement of policies and standards to comply with conflict of interest and donor disclosure requirements
• Improved financial services access for the “unbanked”

What’s to be done?

• Register and publish all interests and donations on a timely basis, not after months’ delay
• Support carers and older single female Australians via access to financial support and services.
• Banks to subscribe to a social inclusion and service Charter for the disadvantaged, as practiced by Canadian banks
• Introduce sustainable access for senior Australians to financial services in the absence of interest from the banks
• The mainstream parties are conflicted by special interest groups and lobbyists, with the public good a casualty, v the Mad as Hell  party’s independence and integrity , .

A Smarter Future

Investing in a smarter future, being lucky won’t last- Inspiring and innovating the younger generation to change the world and how we see it with the skills for the future.

How is it to be done?

• Revisit the secondary and tertiary education curriculum to target employability  outcomes for a digital, high skills economy
• Nurture the current tech industry in Victoria with a competitive focus eg games apps, biosciences and agriculture
• Target initiatives and incentives for companies to nurture homegrown talent instead of outsourcing.

What’s to be done?

• Develop a financing and resourcing model for secondary and tertiary education institutions that is receptive and competent to nurture students for future roles in the digital economy.
• Invest in identifying and empowering mentors across the generations with the interest and credentials to instill skills and competencies.
• Celebrate home-grown innovators and ground breakers in tech within Australia as models for future young Victorians
• The mainstream parties are benevolent followers in offering tax concessions and financing education across the spectrum, instead of a more focussed, hands on stance to invest taxpayers money in tertiary educational and vocational courses and mentoring that confer employability, harnessing untapped resources in the youth and seniors community, and backing   potential  “winners”

Ageing with Dignity

Growing old is a blessing, not a death sentence. Replacing  the fear and loneliness out of growing older.

How is it to be done?

• Deploying tech, resources and services to signficantly extend the tenure of seniors in their own homes, enhancing their quality of life and delivering budget savings
• Revisiting the government role from its current incarnation as an overseer and ineffective resourcer of a financial private sector business model that focusses on the bottom line v the provision of care
• Blueprint a strategy and pathway to an acceptable aged care and retirement home system and framewok, with a 3m + increase in seniors, for 2045
•  Identify a futuristic aged care environment and the AI, Robotic, Diagnostic, Apps  and Systems tools and efficiencies to be available for early deployment
• What is to be done ?
• Commission a working panel of independent experts to take on board current extensive research and recommend an optimal strategy, structure and budget for aged care up to 2045
• Review the role for government participation in the provision of aged care services, its alignment with Canberra and recommendations for change
• Strengthen the enforcement regime and resourcing over the management of aged care homes, simplify the terms for residence, improve communication of the performance and infringements to the public and  increase penalties for non-compliance

• Finance Increased  support and resources, including volunteers, to significantly expand palliative and home care services
• Extend and finance charity based hospices to provide dignity to those in their last days
• The mainstream parties , within 3-4 year election cycles, are in denial mode, appreciate it’s too hard and a huge problem in the future, and hand it on to the private sector to carry the can

Government that’s inclusive, caring, fair and decent , close to the everyday lives and needs of ALL Victorians, harnessing their energies across the generations,, supporting self help for those left behind , working together to reform the delivery of educational , health and care services that will equip ALL Victorians to exploit the opportunities of a digital economy, underpin their social and financial well-being and security within their communities and safeguard their freedoms and civil liberties , with a budget financed by and equitable to all taxpayers..