Anne Webster (Mallee, National Party, Shadow Minister for Regional Development, Local Government and Territories) Share this | Hansard source

This Labor government said they would put the care back into aged care, but instead they are blithely presiding over an aged-care crisis. Every week, I am contacted by Mallee locals who are worse off under the new aged-care system that commenced on 1 November 2025. Older people in my electorate in Mallee are paying more for services and getting less out of their packages. It's not only this; distressed Mallee constituents are reaching out to me appalled that their loved ones cannot get the home care they need and deserve.

The wait time for an aged care assessment has doubled in the period from 2021 under the coalition to 2025 under this Labor government, with too many people waiting up to six months just to get an assessment. It's worse than that; older people are waiting up to two months for any form of reply from My Aged Care. It's like ringing up and not getting a call back. Amazingly, one residential aged-care provider in my electorate reports having empty beds due to the lack of assessments being done. Then we must talk about the time from approval, once the assessment has taken place, to access granted. It has doubled, increasing from four months in 2023-24 to almost eight months on average, with many waiting a year. One elderly resident from Murrayville waited for more than two years to be able to access the Commonwealth Home Support Services she was assessed as eligible for. This is a very unamusing joke on behalf of an inept Labor government. Service providers covering this lady's area have no capacity. Sadly, during that time, her husband passed away.

This is not an uncommon story in the regions, where people are literally waiting years before accessing services. My constituents just can't understand why they are being left behind. COTA, the consumer group, and Ageing. Australia have come out swinging, saying that urgent action on home-care packages is required and that no-one should ever have to wait more than 30 days for the care they need. I wish that for my constituents. Under Labor, they are waiting six months for an assessment and eight months to access services, with many waiting longer—especially, where I live. Our older Australians have given so much and deserve the dignity of support in their own home and in a timely manner.

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