Chris Crewther (Dunkley, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

Our government would firstly like to thank the community for their support for the establishment of the royal commission into the aged-care sector. I know it's an issue that has been raised within my electorate of Dunkley, whether in my local aged-care facility visits or across the community, as well as in the wider community across Australia. Around 5,100 submissions were received from aged-care consumers, families, carers, aged-care workers, health professionals and providers. I would like to thank the minister for aged care, as well as the Prime Minister, the cabinet and others for their significant work in bringing about the royal commission.

This is indeed a vital step for Australia—to determine the full extent of the problems in aged care and to understand how we can meet the challenges, as well as the opportunities, of delivering and improving upon aged-care services now and into the future. It is also about helping to build a national culture of respect, and increasing respect, for ageing and our senior Australians. Some of the issues that I came across through my own grandmother's experience, as I've mentioned in this place recently, were of concern to me. They brought about a personal understanding of some of the issues that people go through in aged-care facilities as well as in retirement villages and other sectors related to that. I note that many people in the aged-care sector and in our retirement-village sector do a great job. But there are those who are doing the wrong thing, whether they are individuals or certain elements within the aged-care sector.

I note that, on 9 October 2018, the Prime Minister announced that the Governor-General had issued letters patent establishing a Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety. I would like to note now some of the issues that the aged-care royal commission will look into. Firstly, it will cover the quality of care provided to older Australians and the extent of substandard care. It will cover the challenge of providing care to Australians with disabilities living in residential aged care, particularly younger people with disabilities, which is an important element that we should not forget. It will also cover the challenge of supporting the increasing number of Australians suffering dementia and addressing their care needs as they age. It will cover the future challenges and opportunities for delivering aged-care services in the context of changing demographics, including in remote, rural and regional Australia, and it will also address any other matters that the royal commission considers necessary.

We know that there have been aged-care issues for governments, whether in the six years of the Labor government between 2007 to 2013 or the over five years of the coalition government since 2013. So these issues have gone across governments. To be fair, both Labor, when they were in government, and the coalition, while we've been in government, have been working to address these issues. But we need to go further, which is why the aged-care royal commission has been brought about. We need to look deeply into the issues, and we can't necessarily bring that about just through regular conversations. We can bring about the opportunity to speak to people, on a privileged basis as well, to see: what are the major issues facing the sector and where can we better address them? I am very proud of the actions of our government in launching this royal commission into aged care, particularly given some of the things that I've heard, for example, from my constituents, or some of the things we've seen on television or in the newspapers, not only over the last few weeks but over the last decade or more.

As I said before, I know, from my own family's experience, some of the issues across both the retirement-village sector and the aged-care sector. As I've said previously, I wish that my own grandmother had had the experience of some of the great places in my electorate, like the Village Baxter in Frankston, which has a very strong model and management, and has shown the ability to truly care for residents. I also had the privilege of going along to Village Baxter on the weekend. They had, at the conclusion of Seniors Week, an opportunity to have an open day and fete at the Village Baxter. I brought along my family—my wife and my daughter—not only to see some of the facilities but also to participate in some of the activities.

I should acknowledge and commend the students from Mount Erin College, which is the neighbouring school nearby, who were involved on Saturday, which is normally their day off from school. I thank the minister also for coming down on a number of occasions to speak about aged care in aged-care forums and for visiting a number of villages within my electorate. I am proud of the government's actions we have taken not only to improve the aged care sector but also with respect to the royal commission. (Time expired)

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