Cory Bernardi (SA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Ageing, Senator Santoro. Would the minister provide some examples of how the Howard government is working cooperatively with the state and territory Labor governments to provide quality care for Australia’s frail and aged?

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

I thank Senator Bernardi for his very thoughtful question and I would like to go on the record as saying that, in his short time in the Senate, Senator Bernardi has been a very energetic advocate for the aged-care sector of South Australia. The Howard government has a strong record of working cooperatively with the state and territory governments to improve services to older Australians.

I am pleased to inform the Senate that this collaborative approach to service provision is continuing in my portfolio of ageing. After nearly 12 months of constructive negotiations I have today written to my state and territory counterparts with the offer of a new agreement for the ongoing operation of the Home and Community Care, or HACC, program. This financial year HACC funding will be about $1.5 billion, with the Commonwealth contributing 60 per cent, or more than $900 million of these funds. As my colleagues here would know, the HACC program is a joint venture between the Australian government and the states and territories. With the cooperation of the state and territory governments this year we will be supporting more than 750,000 frail older Australians as well as younger people with disabilities in their own homes.

As I announced in July this year, this new agreement will include a $30 million bonus pool of new money designed to further improve national consistency of the HACC program and reduce red tape. Because of the cooperative nature of the negotiations to date, I am confident of an early sign-off by my colleagues in the states and territories on the offer that I have sent to them today.

HACC is just one area in which the Howard government is working closely with the states and territories to deliver quality services for older and frail Australians. In 2004 the government established the transition care program, a joint project with the states and territories that helps older people return home after being discharged from hospital. I am currently in the process of working with my state and territory counterparts to announce the third allocation of places under the program. We have now allocated 2,000 places under the transition care program, in line with our 2004 budget commitment.

A further example of cooperation across levels of government is the recent tripartite agreement in Tasmania between the Commonwealth government, the state government and the Local Government Association of Tasmania.

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Fisheries, Forestry and Conservation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

A very, very good agreement!

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

I take the interjection from Senator Abetz; it is a good agreement. I remember Senator Abetz being one of the senators in this place, together, I should say, with senators on the other side, who encouraged me—and I see Senator Polley nodding—to get to Tasmania as quickly as possible so that we could sign a very worthwhile agreement which I know is very much supported by every senator in this place.

The agreement is designed to better streamline the activities of each of the three levels of government in order to speed up the process of providing quality care for older Australians. I will be exploring opportunities in other states and territories to establish similar tripartite agreements and I urge the Labor premiers and chief ministers to follow the excellent Tasmanian example.

These are not ‘bridges too far’; in fact they are bridges that this government has spent 10 years successfully building. While the Leader of the Opposition wrangles with new federalism and forks in the road, the Howard government is getting on with the job of service delivery. What I have had to say here is a very clear indication of just how seriously the Howard government undertakes the task of cooperative federalism. It is a cooperative federalism that is based on genuine consultation, on a genuine desire to work with governments of any political colour in order that we go about looking after the people that we, the Commonwealth government and state governments—and indeed, as I indicated in part of my answer, local governments—are jointly meant to be serving. (Time expired)

Nick Minchin (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance and Administration) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask that further questions be placed on the Notice Paper.