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Articles, speeches and content brought to you by Australian Unity

Australian Unity puts its views on Constitutional Recognition of our First Peoples to Parliamentary Committee

Australian Unity supports the Uluru Statement from the heart and offers it's thoughts on the need for Constitutional entrenchment of recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in a submission to a Parliamentary Joint Select Committee on Recognition that is examining the path forward.

Read the submission here

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Kevin McCoy's address to CEDA

On Friday 2 March 2018, CEO of our Independent and Assisted Living business, Kevin McCoy gave a speech to the CEDA members in Melbourne. He discussed the challenges our clients face and in particular our elderly clients and what we, as a nation, need to do to prepare for the future with an ageing population. Read an edited version of Kevin’s speech here.

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Health and ageing care cost blowout looms within a decade: Report

Potential workforce shortfall of 260,000 carers and nurses by 2025. Government budgets under threat. Business as usual "no longer an option".

Australia faces shortfalls of hundreds of thousands of critical staff such as nurses and formal carers in less than 10 years, and will need to spend tens of billions extra on aged care and hospital beds alone to meet skyrocketing demand, a new report warns.

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The Dignity of Risk - The Great Australia Day Breakfast 2018 

On Australia Day 2018, Australian Unity hosted the Great Australia Day Breakfast at Parliament House, Melbourne. Each year a guest speaker shines a light on a subject close to the heart of our organisation. This year Maryanne Diamond AO spoke about "The dignity of risk". Maryanne is an internationally recognised disability advocate and spoke about how taking risk is a normal part of everyday life and people living with a disability should be allowed to take those risks too. 

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The Australian CEO survey 2017

Each year The Australian surveys 100 CEO’s on a range of issues. This year the questions were as follows:

1. What is your outlook for the new year? 
2. How in specific terms has your company handled rising energy costs, and are you satisfied with the Government responses to date?
3. What is the role of Government in the economy and how has it performed?
4. What are the three key agenda items for the country?
5. What are the three key agenda items for your company, including any international expansion, if any?

Wellbeing study of Carers

As part of the Australian Unity Wellbeing Index project, Australian Unity has partnered with Deakin University on a study examining whether an App-based monitoring and mindfulness program (StressLess) can support voluntary carers.

Australian Unity backs new report on Mutuals' access to capital

Australian Unity supports the recommendations in a report released by federal Treasurer Scott Morrison concerning the recognition of mutual organisations within the Corporations Act, and how mutuals can access capital. The report, known as the Hammond Report, makes 11 recommendations concerning the status and treatment of mutuals and co-operative organisation. 

Unintended consequences of proposed banking legislation

Australian Unity has raised concerns about the potential for unintended consequences of proposed legislation regarding the accountability and remuneration of banking executives.

In a submission to Treasury dated 28 September, 2017, Australian Unity noted that the draft legislation failed to consider the case where an authorised deposit taking institution was a subsidiary of a larger organisation.

Submission to health department discussion paper on in-home care

As provider of in-home care to tens of thousands of Australians. Australian Unity believes that consumer-directed care is an appropriate model for the in-home aged care sector, that (aside from special needs groups) a nationally consistent approach to assigning home care packages is in the best interests of older Australians, and that red-tape reduction for providers is a crucial goal in ensuring the sector's long- term sustainability. 

CEO of Healthcare at Australian Unity speaks to Health Insurance Summit about mental health

CEO of Healthcare at Australian Unity, Amanda Hagan suggests people with anxiety and depression can be successfully treated through an innovative program that could help control burgeoning mental health costs in the health system. In a speech to the Health Insurance Summit, Ms Hagan warns the current funding arrangements in the health system are stifling innovation.   

Australian Unity Submission to independent facilitator

Australian Unity is calling on the federal government for a change in the law to better recognise the status of mutual organisations in the Corporations Act and to enable mutual organisations to raise capital through a new form of instrument, a Mutual Capital Instrument.

The federal Treasurer Scott Morrison has appointed an Independent Facilitator, Greg Hammond AO, to examine whether and how to recognise mutual organisations in the Corporations Act, after an earlier Senate Inquiry into the matter.

A new look at Aged Care quality standards

Australian Unity has provided views to the federal government on how Aged Care Quality standards can be improved.

Australian Unity's view on NDIS costs

Australian Unity supports the NDIS model of consumer-directed care to deliver health and wellbeing outcomes for individual and value for communities and taxpayers. But getting the market design and cost structure right for both consumers and providers is critical to its sustainability. 

Australia Day date debate gains traction after breakfast speech

Australian Unity's Great Australia Day breakfast in Parliament House was the venue for a speech by former Coalition minister Ian Macfarlane that stirred considerable discussion about whether 26th January is the appropriate date to celebrate Australia Day.