Michael McCormack (Riverina, National Party, Leader of the Nationals) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Wide Bay for his question. Aged care is very, very important. We believe that quality aged-care services should be available close to home, particularly for those people in country Australia. When they have to make that decision, or their families make the decisions for them to go to a residential aged-care place, sometimes, all too often, they have to go many hundreds of kilometres from where they've lived most of their life, away from their family and friends. That is very difficult. It's difficult for them primarily, but it's also difficult for their family and friends. It's an already stressful time for them. All of us would want our mums, dads, grandparents, families and friends to be close to us during that time and in the future. We want that for all Australian people.

A strong economy means that we can invest in aged-care centres through such programs as the Building Better Regions Fund; it's such a good fund for country Australia. In that fund in recent rounds there has been $8 million to the Gloucester Anglican care centre, a 50-bed facility with communal areas, in the member for Lyne's electorate. There has been $1.4 million in Kiama, in Gilmore, for restoring the Blue Haven aged care centre of excellence. There has been $3.6 million to Frank Whiddon Masonic Homes in Temora. There has been $1.8 million for Barcaldine age care centre, in Maranoa, for five additional aged-care units. There has been $204,000 for Blackbutt and Benarkin Aged Care Association, also in the minister for agriculture's seat, for new independent living dwellings—that might not seem a lot of money in the scheme of things, but they're so important to those country people and so important to their families. There has been $1.2 million for Mercy Health and Aged Care Centre Central Queensland, in the member for Capricornia's electorate in Rockhampton, for a new community centre for recreation facilities. There has been $1.6 million to Quambie Park Waroona, in Canning in Western Australia, for nine disability modified accommodation units for aged people.

They all add up. They add up for the families and they add up for those people who are retiring to those particular centres. The Minister for Senior Australians and Aged Care announced in June this year at an aged-care approval round—in Wagga Wagga, in fact—$13,500 for residential aged-care places: 775 restorative care places specifically in rural, regional and remote centres. That is very, very good. This follows the ACAR investment across the regions in this term. Gympie's Cooinda Aged Care Centre will receive a $5 million capital grant towards the construction of its new, nearly $12 million 50-bed building.

I'm asked about the risks. Unfortunately, I have to say that programs such as the Building Better Regions Fund will probably go. But I'll tell you what would also happen if Labor got into government: they would take a sledgehammer to the retirement savings of those hardworking Australians, who deserve better from their parliament. (Time expired)

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