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

I wish to inform the chamber that Senator Polley will also sponsor this motion. At the request of Senators Watt and Polley, I move:

That the Senate—

(a) notes that:

  (i) there are 120,000 older Australians waiting for their approved home care package, with many waiting more than two years for the care they have been approved for,

  (ii) there are more than 16,000 older Australians who died waiting for the approved home care package which they were assessed for in 2017-18, and sadly, that was approximately 300 older Australians who died each week in that year waiting for care, and

  (iii) there are around 14,000 older Australians who entered residential aged care prematurely because they could not get the care they were assessed for and approved for in 2017-18, and sadly, that was approximately 200 older Australians each week having no other choice but to enter residential aged care;

(b) further notes that, since 2017, the number of older Australians waiting for home care grew from 88,000 to 120,000; and

(c) condemns the Morrison Government for its inadequate response to the Royal Commission's interim report, and not providing the home care older Australians need.

Jonathon Duniam (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Forestry and Fisheries) 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.

Jonathon Duniam (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Forestry and Fisheries) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Morrison government's strong response to the three priority areas of the aged-care royal commission interim report included $496.3 million for 10,000 more home care packages; $25.5 million to reduce the use of chemical restraints in aged care; $10 million for additional dementia training and support for aged-care workers and providers, including to reduce the use of chemical restraint; and $4.7 million to help meet new targets to remove younger people with disabilities from residential aged care. In contrast, Labor at the last election had $387 billion worth of new taxes and did not allocate a single dollar towards more home care packages.

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

The question is that notice of motion no. 293 be agreed to.