Helen Haines (Indi, Independent) Share this | Hansard source

No-one was surprised; everyone was appalled. That was the universal response to the aged-care royal commission's interim report, titled simply Neglect. Its findings were nothing new. The commissioners recommended more home care packages to reduce the waiting lists for higher-level care at home. One hundred and twenty thousand people are on that waitlist. In the Hume region alone in my electorate, there are 948. Those are our mothers, fathers, partners and friends waiting patiently to receive what the government has agreed to give them and, while they wait, their health deteriorates, their families suffer burnout and they are hospitalised as there is simply no other way to get them care.

In October the commissioners called for immediate funding. Instead the government promised funding before Christmas, and today we hear the government will release 10,000 new level 3 and 4 packages. I'm delighted with this good news, but what of the other 110,000 people? At this late stage, even if Santa Claus himself delivered these packages, there's a strong chance they will remain under the tree as the challenge of operationalising them in the holiday period will take a Christmas miracle.

Government officials say $2 billion to $2.5 billion per year is needed to get people care within three months. Today's announcement committed only $496.3 million. This is only a fraction of what's needed. I encourage the government to commit the money and clear the waitlist.

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