Anne Urquhart (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

At the request of Senator Watt, I move:

That—

(1) The Minister representing the Minister for Aged Care is required to attend the Senate at 9.30 am on Wednesday, 20 June 2018 to explain:

(a) when the Minister first knew that the answer provided in question time on 9 May 2018, relating to home care aged packages, was incorrect; and

(b) why the Minister failed to attend the chamber at the first available opportunity to correct the record.

(2) Any senator may move a motion to take note of the Minister's statement, and any such motion may be debated for no longer than 1 hour, and have precedence over all government business until determined.

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.

Sue Lines (WA, Deputy-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

As recorded in Hansard on Wednesday, 9 May 2018, Minister McKenzie stated:

Over 50 per cent of those on the national waiting list are actually in an aged-care package. They're waiting for another type of package.

Most of those in the queue are already receiving some form of care. Almost half are receiving a lower-level package and many others are receiving support through our record $5.5 billion investment in the Commonwealth Home Support Program, which assists around 800,000 older Australians, such as through Meals On Wheels. The minister's answer is consistent with the Department of Health's answers during budget estimates on 30 May 2018. Under this coalition government aged-care funding is up, home care packages are up and residential places are up.

Sue Lines (WA, Deputy-President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The question is that general business notice of motion No. 830, as moved by Senator Urquhart, be agreed to.

Rachel Siewert (WA, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to make a short statement.

Sue Lines (WA, Deputy-President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Leave is granted for one minute.

Rachel Siewert (WA, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Greens didn't support this motion. That is not because we don't care about aged care but because we want to have a debate on the really substantive matters in aged care. Yes, there was a mistake made. That was corrected here, and we also had a substantive period during estimates when we discussed these matters. We actually want to debate the substantive issues around aged care. There are very substantive issues around aged care. There is a huge waiting list for home care places. That is not questioned; it's the degree. Let's debate the real issues, which are: How do we get people who are in home care packages further up in order to get the higher care packages? What are we doing about complex residential care? Those are the issues I want to talk about. I do not want to argue over whether somebody made a mistake in this place, which they corrected anyway and which we had a substantive debate about in estimates. Let's talk about the real issues in aged care. I'm happy to debate them in this place at any time. (Time expired)