Luke Howarth (Petrie, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

It's an old-age lesson that we're all taught as kids: respect your elders. As I was growing up, often my parents would introduce me to someone, and it would always be, 'This is Mr —' or, 'This is Mrs —' and I try to do the same with my own three sons when I'm talking to them; it might be, 'This is Mr Smith,' or, 'This is Mr Vasta,' or whoever it is. It is important to get across to our kids that elders should be respected. That's exactly what this bill is here to do, and I'm happy to speak on it.

Australia—as we know, as Australians—is the best place in the world to live. Often, I believe, people don't always recognise it, but it is because of our older Australians, our senior Australians, that we have been left the great country that we have today. It's their leadership that has seen our country battle wars and financial crises and everything else that we've gone through, and come out stronger. Our democracy and individual freedoms are steadfast today because they made sacrifices for our generations; whether they fought in world wars or so forth, we certainly have been left the great country that we have today because of senior Australians.

We owe a great deal to older Australians. That's why I, as an individual and as the member for Petrie, and we, as a government and as a parliament and as a nation, need to ensure that they are supported and cared for as they age. So I very much welcome Prime Minister Scott Morrison's call for a royal commission, and I support this bill, the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission Bill 2018.

This bill is one of the most important things that this parliament will talk about this month. The reforms to aged care and the royal commission have started the conversation in the community, and the overwhelming response has been to ensure that we, as a government, do everything that we can to ensure our elderly receive first-class care. At this point, I'll add that it's not just government—the Australian community must do all that they can to ensure that elder Australians receive first-class care.

The footage that we saw recently on Four Corners did show horrendous abuse by some individuals in aged-care facilities. It was not only hard to watch; it was heartbreaking. I don't think there's a single person in the country who would watch those videos and not be distressed.

This parliament aims to make decisions for all Australians, and, by establishing the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission, we are putting in place a framework that will better protect older Australians who rely on aged care. The commission is part of a significant reform in the regulation of aged-care providers. The commission will be responsible for a number of things, including the approval of providers of aged care, compliance and compulsory reporting of assaults from 1 January 2020.

Before I speak further on the specifics, I would like to say thank you: thank you to the aged-care facilities in my electorate of Petrie. It's easy to focus on the negative side of aged care, on the problems and the people, and—as we saw a member do earlier—just on the letters from people who have had issues. But there are many Australians who receive great care in aged care. That would be the majority of people in aged care, from my experience in getting around my electorate and seeing the providers and the staff at places like BallyCara in Scarborough, Seasons Aged Care in Mango Hill, Azure Blue in Redcliffe, the Holy Spirit Home at Carseldine or Bridgeman Downs Aveo.

In fact, I recently opened Opal aged care in North Lakes. What a wonderful facility that place is. It is cutting edge in dealing with the fact that as our cities grow we have less land—they have gone high-rise in their aged-care facility. It is more like the foyer of a five-star hotel. When you walk into it, that's the feeling you get. It is beautifully decorated, with a wonderful little coffee shop and cafe and a hairdresser as well, and you are greeted by wonderful staff. At the end of the day life is about relationships—the fact that when people walk in the door and are greeted well is important. It is a high-rise facility with wonderful rooms that are spacious and have ensuites. There are very good facilities, such as lounges where senior Australians staying there in aged care can just sit and chat to one another.

At Opal North Lakes they also have a dementia unit. I've just finished reading a book on dementia by one of my constituents, Debbie Flack. It talks about her experience with her mother—who has now passed away—and the heartbreak she went through in dealing with her mum, and a little bit about what the member for Grey spoke about before, which is that aged-care facilities have changed over the years in how they deal with people with dementia. The new one, Opal, has certainly done a great job there.

I've also visited Beaumont Care, Compton Gardens and St James Terrace—a whole lot of them—to name just a few. During my visits, I have been humbled to hear and see firsthand the work that staff do every day to make residents comfortable and cared for. Since the royal commission was announced by Prime Minister Scott Morrison, I've also started to communicate a little bit further. Whilst I've been to many aged-care facilities in my electorate, I've also started to communicate a little bit more and ask what's actually happening in their aged-care facility. I am talking to the residents there to hear their stories firsthand. I'm not there all the time, but I can visit these places. I would like to hear directly from them, too, and I would like to recognise the staff and the facilities that are doing a great job and doing it extremely well, for which I thank them. But, if there are issues, I would like to hear about them as well.

