Jan McLucas (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Aged Care, Disabilities and Carers) Share this | Hansard source

My question is to Senator Santoro, the Minister for Ageing. Can the minister confirm that in April 2004 Professor Warren Hogan presented his review on aged care funding, outlining a number of options for medium- and long-term reform of this sector? Didn’t the government commit to consult with the community over these reform options, allocating $1.3 million to a task force to draft a discussion paper in 2005? Why is it that 2½ years on there is no sign of the promised consultation process with the community, no sign of the discussion paper and no attempt by this government to address the reform options raised by Professor Hogan? Rather than taking cheap shots at others for putting forward policy options and trying to generate discussion and debate, when will the minister actually deliver on the government’s promise to consult with the community over needed aged care reforms and then implement those changes?