Judith Adams (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is for the Minister for Ageing, Senator Santoro. Will the minister advise the Senate what activities took place in Australia to mark International Day for Older People and what the government is doing to promote healthy ageing amongst older Australians? Further, is the minister aware of any alternative policies?

Santo Santoro (Queensland, Liberal Party, Minister for Ageing) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Adams for her question, and I say to her before her peers that I very much appreciate her valuable advice to me in relation to Australia’s commemoration of International Day for Older People. She is an abundant source of very good advice.

I am pleased to advise that there was a significant level of activity to mark the International Day for Older People on 1 October, the theme of which was ‘celebrating seniors’. Whilst I was in Goondiwindi on that day, I launched the Still Inspiring calendar, which profiles 12 active and still very inspiring older Australians. Elsewhere around the country, MPs and senators were given certificates to issue at ceremonies to publicly acknowledge the contributions of older people. Seven thousand five hundred certificates were sent out, and I am told that they were extremely popular with the older constituents of all people in the parliament, including our friends in the opposition.

However, one Labor figure who seems to be unaware of the great things that the government is doing to celebrate older Australians is the opposition shadow minister for ageing, Senator McLucas. Senator Adams asked me whether I am aware of any other policies, particularly those of the opposition. What I say is that, in her recent project—and I hesitate to call it a policy paper—Senator McLucas called on the government to introduce awards to recognise the contribution of older Australians. That is what Senator McLucas said: ‘to introduce awards’.

Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Chris Evans interjecting—

Santo Santoro (Queensland, Liberal Party, Minister for Ageing) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In response to the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate, to be positive, I would like to table, for the information of senators, a certificate. I would also like to table a copy of the Still Inspiring calendar, which I will circulate to all members of the Senate and all members of the parliament.

As I mentioned, 7,500 certificates were sent out last week for this very purpose: to recognise and celebrate the achievements of older Australians. So, as with the examples I gave yesterday, this so-called idea from Labor is something else that the government is actually doing. Perhaps I have been a bit harsh on Senator McLucas and her famous paper in the last couple of days, but there might actually be a good idea in there. Let me explain: she proposes a single card to allow older people to access the entire range of government services. This will build, she says, on the seniors card, Medicare card and veterans gold card. ‘A single access card for all services,’ says Senator McLucas. I commend Senator McLucas for this very original idea, and I will urge my colleague Joe Hockey, the Minister for Human Services, to implement it as soon as possible!

I would respectfully say to Senator McLucas that what she needs to do is go out and become very well acquainted with what the government is actually doing in the Ministry for Ageing. Once you actually acquaint yourself, you will see—

Robert Ray (Victoria, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

‘You’!

Santo Santoro (Queensland, Liberal Party, Minister for Ageing) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Through you, Mr President: Senator McLucas will see that the vast majority of what she is suggesting—no prescriptive, no definite policy suggestions—is actually what the Howard government is doing in the vital areas of developing and implementing policies for ageing and frail Australians. I would strongly recommend that Senator McLucas gets serious and actually does some hard work in terms of developing alternative policies.