About 200 people gathered outside the NSW parliament on September 24 to protest against the privatisation of Port Macquarie hospital. Three bus loads, mainly pensioners, from Port Macquarie were joined by supporters from pensioner's groups in Sydney and Wollongong. Ian Wilson, of Sydney Combined Pensioners, said privatisation is a threat to people across the state. At least 36 hospitals had closed in NSW under the Greiner and Fahey governments, and now Prince Henry, Balmain, Rachel Foster and Lidcombe hospitals are threatened with closure or privatisation. Photo by Steve Painter.