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

At the request of Senator Polley, I move:

That the Senate—

(a) notes that:

  (i) the September 2018 home care package data, released by the Morrison Government, reveals 126,732 older Australians are on a waitlist for a home care package,

  (ii) 69,086 older Australians are without any home care package, and

  (iii) the Morrison Government has, for the first time, completely omitted the home care package waitlist by total in the report released last week;

(b) calls on the Morrison Government to address the home care package waitlist as a matter of urgency, particularly the growing number of older Australians waiting without any package; and

(c) affirms that action by the Morrison Government is needed now, and it must deliver an appropriate response to address the growing home care package waitlist in this year's Mid-Year Economic Fiscal Outlook.

Anne Ruston (SA, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for International Development and the Pacific) 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.

Anne Ruston (SA, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for International Development and the Pacific) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Our government is committed to quality care for senior Australians, including a record $18.6 billion aged-care investment in 2017-18, the first part of an estimated $105.2 billion commitment planned for the next five years. Demand for home care packages is increasing, which is a reflection of the desire of senior Australians to remain living in their homes for as long as possible. There is an additional $1.6 billion invested in home care packages for the 2018-19 budget, increasing home care packages to 151,000 by 2022, including 34,000 more high-level packages. The vast majority of people who do not have a package have the opportunity to receive other Commonwealth funded support. Around 92 per cent have been approved to access services through the Commonwealth Home Support Program, meaning most people have the opportunity to connect with Commonwealth subsidised support while waiting for a package.

Question agreed to.