Bill Shorten (Maribyrnong, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. Just now in his answer the Prime Minister referred to funding for dementia research to help people in the future who are diagnosed as living with dementia, but why did he fail to mention the Abbott-Turnbull-Morrison's government cut to the dementia supplement, which helped nursing homes look after people who've already been diagnosed as living with dementia?

Scott Morrison (Cook, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for his question. We replaced the dementia supplement with the Severe Behaviour Response Teams—

Ms Catherine King (Ballarat, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Health and Medicare) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

And it was terrible.

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

The member for Ballarat has now been warned twice and will leave under 94(a). It's very simple: if you interject, you're out.

The member for Ballarat then left the chamber.

Scott Morrison (Cook, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

notwithstanding our significant investment into mental health of some $100 million through the More Choices for a Longer Life program, which includes $200 million into dementia research through the MRFF. I've been asked a lot of questions today about funding for aged care, and I've addressed the issue which they've raised specifically in this question, but there has been a lot of contention about the ACFI model for determining aged care funding. Those opposite have sought to accuse us over what was in the 2016-17 budget, but when I look in Budget Paper No. 2, Budget Measures 2012-13, I find a measure titled:

Living Longer. Living Better—improving the Aged Care Funding Instrument.

Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Opposition Business (House)) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Point of order.

Scott Morrison (Cook, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

You don't want me to talk about this, do you?

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

The Manager of Opposition Business is quite entitled to approach the despatch box.

Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Opposition Business (House)) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The point of order is on direct relevance. The question referred to a specific cut. The Prime Minister has acknowledged that he has addressed that issue and now wants to talk about things that have been raised in other questions during question time. By his own explanation where he has gone now is beyond the relevant issues in the question.

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

I thank the Manager of Opposition Business.

Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

He asked about aged care.

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

The Leader of the House isn't assisting. I've made the point before that, provided ministers remain on the policy topic, that is in order.

An opposition member interjecting—

Manager of Opposition Business, if you want me to address the point of order—

Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Opposition Business (House)) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I didn't make a sound. I was really good that time.

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

I have to say, I was in conversation with the Deputy Leader of the Opposition for the last 10 to 15 seconds, on another matter, and I didn't hear everything that the Prime Minister was saying, but I'll listen very carefully now. The Prime Minister has the call.

Scott Morrison (Cook, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I was asked about aged-care funding and I was responding to the issues of how we're funding aged care. If you didn't know, people in aged care actually suffer from dementia. So the funding for the program is relevant to people who have dementia.

The budget measure that I referred to in the 2012-13 budget said:

The Government—

that is, the Labor government—

will refine the Aged Care Funding Instrument to better align the funding claimed by aged care providers with the level of care being offered.

It says that the measure is part of the government's aged-care reform package. It further says:

… the funding instrument for residential aged care services will be modified through the tightening of assessment criteria.

That produced savings of $1.6 billion. I haven't come into this place and thrown accusations at the Labor Party on this day about this issue. I have referred to exactly the same practice that the Labor Party pursued when they were in government to channel savings and funding into other important services. However, in that case it was just to heap up the debt and heap up the deficit. Labor accuses the government of something they themselves specifically engaged in when they were in government. That's the sort of hypocrisy on aged care that the Australian people are sick of.

Ms Plibersek interjecting—

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

I remind the Deputy Leader of the Opposition that she has been warned.