Clare Thinking - Clare Curran, MP for Dunedin South

Tapestry Clubhouse Quiz Night

Tapestry Clubhouse are holding a Quiz Night on Tuesday February 26th at 6:30pm at the Kensington Tavern so get a team together and join the fun. Profits go to Relay for Life ( NZ Cancer Society). Phone 455 1873 to register your team. Cost is $5.00 per person
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Fighting for our Support Services: Sign the Petition

Clare speaking to a rally in the Octagon yesterday

You may be aware of a recent decision by the Southern District Health Board not to re-engage Presbyterian Support Otago (PSO) as a provider of home support services for elderly residents in Otago. The three providers selected by the SDHB include one completely new to the Dunedin area who will possibly employ some of the current PSO workforce.

The uncertainty about what this decision means is distressing for many of the home support workers as well as their clients. Will carers be able to continue with existing clients? Will pay and conditions remain unchanged for those who transfer to the new provider and what of those who don't wish to transfer? And what will happen to PS Otago - the largest provider of services for older people in Otago and employer to over 1100 people?

PS Otago, the Disabilities Resource Centre Southland and the workers' association; Caregivers and Related Employees (Care) launched a petition this week calling for the board to rethink the decision and include them as a fourth provider. If you support this local organisation and the employees and elderly clients affected please sign and share the petition or come in to my office for hard copies.
Thank you and let's keep it up!

Welcome to 2013, I'm excited about this year and building on the work done last year to raise the issues affecting constituents in Dunedin South and to hold the current Government to account.

As we enter the New Year I want to focus on the achievements of the last twelve months and use them as inspiration for the upcoming year. At the end of 2012 a truly sad occasion was made a lot brighter by the generosity of Dunedin businesses and individuals.

The closure of Hillside engineering workshops marked the end of a 130 year tradition of building New Zealand trains here in South Dunedin. At its peak in the 1930's Hillside employed over 1,200 workers but on 21 December last year the last 90 employees walked off the site for the last time. It was an emotional day for many including myself but I refuse to give up on the workers or the fight for kiwi jobs.

More than $18,000 of donated items came from 34 businesses across the community and enabled us to give 112 hampers to staff including those who had left earlier in the month. The hampers had all sorts in them from wine, chocolates, and pavlovas to coffee and tomato sauce and many workers expressed how much they appreciated the practical help as well as the support it demonstrated.

The list of donors is too long for publication but please do continue to support Dunedin businesses with your custom.

Thank you to all who volunteered to put the hampers together and especially to the organisations who donated. I look forward to working with you in 2013 and on towards a Labour Government in 2014.
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Community Gardening: Want to help?

Bathgate Park School has kindly agreed to provide space for a community garden in South Dunedin. I have been working with a great group of local agencies and individuals to establish this and now we need more hands to get the garden growing!

Whether you are green fingered or a conceptual thinker we could use your help designing and creating a space where the community can work together to learn skills and grow healthy food.

We plan on establishing subcommittees who can work on particular areas as well as the larger organising committee which will meet fortnightly. Working bees will provide regular opportunities for volunteering if you can't commit to a permanent role.

If you would like to get involved please contact my office on 03 455 5299 or stop in on the corner of Hillside Rd and King Edward Street. I look forward to seeing you there!
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Gordon Campbell: On Failures Of Care For Those With Mental Disabilities

Hard to imagine a more disturbing insight into the treatment of the vulnerable than the Health Ministry report on Te Roopu Taurima o Manukau. The Ministry has found that the country’s only kaupapa Maori intellectual disability residential care provider has been “seriously dysfunctional.”

The ministry says the business has failed to recruit and retain quality staff – and says the kaimahi (caregivers) that have been employed are seriously unsuitable for the job, lacking basic knowledge. But Te Roopu Taurima o Manukau doesn’t get all the blame. The report says there’s a significant gap under disability laws to ensure there’s oversight by qualified clinical professionals. More>>