I spoke earlier about the fact that as a government we are trying to do what we can and as the member for my electorate I'm trying to do what I can to respect senior Australians, including when I get out to local schools to talk to primary school kids. I encourage them to spend time with their grandparents, listening to the stories and the wisdom and the knowledge they have gained over 70 or 80 years of life, and beyond. My four grandparents have all passed away, but I remember that in my 20s I would often sit down with them, particularly my nanna Mary, my mum's mum, who was in Zillmere, and talk about World War II, when, during her time in the Army, she operated the spotlights on the Brisbane River looking for Japanese submarines. They never found any. We know they sneaked into Sydney Harbour, but they never found any in the Brisbane River. The stories you get from your grandparents are really important. It was the same when I spoke to my grandfather. Life lessons were passed on. It is very important that grandparents pass that on to younger Australians, which is why I encourage students to do that when I visit their schools.

Often people say to me, 'Oh, you're a politician, Luke. Gee you must live a busy life.' You must get that as well, Deputy Speaker Vasta, as you live a busy life. But the fact is that all Australians now live busy lives. Every Australian lives a busy life. My wife, Louise, and I have three sons, a Doberman to walk and a business to run, and Louise is on different committees.

Ms Henderson interjecting—

She's busier than I am, Member for Corangamite. Often, people in my electorate live fast-paced, busy lives. The other thing we do is put up six-foot fences, don't we? We get our 400 square-metre block or 600 square-metre block, or we may have a unit. Often, we put up six-foot fences around our homes and we don't always talk to the neighbours. The reason I mention is this is because, as Australians, we live fast-paced, busy lives and we don't talk to our neighbours.

I was talking to a lady in aged care the other day and she was saying that she just wished she could spend a bit more time with people. I understand that. They're busy with their work in caring for people. They could chat to them for half an hour, but if you chat to them for half an hour you're probably pushing up the costs for those same people when they are paid staff doing that. That's why I say that as a community and as a nation, we do need to be doing more for older Australians. I would say to people in my own electorate: 'Go and visit your parents. Go and visit your grandparents.' To those schools in my electorate or those community groups—Lions Clubs or Rotary Club; and I met with some ladies the other day from the Older Women's Network in my electorate—I say, 'If you're looking for something to do, go and visit some of those aged-care facilities. Talk to the older Australians in those facilities that I've just visited.' I know that some schools will visit aged-care facilities or visit the local hospital at Christmas and so forth. It is a great opportunity, maybe for kids who don't have grandparents, where they can go and visit some aged-care facilities with the school and talk to those people who just want to chat. Often, many people in aged care just want to be able to chat. They might not be very mobile and they might not be able to get outside—and, obviously, the staff, like all of us now, are fast paced. I just want to make the point that as a government and as a parliament we can do these things, but that the Australian community can do them as well. I think that ministers, shadow ministers and members of parliament should encourage Australians to do that as well.

Obviously, I am proud to be part of a government which has introduced this bill. We are ensuring that older Australians are respected, listened to and cared for, no matter what their age or where they live. Whether they're self-funded retirees or on the pension, whether they are in the biggest or smallest aged-care homes, in the cities or in the regions, this bill protects and enhances the safety, health, wellbeing and quality of life for all older Australians in aged care, which is exactly how it should be.

The independent commission will make things easier for both residents and providers, becoming a single point of contact in relation to quality of care and regulations. By simplifying the process, any questions, complaints or reports of mistreatment will be, and should be, answered and dealt with quickly and appropriately. By making the commission responsible for regulating residential aged-care services, flexible-care services, home care services and Commonwealth-funded aged-care services, we are ensuring that all sectors of the aged-care sector are governed by the same body.

The message is clear: Any person or organisation doing the wrong thing will be found. We won't stand for substandard care, and we have included the option to shut down an operator who is doing the wrong thing as part of the broader reforms. This bill is part of the government's broader aged-care reform agenda, which we announced in the May budget. We have taken steps to improve aged-care regulation and to provide greater transparency of quality in aged care. We have also funded some $22 million to trial specialist elder abuse support services and have begun working with the states and territories to develop a national online register for enduring powers of attorney.

We want to provide more choice for older Australians so that they can live healthier, more independent and safer lives. The establishment of the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission is an essential step towards streamlining regulations and ensuring that the quality of aged care is upheld across the country. The bill will, hopefully—and I use that word, 'hopefully'—restore some peace of mind for the families of those in aged care. The commission will be a single point of contact for questions, concerns and complaints. All Australians can be assured that this independent commission will not just shuffle paperwork but will work tirelessly to improve and uphold quality care standards across the country. This reform has been shaped solely around those who rely on aged-care services and their families. This bill is for them, to ensure that the health, safety and wellbeing of the consumer is the No. 1 priority in the residences they choose to call home. Our older Australians have made a remarkable contribution to our country. Without their sacrifice, bravery and leadership our country could have been a very different place. It is imperative we support them as we age. That's why I'm proud to support this bill. When I say 'we' I mean all Australians.

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