Guy Barnett (Tasmania, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

And her team. I am about to talk about her team. They support the shadow minister for ageing, Margaret May. The Leader of the Opposition, Malcolm Turnbull, has been great. They have recently launched the Engaging with Senior Australians initiative. That initiative is to be commended. It should read, considered and supported by all and sundry across the board. Peter Dutton, the shadow minister for health, and Senator Mathias Cormann, who is sitting a few place away from me, in his capacity as shadow parliamentary secretary are a great team. I know all members on this side of the chamber want to support a more viable aged-care sector so that we have quality aged care and we have access to that quality aged care.

There we have it. I want to say that it is tough now in the aged-care sector. I know the providers, in and around Tasmania, have to be so innovative and creative because they are doing it tough. Providers have just a few dollars and many of them are already operating in the red. I do not know exactly how many as it is hard to know in terms of proportions and percentages, but we do know there is a good proportion who have gone out of business and many are now operating in the red.

Tasmania is decentralised. We have many, many aged-care service providers in rural and regional parts of Tasmania and, I tell you, they are doing it tough. It is very hard for them to make a go of it. What is more, you have an ageing population. Tasmania is one of the oldest states in Australia in terms of population above the age of 65 years. I know South Australia is not far behind, but Tasmania is leading the country in terms of their ageing population. Things are not looking that hopeful for them at the moment.

We hope that, as a result of this motion being put and debated today, and hopefully passed and supported, we can make a difference for older Australians who deserve quality aged-care services across this country. We will do our darnedest to make a difference for older Australians.