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

My question is to the Assistant Minister for Social Services, Senator Fifield. Saturday marked 100 days since the government made the cruel and shocking decision to axe the dementia and severe behaviours supplement. I refer to internal correspondence obtained through a freedom of information request that states that the minister intends to develop 'interim and ongoing measures'. When will the interim measures be announced, Minister?

Mitch Fifield (Victoria, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Social Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am sure all colleagues will recall the background to the abolition of the dementia and severe behaviours supplement, which was the fact that in its first and only year of operation, the last financial year, rather than costing $11.7 million, as was budgeted for and as was designed by the previous government, in the end it cost $110 million. Rather than 2,000 people being eligible, as those opposite thought would be the case, there ended up being 29,000 people eligible. Clearly, the government had to act—and act I did to conclude that supplement. But, before acting, I looked at the supplement long and hard to see if it were possible to salvage the design. I look to see whether it were possible to develop an interim measure. I looked to see if it were possible to salvage that supplement, and I reached the conclusion that it was not.

I am glad that Senator Polley refers to information that has come to light through a freedom of information request by a publication on ageing which states—

Claire Moore (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Women) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I rise on a point of order on direct relevance. A single question was asked, which was: when will the interim measures be announced?

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The minister has been answering the question. He has been addressing the key elements of the question and he has been directly relevant.

Mitch Fifield (Victoria, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Social Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The publication that received the freedom of information material says:

The documents cast doubt on the feasibility of calls from the Opposition and some parts of the industry to redesign the supplement, which the department said would take "several years."

So a leading ageing publication, on the basis of the material to which Senator Polley referred, said that those documents cast doubt on the feasibility of the opposition's calls to redesign the supplement.

I have made clear that we are working with the sector for a replacement that can be sustainable and can operate within the original funding envelope. I have convened and already conducted a forum with people in the sector to work towards that very end.

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

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. I refer again to the correspondence from the minister which confirmed that he first received notice of the oversubscription in February this year. Why did the minister sit on his hands for four months before notifying the aged-care sector that this supplement would be axed?

Mitch Fifield (Victoria, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Social Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is true that I received an update in February from the department. As a result of that update, I commissioned the department to undertake a review to see whether it were possible to salvage the supplement. The conclusion that I reached on the basis of the review of the department was that it was not possible to salvage the design of the supplement, so bad was the design undertaken by the previous government.

As I have indicated before, this was not a situation that was the creation of those on this side of the chamber. It was a situation that was the creation of those on the other side of the chamber. I am working with the sector to come forward with a replacement for the supplement. I mentioned before a forum that was in Melbourne where I brought together a number of clinicians, providers and consumer groups to work through what could be a replacement. I am looking forward to receiving advice on that in October.

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

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. Given that the assistant minister has refused to provide any time line for a replacement scheme, I ask: how much longer will aged-care providers and people suffering from severe symptoms of dementia and their families have to wait—another 100 days, or will it be longer?

Mitch Fifield (Victoria, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Social Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I want to be very careful that I do not make the blunders and mistakes of those opposite in redesigning this scheme. What we will put in place will be something that will stand the test of time. And I also note in your question, Senator Polley, that you implied that the supplement was something that was paid to individuals. It was not; it was paid to providers to support individuals. It is not money that has come out of the pockets of individuals. That is a mistaken impression that you have constantly sought to give. It is not money that went into the pockets of individuals.

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Pause the clock.

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

Mr President, a point of order: I ask you to draw to the attention of the minister that instead of trying to imply something that was not in the question he should answer the question and give some certainty to the sector.

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Polley, you are now debating.

Mitch Fifield (Victoria, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Social Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I should indicate why I did not invite Senator Polley or Mr Neumann to the forum I had in Melbourne with providers, clinicians and consumers. I invited only those people who recognised that there was a problem with the previous design and wanted to make a contribution to putting something new in place. What you want to do is put the old supplement in place to see the budget blow out to the tune of $1.5 billion over 10 years. (Time expired)