Graham Perrett (Moreton, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

This week marks National Carers Week, this year running from 15 to 21 October, with events being held across Australia. Once again this week, all Australians will be given the opportunity to raise their awareness of the role and importance of the 2.7 million unpaid carers and the great work they do across Australia. Carers Australia's vision is for an inclusive Australia that supports and celebrates the contribution that carers make, both to the people they care for and to the community as a whole—a truly valuable message. I'm told that, every week, these 2.7 million carers spend an incredible 36 million hours caring for friends and family members who have a disability, mental illness, chronic or terminal condition or are aged.

Last Friday I was privileged to represent the Leader of the Opposition and Senator Carol Brown at the launch of National Carers Week in beautiful Brisbane, just across the river from my electorate. I had the pleasure of meeting one of my constituents, Dr Fiona Hawthorne, General Manager of Hummingbird House, an organisation that provides support services for children with life-limiting conditions and their families. It was moving to hear about the incredible work that that organisation and so many like it do in our community. Just a couple of weeks ago, I hosted a carers forum in my office in Sunnybank for local carers, and Senator Carol Brown attended as shadow minister. Sadly, 40 per cent of carers predecease the person they are caring for. The government and the opposition need to do more on this issue.