Kym Richardson (Kingston, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is addressed to the Minister for Ageing. Would the minister advise the House on what steps the government has taken to ensure residents of aged-care facilities are not exploited by outside groups? Has the minister seen reports of aged-care residents being bussed to what they believed to be a cabaret show only to find out it was a Labor and union rally? What is the government’s response?

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The minister will wait until the House comes to order.

Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Minister for Ageing) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Kingston for his question. I know that he is as concerned as I am for the welfare of the frail and vulnerable aged in our community. The reaction of the Labor Party to this question suggests to me that they are not taking this issue nearly as seriously as they should. It came to my attention last week that activities that are stipulated in the standards required by the government as appropriate for people in high-care residential care—namely, the things that most people would regard as normal and appropriate for these frail and vulnerable aged Australians—were being obviously flouted by the union and ALP representatives in the electorate of Kingston. It was revealed last week the activities to which these aged-care residents were being subjected. Residents from two aged-care facilities, the Vails and Aldis homes, were bussed to a vaudeville and propaganda afternoon which was touted as ‘Irish Albert, with guest artistes’. I am not sure that the residents of the Vails or Aldis nursing homes were told that the guest artistes were Janet Giles of SA Unions, Amanda Rishworth, the ALP candidate for Kingston, and Gay Thompson, the local state ALP member.

This would be funny if it was not quite so serious, because the people we are talking about were taken from high-care residential aged-care residences. These are the most frail and the most vulnerable people in aged care in Australia and yet they were removed from their homes to a union-ALP rally and subjected to vaudeville and propaganda. After Irish Albert, enter Janet Giles, Amanda Rishworth and Gay Thompson stage left, shouting slogans at frail aged people.

This is straight out of the ACTU-ALP manual that was revealed by the minister earlier this year which says that every step should be taken in local areas, and any depth plumbed, by Labor to get these messages across.

Lindsay Tanner (Melbourne, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Tanner interjecting

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The member for Melbourne is warned.

Brendan O'Connor (Gorton, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Industrial Relations) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Brendan O’Connor interjecting

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Gorton is warned too.

Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Minister for Ageing) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Sadly, the people from the Aldis and Vails nursing homes could not be protected from the appalling behaviour of SA Unions and the ALP. This is a template for all around Australia and residents of aged-care homes should be warned. The Leader of the Opposition should have the guts to do something about it.

Bernie Ripoll (Oxley, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Industry and Innovation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Ripoll interjecting

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The minister will resume his seat. The member for Oxley will remove himself under standing order 94(a).

The member for Oxley then left the chamber.

Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Minister for Ageing) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

If the Leader of the Opposition had any guts, he would do something about this appalling display. He would discipline Amanda Rishworth, the Labor candidate for Kingston, and he would assure the Australian public that frail, vulnerable, aged people will not be removed from their homes and taken to union and ALP rallies in the future.

John Howard (Bennelong, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I ask that further questions be placed on the Notice Paper.