THE Community and Pharmacy Support Group (CAPS) has cancelled its planned rally in Canberra, scheduled for 06 Feb (PD 10 Jan), and instead is focusing its efforts on upcoming electoral events.
The rally was called off as it would have concurrently run with a heavily attended Palestinian protest at Parliament House, along with an anti-wind farm protest, that would have diluted the intended message.
In response to the setback, CAPS will be redirecting its efforts towards the upcoming by-election in Victoria's Dunkley electorate, scheduled for 02 Mar.
Following allegations made by a member of Parliament during a previous rally, where CAPS was accused of using its white coats as a "weapon", the group intends to "harness the symbolism of their white coats" in future electoral events in Australia.
CAPS also encouraged its supporters, especially those residing in the Dunkley localities of Carrum Downs, Frankston, Karingal, Langwarrin, Mount Eliza, Sandhurst, Seaford, and Skye, to "actively engage" in the area's upcoming by-election.
The group aims to have white-coated representatives at every polling booth, emphasising the importance of preserving community pharmacies and advocating against potential cuts to pharmacy services.
After successfully organising "peaceful" rallies in Sydney (PD 18 Aug 2023) and Canberra last year (PD 04 Sep 2023), CAPS acknowledged the evolving landscape of protests addressing various issues faced by Australians.
The decision to cancel the Canberra rally was reached after "careful consideration of the potential impact on conveying the key messages amid competing demonstrations on critical matters".
In a message to its members, CAPS spokesperson Christine Kelly extended her gratitude on behalf of the group to all individuals who had committed to attending the Canberra rally.
"CAPS want to thank and recognise everyone that had already organised themselves to come to Canberra, as we all know that it isn't easy to make the time and commitment," Kelly said.
"We hope you can still have these bookings credited back to you, and appreciate every single one of you, and we can only apologise for this inconvenient change to our plans, for reasons beyond our control."
CAPS stated it remains committed to ensuring the viability and accessibility of community pharmacies and pledged to continue advocating for the best healthcare services for all.
The group spokesperson added it looks forward to supporters joining them at the polling booths to express their concerns and make a meaningful impact on the country's political landscape.
CAPS last year wrote to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese (PD 12 Sep 2023), advising that the material change to the Seventh Community Pharmacy Agreement without regard to the pharmacy industry is a "catastrophic move" by the govt, "destroying confidence" in the sector, leading to "either a community pharmacy winding up or increasing prices". JG
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