Susan Templeman (Macquarie, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

In my last remaining moments I just want to talk about the carers who are part of this system. Carers Week runs from 11 to 17 October and it's a time to recognise the more than 2.65 million Australians who provide care and support to a family member or friend with a disability, a mental health condition, a chronic condition, a terminal illness, an alcohol or drug issue, or those who are frail and elderly. Think about that. If you're not an unpaid carer some of the time, your neighbours probably are. Anyone at any time could become a carer.

A recent report by Mental Health Australia illustrates just how COVID has hit carers very hard. It shows that support for carers and participants in the NDIS fell away. It also shows that families stepped into the breach when carers weren't able to be there and when providers dropped off. Carers were an at-risk cohort, so they carried a really huge load throughout COVID and continue to today. This parliament says thank you to all the carers, who have given up hours of their time and who save taxpayers so much money, but they do it because they love and care for the person that they want to spend time with. So thank you to everyone in the electorate of Macquarie who is a carer.

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