Doug PollardALSO Responds to Criticism
ALSO Pres. Jason Rostant
DOUG: It’s time now for my last guest of the day; earlier on we spoke with Geoff Richards who had a number of trenchant criticisms to make of the ALSO Foundation. Joining me now on the line is the president of the ALSO Foundation, Jason Rostant. Good morning, Jason.
JASON: Good morning, Doug. How are you?
DOUG: I’m well. Geoff had some fairly strong things to say about the foundation. Principally – it isn’t doing what it’s set-up to do which is look after older gays and lesbians?
JASON: Sure. I didn’t hear the interview with Geoffrey earlier today. I guess my first response to that would be the ALSO Foundation has been set-up to provide the range of needs across the community and as those needs have – m’mm, changed and as the community has changed that what the organisation has sought to do is to consult with a range of members. Around how we can best respond to those changing needs and that’s what we’ve done – m’mm, for the last several years - - -
DOUG: Yes but five of the original objectives of the organisation dealt with the provision of support services for the elderly and infirm – and their accommodation needs.
JASON: There’ve been a range of views put over time about the purpose of ALSO Care [& Benevolent Society Inc] and I think one of the things we’d seen and we’d sought to respond to over time is (sic) a range questions about Care funds can most effectively be used. Now, part of the argument we’ve been putting for some time is that one of those lines and arguments is that – m’mm, ALSO Care should have or ought to have purchased a nursing home. A second line of argument is that there are a range of care needs that the organisation is responding to and questions about how effectively those resources would be used to provide for a very small number of people – were an aged-care facility to have been purchased, for example - - -
DOUG: Yeah but there are other ways you could help elderly gays and lesbians though not actually buying some bricks-and-mortar.
JASON: - - - yeah. Absolutely and we – we recognise that need. Which is why amongst a number of activities ALSO’s been involved in over time has been looking at how we can better work with other organisations in the community – like, Gay and Lesbian Health Victoria. Like “Vintage Men” and others, to ensure that the services provided are working across the aged-care sector are equipped and skilled to respond to the needs of all of their residents including GLBT-residents which of course, is our primary concern.
DOUG: One of the points Geoff raised he’s in his 70s now – his partner is in his 80s, they’ve recently had to spend a fair amount of time-and-effort trying to find suitable accommodation for themselves, trying to find suitable support and they got no help whatsoever from ALSO. There’s nothing ALSO does that was any help to them in their search.
JASON: Yeah – look, I saw reference to that. In letters published last week; to the best of my knowledge – m’mm, neither Geoff nor other people have been in direct contact with ALSO. Seeking that support and – you know, certainly – had they had done then we would’ve provided them with the – the resources and information that we have available. To ensure they were referred to the most appropriate places. So what we’ve been doing over the last several years again, is working with [indistinct] to bring together and create a network of people who are working across aged care. To resource them, to build their skills and capacity and if people are keen to contact the ALSO office to find-out more about that work. Or to get leads on places where they may be able to looking for appropriate care then that’s certainly something we’d be more than happy to provide.
DOUG: Yeah. It’s not just Geoff. He was speaking on behalf of a whole group of people but the issue that was raised and it’s been raised with me, before. By people who’ve spoken about the ALSO Foundation on this programme is that you do have a large amount, there. Sitting in those bequests and most of it simply seems to be used to perpetuate the ALSO Foundation; most of it seems to be used on keeping the organisation going but the organisation itself actually, achieves or produces very little.
JASON: I think that’s an unfair criticism, to be frank. I think – m’mm, you know – certainly. What we – m’mm, as an organisation take from those kinds of comments is that we need to – m’mm, be doing a lot more to communicate about – m’mm, the work of the organisation. I think - - -
DOUG: Well certainly there’re lots of demands about more transparency.
JASON: Well, I – the – the question for me is about what kind of transparency are we talking about – are we talking about transparency in the way that – m’mm, financial figures are presented? Which we have consistently responded to questions and – m’mm, offered invitations. To Geoff – and others, m’mm – to look at those. To look at those – questions, I think the issue - - -
DOUG: Well – well - - -
JASON: - - - the issue – the issue, Doug. The issue is that it comes down to ultimately, I think is that there are a range of views within the community about – m’mm, if whether-and-how those funds should be spent. (and) If they’re spent what’s the priority given to the range of areas the money may be used? In terms of the way bequests have been made available to the organisation – m’mm, we’ve received most recently large bequests in 2007, 2008. They weren’t attached to – m’mm, particular purposes. Other than for the – m’mm, work of ALSO. (and) So we’ve been using them for those – m’mm purposes. We recently undertook a round of community consultations in the development of our next strategic plan. What those consultations revealed was that there are a very broad range of expectations about the kinds of things ALSO should be working on. Aged-care services are one of those but that’s one of a very large number of – m’mm, of different things. That people expect, we should be working on and so we’re responding to that.
DOUG: Okay. One other issue that was raised was that your forward-income projections seem to assume there’s going to be a Labor victory and you’re going to get a pot-of-money from the re-elected Labor government, what happens if you don’t get that money?
JASON: Yeah – no, that’s also not – that’s also not correct. We haven’t included – m’mm, that money. In our forward projections. We receive, currently, funding from government. For a couple of very specific projects. One in relation to – m’mm, sexual health. Then also some money in relation to work we’re doing around anti-harassment and – and violence issues so those known resources have been factored in to the forward projections. But certainly not anything that’s contingent on the election. Of course we hope that come Saturday whatever the result is that that will be a positive outcome – m’mm, for the community and if there’s extra funding that should be coming as a consequence of that we’ll be looking at how they can best be utilised.
DOUG: Geoff had a number of other points which we can’t – we haven’t got time to go into. No doubt he’ll raise them all at your AGM which is Tuesday, I think?
JASON: Yeah, I’m sure he will and you know, equally. There are – m’mm, many other voices that have come forward. I’ve had numerous conversations who have very different views again - - -
DOUG: Sure.
JASON: - - - that level of debate is healthy for the community.
DOUG: Okay, Jason thank you very much for your time this morning.
JASON: Beautiful – thanks, Doug.
DOUG: That was Jason Rostant there, the president of the ALSO Foundation.
