Cameron Caldwell (Fadden, Liberal National Party) Share this | Hansard source

It's wonderful to be here today speaking on the Aged Care Bill 2024 and to have just heard from the member for Indi. To have that level of genuine crossbench interest in this matter—an interest I think we all have—and to see so many parts of our parliament pulling in the same direction to achieve the best possible outcome in aged care is a credit to where we all are in relation to this bill.

My electorate is at the northern end of the Gold Coast, and I reflect often on the ageing population that we have in my electorate, in the member for McPherson's electorate—she is here in the chamber today with me—and in the nearby electorate of Moncrieff. These are all areas which have ageing populations and large retiree populations, and these issues of future needs and aged care are very present in the minds of our local residents. It's with that lens that I take particular interest in this bill.

In fact, it's often said there are only two types of people: those who live on the Gold Coast and those who want to live on the Gold Coast. We are fortunate that many, in their later life, do end up having that opportunity, and we see that that retiree population ultimately will transition to needing further care. Illustrative of this, only two weeks ago, I attended the Aged Care Expo Australia in Southport, and to see the energy and the vibrancy in that room from providers, stakeholders and end users and to see some of the innovation in care was actually quite impressive. It was incredible to see the function centre at Southport Sharks actually filled with people who service this very much-needed industry.

As we embark on this journey with this legislation and the future that it holds through future committee scrutiny and hearings and public commentary, I think it's important for all of us to reflect on the end goal of this, and that is very much, in this bill, the word 'care'. That care cannot happen without solid economic foundations, solid structural foundations and support for the sector that will ensure that they're given the tools that are required to give dignity, respect, security and enjoyment to people in their later life and to make sure that that part of life's journey is, ultimately, done in the best possible way.

We know that our population is ageing. There's an ageing bubble, if you like, that's coming, and so it's even more critical that we get the policy settings right in this sector. I'm very proud to be part of a coalition that, when we were in government, responded with a significant funding injection to ensure that the initial response to the royal commission was done with some substance. And to lift the funding from $14 billion to almost $30 billion is, in my view, something that we, as an opposition and as a coalition, remain very proud of. That's because it started the process of how we would see change in this sector. We literally put our money where our mouth is in ensuring that the funding was there for the care.

Unfortunately, in the last year alone, we've seen 49 aged-care homes close under this Labor government. It becomes extremely obvious that things need to change to ensure that we are providing a sustainable system that will last into the future, a system that balances the needs of the person in care in a dignified way with a solid financial foundation to ensure that it's done in a sustainable way. If we keep having closures, there will be no aged-care facilities left for our ageing population.

All of this is done with the royal commission in the background, which simply cannot be ignored. That is the background and the basis for this legislation, and for which a new and fresh approach to aged care must be taken. And as I move around my electorate, I'm very fortunate to have been guided on the concerns and importance of this issue for many of my local groups. National Seniors Australia, who I visit regularly, are very keenly engaged in this issue. When I visit Meals on Wheels, who provide over 30,000 meals out of Paradise Point each year, they say the future care needs of our ageing population is very apparent. I must say that I'm very proud of some of the aged-care facilities we have in my local area. The TriCare and the Arcare facilities provide extremely high levels of great aged care. But we know that there are challenges now and into the future, and that's why it is so important that we deal with this legislation in the keen way that we are.

The opposition has provided a clear offer to work with the government because sensible aged-care policies are so critically important. As I said, we need a system that is strong and sustainable for future generations. Since calling for and responding to the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety, the coalition has remained resolute in advocating for the dignity and clarity that older Australians deserve. This legislation delivers on the first recommendation of the royal commission, appointed by the coalition, to implement a new rights based aged-care act.

As I said, we took the first steps when in government by providing a massive uplift in funding to support what were very obviously the immediate needs of the sector. But it is important that we recognise that age care is not just a department or a sector, it's how we value and care for our elderly population. It's through good faith negotiations that the coalition has sought to ensure that any reforms provide dignity and clarity for older Australians. And we have held the government to account to finally introduce their package of reform and bring all Australians into what is a very important conversation.

The issue before our aged-care system is undeniable, with more than half of our aged-care homes across the country operating at a financial loss. We have an ageing population with a very legitimate desire for people to age in their homes where they can. The way that aged care is delivered and supported needs to change.

This bill represents a significant package of reforms, which is why we have pushed for this bill to immediately be referred to the Community Affairs Legislation Committee for an inquiry. We look forward to continuing to have an open dialogue with older Australians and the aged-care sector, the stakeholders, about the government's proposed reforms through this open and transparent Senate inquiry process. We will, of course, reserve our final position on this legislation until that committee delivers its final report.

I'm very pleased to say—I referred to this at the outset—that there has been cooperation in relation to this issue. I see another crossbench member has walked into the chamber. There has genuinely been interest and engagement on this bill from all sides of the political spectrum, and, through good-faith negotiations with the government, the coalition has achieved significant changes to the government's proposed legislation that will protect the interests of older Australians and future generations. We've worked tirelessly to ensure, through a positive dialogue, that the government's reforms are fairer, particularly for Australians who have worked hard all their lives and saved for their retirements. That is why, importantly, we pushed the government to include grandfathering arrangements, lifetime caps, a much lower taper rate and an assurance that the federal government, not the consumer, will remain the majority funder of aged care. We think all of these things and nothing less are what older Australians deserve, and it is through these discussions and negotiations that the bill is in its current form. I welcome the contribution of the coalition in formulating how this bill has ultimately been presented, and, in the next phase of how this is aired and discussed, I welcome our listening to the needs of Australians and how they see it being delivered in a sustainable way.

One of the most critical outcomes of those discussions to date has been the introduction of the grandfathering arrangements. These arrangements guarantee that Australians who are already in residential aged care or who are on a home-care package or assessed and waiting for their allocated home-care package will not see changes to their existing arrangements. That is fair. In effect, it means that all Australians currently in the aged-care system will not pay one cent more for their aged care.

We also advocated for a lower taper rate towards care contributions to ensure those who have worked hard and saved for their retirement are dealt a fairer deal. The taper rates we demanded mean that funding contributions increase at a much slower rate than what the government had originally wanted, and I thank the government for their genuine engagement on this issue. Furthermore, we sought an absolute assurance from the government that they, not the consumer, would remain the majority funder of aged care. We simply cannot turn the dial that far.

We also fought for and will continue to fight for the maintenance of a lifetime cap on care contributions. These caps mean that Australians will always know that the maximum they could ever be required to contribute is fixed. Again, that is only fair so that people can plan for the future. It means that a lifetime cap provides families with the peace of mind that they need when it comes to the costs associated with caring for their loved ones.

In addition to these financial safeguards, the coalition also secured an additional investment of $300 million in capital funding for regional, rural and remote aged-care providers, who are currently struggling to remain open under this current government. One of the benefits of being in the coalition is that we are provided with a broad range of views, particularly on issues affecting rural and regional Australia. I'm very proud of our advocacy for those people, because, no matter where you live in Australia, you deserve nothing but the best. This funding is critical for upgrading facilities that often struggle to meet the necessary standards due to financial constraints.

Everyone deserves quality aged care, so, in closing, I welcome the approach of the government to open themselves up to the opposition for discussions and contributions in this matter. As we move forward, the coalition will continue to work constructively on what has been, and will be, a very important series of changes to the way aged care is delivered in this country.

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