Anne Ruston (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Families and Social Services) Share this | Hansard source

I'm very disappointed that you continue to trivialise the fact that some people actually face significant barriers, on the basis of addiction, to getting into employment. I can assure you that this government does not trivialise that and will continue to work with people who find themselves with barriers as a result of addiction. We will keep helping them to overcome those barriers. But thank you very much for the question in relation to older Australians. This government recognises that there are a number of older Australians who find themselves with additional barriers to being able to get into work. That is why this government is actually focusing and specifically targeting measures so that we can assist older Australians to get back into the workforce. In fact in the 2018-19 budget we introduced a measure called the More Choice for a Longer Life Package, which actually addresses providing skills and job-access-ready initiatives to help older Australians who find themselves without a job to be skilled-up to get a job so that they can get back into the workforce.