Helen Polley (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Assistant Minister to the Leader (Tasmania)) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That the Senate—

(a) notes that:

  (i) the latest waiting list for aged care home care packages indicates there are more than 100 000 vulnerable older Australians waiting for the home care package for which they have been approved,

  (ii) the latest figures showed the waiting list had grown by more than 12 000 between 1 July 2017 and 30 September 2017, and it is likely to continue growing without funding for the release of more packages,

  (iii) the majority of the older Australians on the waiting list are those waiting for level three and level four packages, who have high care needs, including many with dementia, and

  (iv) the Turnbull Government's own website states that most of these vulnerable older Australians will be waiting more than a year for a package;

(b) condemns the Turnbull Government for failing to fund a single new home care package in the 2017-18 Mid-Year Economic and Fiscal Outlook update; and

(c) calls on the Turnbull Government to make a genuine commitment to fix the home care package waiting list and properly address this growing crisis.

James McGrath (Queensland, Liberal National Party, Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to make a short statement.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Leave is granted for one minute.

James McGrath (Queensland, Liberal National Party, Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The coalition government is committed to quality care for senior Australians, with a record $18.6 billion aged-care investment, part of nearly $100 billion committed over the next five years. In February 2017, the government transitioned to a new homecare system, which gives consumers more choice and control over their care. For the first time this new system allows for a better understanding of the extent of demand for homecare packages nationally.

Under Labor, the ratios set for release of homecare packages were inadequate and severely underestimated the real demand. The introduction of the new national privatisation queue has uncovered the extent of the problem. In September 2017, the government announced the release of 6,000 additional level 3 and 4 homecare packages over 2017-18—more than doubling the planned growth of high-level packages this financial year.

Question agreed to.