Michael Johnson (Ryan, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

As the federal member for Ryan, I am pleased to support this motion by my colleague the member for Braddon and to pay tribute to all the carers in Australia—in particular, to all the carers who live in the Ryan electorate. This is an important motion and it acknowledges the very great contribution, the very great dedication and the very great compassion of the 2.6 million carers who live in our country. The 2.6 million people who work tirelessly to assist those with disabilities often care for friends, relatives or neighbours who would otherwise have no choice but to enter full-time care facilities. Australian carers are unpaid. They make enormous sacrifices in order to assist their fellow Australians, who, as I just touched on, are usually friends, relatives or neighbours. There are some 535,000 carers in my home state of Queensland, which equates to some 14 per cent of the population, or one in every eight people.

According to Centrelink information, some 1,265 carers in Ryan receive support from the Commonwealth government, and no doubt there are many more part-time carers who do not fall within the profile of the Centrelink information and do not receive government assistance. These individuals are the unsung heroes of our community. Their tireless work and self-sacrifice benefits all of us as an Australian society. If the care provided by these carers were to be replaced by formal services, the value that has been placed on their contribution to the Australian economy would be some $30.5 billion, which is, of course, an enormous amount of money. Therefore, it is highly appropriate and highly desirable that the government and all members of the parliament formally acknowledge the place of carers in our society.

The Howard government is committed to ensuring that carers in our society are duly recognised. Each year the government provides carers with government payments of $2 billion in the form of carer payments and carer allowances. The carer payment provides income support to people who, because of the demands of their caring role, are unable to support themselves through substantial participation in the workforce. This is a huge amount of money. It is real money. This is all the more reason why it is so important that the Australian economy remain strong, dynamic and prosperous. Without a prosperous economy, the capacity of the federal government to continue to make these payments would be severely compromised. This $2 billion makes a huge difference in the lives of carers across the country.

The carer allowance is an income supplement available to people who provide daily care and attention in a private home to a person with a disability or severe medical condition or a person who is frail or aged. The carer payment was provided to approximately 95,500 carers in the 2004-05 year and the carer allowance was provided to approximately 340,000 carers in the same time frame. As part of the 2006-07 budget, the Howard government announced a number of new initiatives to continue its support of carers. In particular, this included for the third consecutive year a one-off bonus payment for eligible carers worth approximately $358 million. Recipients of the carer’s payment will receive a bonus of $1,000 and recipients of the carer’s allowance will receive a bonus of $600. Some $9 million will be provided over four years to continue to fund peer support groups for parents of young children with disabilities—an important focus—and some $3.4 million will be provided over four years for the inclusion of diabetes type 1 on the carer allowance list of recognised disabilities.

I want to add my very strong commendation of all those in our society in the role of carers. We all know that carers do not stand out when you look at them. They can be anyone in our society—our family members, parents, partners, children, brothers, sisters, relatives, friends or neighbours. Carers are found all across our community and across all age groups, from the very young to our senior citizens. It is appropriate that this parliament acknowledges carers. They are humble Australians dedicated to the welfare of our nation.

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