John Alexander (Bennelong, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Health and Aged Care. Will the minister explain to the House how a re-established Australian Building and Construction Commission will ensure hardworking Australians receive the aged-care services they deserve? What is standing in the way of this progress?

Sussan Ley (Farrer, Liberal Party, Minister for Sport) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you to the member for Bennelong for his question about the important subject of aged care—in particular, aged-care residential facilities. I would just like to provide the House with a demonstration of our investment in this important policy area. This year, it is estimated that Commonwealth funding in residential aged care will be about $65,000 per resident. This year, aged-care spending is estimated at $17½ billion—that is actually 20 per cent higher than it was in Labor's last budget, at least. Since June 2015, there has been an increase of about 3½ thousand operational residential aged-care places. Aged-care spending is increasing by an average of 6.7 per cent a year. With this ageing population and a figure that is only going to grow, it is important that we have adequate facilities to support Australians who need residential care and the ability for those Australians to access that care as soon as possible.

New facilities are being built around the country. In many cases it is a partnership with government capital investment and investment from the private sector. Unfortunately, the sites for these much-needed facilities are not immune to union thuggery that all construction sites face. I have an example which was reported in The Age in April this year: The Age reported that, on an aged-care construction site in Templestowe, Victoria, up to 30 workers simply walked off the job, just like that. The company allegedly told the CFMEU officer present, 'What you have done is illegal, and I am going to have to report you,' to which the CFMEU officer allegedly responded, 'I know it's illegal, but I had to do it.' This is so wrong on so many levels. It just goes to show that the unions that are holding our construction sites to ransom can do these things just because they feel like it. We are committed to restoring law and order—

Ms Collins interjecting—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Franklin will cease interjecting.

Sussan Ley (Farrer, Liberal Party, Minister for Sport) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

on construction sites. Whenever I hear about elderly Australians unable to get a residential aged-care place or that place costing more in terms of the capital to build because of the union thuggeries, I know that not enough is being done by this Labor Party to sort out the union bosses who are running the show. We only have to reflect on the words of the trade union royal commission—

Ms Plibersek interjecting—

Ms Collins interjecting—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Sydney and the member for Franklin.

Sussan Ley (Farrer, Liberal Party, Minister for Sport) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

about the systemic world of louts, thugs, bullies, thieves and perjurers. This is across the board. It is operating in a construction site near each one of these Labor Party members. None of them are doing anything about it, but what it is doing is affecting the aged-care places, the residential funding and the cost for those everyday Australians. (Time expired)