Jill Hall (Shortland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Mental Health and Ageing, the Minister for Social Inclusion and the Minister for Housing and Homelessness. Will the minister update the House—

Honourable Members:

Honourable members interjecting—

Ms Anna Burke (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! When I have quiet. The member for Herbert should not be a dibber dobber.

Jill Hall (Shortland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Will the minister update the House on the passage of the government's historic aged care reforms through the House this week? How will these reforms make sure older Australians get the support they deserve?

Mark Butler (Port Adelaide, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Mental Health and Ageing) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Shortland for her question, certainly not a dibber dobber. This week the House passed five bills which give legal effect to the government's living longer, living better aged care reform package. This legislation has been the subject of very detailed work with the aged-care sector, and follows the delivery already of a number of key elements of the reform package. These include things like the design and the release of new home-care packages that are due to commence on 1 July, provided legislation passes through the other place. There are also programs that will kick in this year to provide much better support to families living with dementia, as well as better linkages between the aged-care system and the broader healthcare and palliative care sectors. There are also determinations by the new Aged Care Financing Authority about how providers will qualify for increased accommodation payments from the government, as well as a fairer and more transparent system of accommodation charges for consumers themselves.

This element featured in many of the contributions on this debate from those opposite, who were concerned apparently that greater choice about how consumers will pay their accommodation charges will impact the viability of some providers. The Aged Care Financing Authority is obviously—I hope this goes without saying—alive to these questions of viability. This is a highly qualified group which independently provides advice which, for the first time, is transparently published on the government's website. Indeed, the Aged Care Financing Authority commissioned advice from KPMG particularly on this question of viability. This advice has been released recently on the website, last week, I think. I table this report for the benefit of the House. After the release of the advice, the Aged Care Financing Authority wrote to me providing advice on that advice. They concluded: 'The Authority supports the overall findings of the analysis that the reforms can be expected to have a significant positive impact on the overall level of refundable accommodation deposits and revenue for the industry.' I table that correspondence from the authority as well.

These reforms will undoubtedly provide greater choice, control and flexibility for older Australians about their aged care and support needs. These reforms provide much greater emphasis on the ability of older Australians to stay at home for as long as possible, as well as responses to emerging pressures like the increasing prevalence of dementia in our communities. The government looks forward to debate on these bills in the other place, following receipt of the Senate inquiry into the bills, and then being able to get on with the job of providing the best possible care and support to Australian seniors.

Julia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I ask that further questions be placed on the Notice Paper, that being the right number.

Opposition members interjecting—

Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Education, Apprenticeships and Training) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Speaker, I rise on a point of order. Under standing order 34, which is the Order of Business, question time is specifically supposed to finish at no later than 3.10. I explain to the members and to people listening that it is not even three o'clock yet today. The agreement that we made in good faith at the beginning of this very long parliament indicated that 3.10 would be the time. For the Prime Minister to cut question time off before it is even three o'clock does not do her any credit, nor the parliament. We have had this debate before, and last time—

Ms Anna Burke (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Manager of Opposition Business will resume his seat.

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Speaker, on the point of order: is there no element of productivity improvements that the opposition supports? The fact is, we have got through the 20 questions in an efficient way—an example of the efficient way that this parliament has been run.

Ms Anna Burke (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Prime Minister has asked for further questions to be placed on the Notice Paper. I will not engage in any more debate.