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

Is the Albanese Labor government waiting for older Australians to die so they don't have to provide them with Support at Home? Right now more than 230,000 Australians are waiting for aged-care services. The average wait time is 12 months, and 5,000 people have died while on that waiting list. This is a national disgrace, which the Prime Minister might recall he actually called the coalition government when the numbers were nowhere near this. The government has been secretive about data on wait times, dumping update data in the Senate on budget night—hidden, apparently. Labor has kicked critical price protections down the road and it clearly cannot manage the system. As usual, Labor is good with the spin and shocking at governing.

I want to thank Jonathan Lea and Sky News for sharing Mallee constituent stories in his excellent investigative report. The minister tried to head it off with a snap media release, but, like Labor's budget, his spin fell flat. Steve Willman is a physiotherapist in Mildura who has raised serious concerns about patients who are being consistently charged $215 for one-hour consultations through their home care package, despite the consultation being charged at $75 by Steve. He is outraged, and with very good reason, because people's packages are running dry and services are running out. Elderly Australians are being slugged with hidden, inflated costs, eroding the very funding intended for their care.

Brent Janetzski shared the story of his father Ian, a deaf man assessed for functionality on the phone. Why does Labor think this is okay? This is a system so out of touch it cannot even deliver appropriate assessment. Wendy Shelton is caring for her husband Serge, who lives with dementia. She is battling delays, rising costs and restrictions on funds while trying to keep her husband safe at home. This is a government that is out of touch. Julie Lewis—these people are all from my electorate—has been assessed as high needs. She has contacted every provider within 250 kilometres for services. No-one can help her. Everybody's books are closed. She's been told the waitlist for services is 12 months. Older Australians deserve transparency. The Albanese Labor government is failing them, and the minister must do better.

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