Sharon Claydon (Newcastle, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

Given that there are no government members wanting to talk about aged-care packages, I am going to take this opportunity to take one of their speaking spots. I can think of no more critical issue before this nation right now. I am sure that members opposite are not unlike those of us in opposition who are taking calls every day on this issue in our electorate offices. It is so appalling that there are 126,000 Australians now on the waitlist for home care packages. That number is growing every time the figures are released. Every time the minister has to fess up that things aren't going so well, we see an exponential increase in the number of people waiting and living without services they need to maintain a healthy, independent life in their homes. It is outrageous. The government have had five years to do something on aged care. They have done nothing but cut—indeed, they have been savage cuts at times—and sometimes tinker around the edges over the last 18 months in the hope that people in Australia might think that they're doing something.

I will tell you what the latest call to my electorate office was about. I have conducted aged-care forums in Macquarie, Dobell, Herbert, Eden-Monaro—all across this country. So, unlike government members, every day we are talking to people who are waiting for the home care packages that are yet to be released. The government have the most shameful record ever when it comes to home care. One hundred and twenty-six thousand older Australians are waiting on the government, relying on members opposite to do the right thing and release moneys to enable them to live independently at home. And what is happening? Well, we saw a little flush of money coming through. I understand there were 14,000 packages released in the last budget papers. Of course, we know that was not new money. That was the money the government stole from residential aged care in order to stump up some money for the home care packages. The Australian people aren't fooled by that kind of monetary trickery. They know better than that.

But I'll tell you what is so shocking: there are people who now set themselves up as a little home business to assist people in dealing with the My Aged Care system. It is so complicated. It is so appallingly handled by the government. People cannot navigate the website. People spend hours and hours on the phone to the point where they give up. Now there are people going around Australia saying, 'I will hang on the phone waiting for an answer for you and I'm going to charge you money to do so.' If you are somebody with access to a bit of money now, you can hire these people in Australia who deal with the bureaucracy on your behalf. That is the most shocking indictment on this government. It is evidence of how badly they've managed the My Aged Care system. They have just trashed aged care to the point where people seeking help, even when there is extended family to assist—I have met women with three degrees who come to tell me how they have difficulty navigating My Aged Care in order to get their mother some services to help her to remain living at home. We've all been there or we all know of someone who's been there. It is time this government confronted the reality. This is an ageing population. It doesn't get any better. You have a massive shortfall of funds right now. You need to be releasing home care packages like there's no tomorrow. But, instead, none of you actually back in your minister. Who in this cabinet is actually backing Minister Ken Wyatt to make sure he's got the money and resources needed to do this job properly? (Time expired)

See this speech in context