Helen Polley (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Aged Care) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to speak about the Turnbull government's continued failure to put dementia at the forefront of the government's thinking and to treat it as a national health priority. Our calls over the last three years for this government to refocus its resources to tackle dementia as an immediate priority have fallen on deaf ears as evidenced during the 2016 federal election campaign.

Today is one year since 'the Malcolm Turnbull experiment began.' Whilst the general feeling within our community is one of disappointment, I am personally not surprised. I think the fact that the Prime Minister is seen as a mediocre leader was borne out during his experience in his previous term as leader of the then opposition. Even Mr Turnbull's hunt for any achievement that he can celebrate over the first year of his leadership as Prime Minister delivers absolutely no joy for any older Australians.

I stood here 12 months ago in this place and said the only difference between Mr Turnbull and Tony Abbott was a top hat and a different tie—and I wish I had a top hat so I could demonstrate this more clearly. Since the Prime Minister took the leadership and knifed Tony Abbott, what he has done is hold older Australians in contempt. His failures when it comes to the portfolio of ageing, have only served to fuel uncertainty—