Peter Dutton (Dickson, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Health and Ageing) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the acting Minister for Health and Ageing. Minister, given that there is no compensation for small businesses under the government’s emissions trading scheme, by how much will aged-care operators have to increase their residents’ fees because of higher operating costs?

Justine Elliot (Richmond, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Ageing) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the honourable member for his question and particularly for raising issues in relation to the CPRS, which is always a good chance to highlight the opposition’s climate con job. When it comes to their plan, we certainly know it does not work. I am very pleased to be here talking about our record funding when it comes to nursing homes. I would like to outline how we are building a modern aged-care system for Australia, with more services for older Australians, more funding—

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The minister has the call.

Justine Elliot (Richmond, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Ageing) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Mr Speaker. We are meeting the challenges of our ageing population also by improving the quality of our aged-care workforce with major investment. I am very pleased the member for Dickson has asked a question particularly in relation to aged care. When the opposition leader was the minister for health, he ripped a whole billion dollars out of the health and hospital system. He was the Minister for Health and Ageing for a period of four years in which he underfunded both health and aged care.

Peter Dutton (Dickson, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Health and Ageing) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order—and reluctantly so, as I am stopping the minister in full stride. The question was about the costs and whether those costs would be passed on to older residents in nursing homes and how much it would be as a result of this big new tax.

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The member for Dickson will resume his seat. The point of order is on the matter of relevance. The minister will relate her material to the question.

Justine Elliot (Richmond, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Ageing) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I have already outlined many, many faults with your plans and I have also highlighted our funding arrangements. Also, It has been fully outlined that compensation is available. Can I finalise my comments by saying that the Leader of the Opposition, the former Minister for Health and Ageing, ripped a billion dollars out of the health and aged-care sector. By standing up in this place and making comments in relation to the future of our aged-care system, the member for Dickson highlights his sheer audacity and the extremely inefficient job the Leader of the Opposition did when he was the Minister for Health and Ageing.