Podcast Discussion of TAG

When Rosslyn's Mum had a brain bleed, the Public Trustee refused to use the Mum's funds for an interstate aiirfare for her daughter to see her for what could be one last time. This is despite Rosslyn being her Guardian. Because she cannot afford from her own pocket the NSW to Tasmania fare, there is a real risk that her Mum's dying wish will remain unfulfilled.

ABC TV's 7.30 Report explores unjust gag laws in particular which forbid even ex-clients from speaking about their experience with Public Trustees. Parts one and two of the viedos aired are at the bottom of the above linked page. There was also a 6 minute wrap-up interview which is available as a separate video: here is Sarah Ferguson interviewing Rosalind Croucher, the president of the Australian Human Rights Commission. ABC reports that "Among the disability royal Commission's recommendations are lifting blanket gag laws across the country, and overhauling legislation to ensure people with disability are better included in decisions about their own lives." Tasmania meanwhile is leading the way with legislative reform to eliminate these gag laws. All of this is about a year after ABC's Four Corners documentary . Below are the penalties for publicly disclosing that a person is under the Public Trustee/Guardian, or even (eg in NSW) publication of names or identification of persons involved in tribunal hearings...

43 minutes audio of a Western Australian case study. "Dan" has mild dementia but the state won't let him live at home and locks him up in a nursing home instead, which he pays $75k per year for, while his house is not even rented out by the Public Trustee. Lots of legal information tacked onto the ABC web page too regarding Freedom of Information (FoI) in WA.