Rob Mitchell (McEwen, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Mental Health and Ageing. What is the government doing to support positive and healthy ageing for our older Australians? How is the government consulting the community about its initiatives and what has been the response?

Mark Butler (Port Adelaide, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Mental Health and Ageing) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for McEwen for his question—

Mr Hockey interjecting—

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The minister might pause. I will simply say that this is an example of somebody seeking the call, and I gave it to that person who sought the call. I thank the member for North Sydney for his assistance.

Mark Butler (Port Adelaide, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Mental Health and Ageing) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for his question because one of the truest tests of a decent society is how it treats its seniors—those citizens who for many years worked hard, paid their taxes and raised their families and who, in their older age, require a bit of care and support in return from the community that they helped to build.

This government has a proud record and an ambitious agenda around ageing. It is this government that delivered record increases to the age pension and that has a plan to extend that great Labor reform of universal superannuation from nine to 12 per cent. We are talking to seniors about ways to lift opportunities for mature age workforce participation, and the government's work bonus will allow older Australians to keep more of their wage and more of their pension when they take up those opportunities. Over the winter recess, as the House has heard, the last details of health reform were finalised by the Prime Minister and her COAG partners. This is a reform that delivers more doctors, more beds, shorter waiting times and an e-health record to older Australians.

On top of all that the Prime Minister has committed the government to beginning reform of the aged care sector in this term of parliament. To that end the Prime Minister released last week the final report of the Productivity Commission inquiry, a comprehensive report with 58 far-reaching recommendations. No-one in the sector thinks that reform in this area will be quick or easy, but they all think that it is essential. I have already begun meeting with sector stakeholders, providers, consumer groups, aged care unions and clinicians to work through those recommendations methodically. This week I will attend the first of a series of forums across the nation to talk directly with older Australians about their views on aged care.

I notice that I have been criticised by the opposition for talking directly with older Australians, but I make no apology whatsoever for taking time to have those important conversations. On this side of the House we know that talking directly to people who use the system will add different perspectives to those presented by stakeholders who have no difficulty coming to Canberra and having their views heard.

The Prime Minister has been clear that this process should involve an open conversation and that the government will be guided broadly by four guiding principles. Firstly, that every older Australian has earned the right to be able to access care and support that is appropriate to their needs when they need it. Secondly, that older Australians deserve greater choice and control over their care arrangements than the system currently provides them. Thirdly, that funding arrangements for aged care need to be fair and they need to be sustainable, both for older Australians themselves and also for the broader community. Fourthly, that older Australians and the community rightly expect quality care, and this rests in significant part on our ability to continue to attract and to retain dedicated and qualified staff.

I very much look forward to hearing the views of older Australians through this important process.

Julia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

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