Helen Polley (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

Here we go again—rewriting history. For 12 years those opposite had ample opportunity, how many reports and how much money was there? Let me recall: there was the Hogan report in 2004. What was that? It was a waste of $7.2 million when it was put in the bottom drawer. But, like Senator Barnett, those on the opposite side want to come into this chamber and rewrite history. The Rudd Labor government has been in government for less than two years. Surely those opposite cannot believe that the Australian people are that gullible that they are going to swallow the rewriting of history and lay the blame totally at the feet of the Rudd Labor government. Are there problems in aged care? Yes, there are. We have acknowledged that. I chaired a meeting which made 31 recommendations to make changes. But if those opposite seriously believe that things can be turned around after 12 years of neglect then they are deluding themselves.

Those opposite are very good at rewriting history. We have heard from Senator Barnett, who all of a sudden has found a passion and a heart for aged care. In terms of the criticism he is levelling at the government, from 2002 until they lost government, how many times did he speak about aged care? Three times. It was not under our watch when there were nursing homes in Victoria bathing their residents in kerosene. Did we hear any of those opposite get up and speak about aged care at that time? No, we did not. In six years, how many ministers for ageing were there in the former government? Eight of them. One failed after the other.

There are some on the other side who, I believe, have a genuine interest in aged care, and those people have made contributions during our hearings. Privately, even those people are prepared to acknowledge that their own government failed. Senator Williams is only new to this chamber and it is obvious why he lead the charge today—because I cannot say anything about his performance in the former government. But I do know this: when history is rewritten time and time again by those opposite they will be seen by the Australian public for what they are.

A former Liberal state health minister, the Hon. Frank Madill, came before our hearing in Launceston. He has an interest in those who are residents in the nursing home of which he is a board member and he acknowledged that these issues are not the fault—I repeat, not the fault—of the Rudd Labor government. The issues that are confronting the industry and the aged-care sector are ones that have been building up over a long period of time. We are not about accepting all the blame for this, but we are going to work to fix the aged-care sector. Those opposite are now being very critical, but I want to acknowledge those in the sector for their tireless work with the very important people that they care for—that is, older Australians.

I am not going to stand here and allow those opposite to rewrite history. I will continue to speak up for aged care. I will continue to listen not only to the sector, which I have been doing, but to older Australians. I know about this firsthand because my mother is in high care and in the twilight time of her life. I know of the work that is being done by those in the aged-care industry and I know the difficulties that families face when trying to assess which home is going to look after the needs of their older family members. We acknowledge all of that, but to say that we have not injected any funds is disingenuous at the very least. Forty-four billion dollars has been committed by this government over the next four years. We have done countless things for older Australians in the very short time that we have been in government. To try to rewrite history is very unfair and unjust to the industry and does nothing for the credibility of those opposite.