Paid Parking at the Hampstead Rehabilitation Centre

[Sojourner]

a partial backdown ...

http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/sout ... 6102057440

Patients who attend the Hampstead Rehabilitation Centre for fitness and therapy will be exempt from new carparking fees.

The State Government last week caved into mounting opposition against its plan to charge everyone who parks at the centre from August 15.

But the government is holding firm on its decision to charge visitors and staff for parking at the Hampstead.

Its good to see that this policy is being attacked from within, ALP member for Florey Frances Bedford has told the party exactly what they can do with their policy on car parking and is vigourously opposing it. Whilst it may seem risky to oppose their caucus, she is from the far left of the party anyway and would not get a cabinet position under the current regime anyway, no doubt she figures that they are going to lose anyway at the next election, however she likely will win anyway and hopefully then under a new caucus of what is left take the step up.

[Gozu]

There was an article in the Advertiser yesterday about this but it doesn't seem to be online but this older article covers it:

"Stand-off as move to limit court costs fails":

A STATE Budget measure to force people to pay their own court costs even if found not guilty is set to be defeated in Parliament tonight.

Following a submission from the SA Police last year, the Government agreed to introduce legislation which would restrict magistrates from awarding legal costs to people who successfully defended a police charge.

The Government estimated the measure would save $1.6 million.

"If the proposed amendments were passed, there is a very real risk that persons will be unable to afford to seek representation to defend police prosecutions," SA Law Society president Ralph Bonig said.

Opposition justice spokesman Stephen Wade said the Opposition would move an amendment to remove the clause, despite it being connected to the Budget Bill.

Family First, the Greens and independent John Darley have also indicated they will block the move, meaning the Budget Bill will return to the Lower House.

http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/stand-off ... 6088416418

It was defeated in the Upper House and would've seen innocent people pay up to thousnads of dollars to defend themselves in court.

[mal]

Arrived Flinders Medical Centre 12-15
Used the car park
Visited a loved one having her Chemotherapy session
A trying sort of a day
Here I was in a room with several people on the machines being pumped with a formula, hopefully ridding them of various cancers and tumours
One of the men was a 92 year old man who was stoked Eddiewood was beaten by Geelong on the GF
The 92 year old gent could not praise the staff and hospital enough
He missed his ride home on a previous treatment, the hospital sent him home by Cab[cost of $150 to a far away destination]
This wonderful lady I visited had a tough day, but she kept a smile up most of the day
Funny thing about Oncology wards, patients are often quite jovial,
The mood is far from sombre in these wards , a surprise to the envisagement I once had about them

Back to the carpark at 3-35
$8 car park fee

Paid the $8 thinking with a different perspective
IF IF IF IF IF my $8 helped get the struggling 92 year old back home, then it was worth it

IF NOT, this was an absurd payment to make
You pay about $8 to park in entertainment venues by choice
$8 paid in a hospital car park is not usually for entertainment

[Psyber]

I don't have a big issue with a reasonable fee for visitor parking, but it shouldn't be excessive and a form of revenue raising.
After all hardly anyone would visit a hospital for fun, or without good reason.

Some form of free parking provided for staff whose shifts vary, and can start and end in difficult hours, should be automatic.
And I think any charge for someone rushing in with an emergency patient, either bringing them, or coming as a support in the crisis, is unjust.

[smac]

Why free parking for staff? Who gets free parking at work? Nobody.

[Dirko]

Why free parking for staff? Who gets free parking at work? Nobody.

I've worked at the Airport for 20 odd years and have never paid for a park. My missus doesn't pay to park at her work and never has. Actually apart from people working in the city I don't know of anyone who has to pay for parking.....

[smac]

Sorry - anyone who isn't bludging off the Govt in some way is what I meant.

[Dirko]

Sorry - anyone who isn't bludging off the Govt in some way is what I meant.

[gossipgirl]

Why free parking for staff? Who gets free parking at work? Nobody.

majority of people that work in the suburbs do.

[Psyber]

Why free parking for staff? Who gets free parking at work? Nobody.

Everybody who ever worked for me did.
Councils required off street parking to be provided and it seemed mean to then charge employees for it.
Then I'm a softy, and usually rounded up award wages too.

I don't know if nurses still work the 7pm to 3am, 3am to 11am, 11am to 7pm shift rotation as they used to, but any employer who runs a shift changeover at 3am ought to provide convenient free parking as part of the deal.