Craig Laundy (Reid, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to my good mate, the Minister for Immigration, Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs. How is the government planning for an ageing population and helping Australians in aged care, including in our vast and diverse multicultural communities?

David Coleman (Banks, Liberal Party, Minister for Immigration) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Reid for his question and note his very deep involvement in Australia's multicultural communities and his passionate advocacy for Australians from all backgrounds and walks of life. People have come from all corners the globe to make Australia their home, at no time more so than in the second half of the 20th century. After the Second World War, we saw a huge wave of migration to Australia—immigrants from Greece, Italy, the former Yugoslavia and so many other places around the world.

Honourable Members:

Honourable members interjecting—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Members on both sides! The member for Grayndler and the Minister for Home Affairs, if you want to continue your conversation, I can arrange for it to happen outside.

David Coleman (Banks, Liberal Party, Minister for Immigration) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

People came from all around the world in the 20th century to make Australia their home—to work hard, play by the rules and create a better life for their kids. This government knows that many of those people are now ageing; they're getting older. In 2011, the median age of people in Australia who were born in Italy was 68. For people who were born in Greece, the median age was 67 in 2011. This government is very committed to supporting our multicultural communities in aged care. Of course, there was an $18.6 billion record investment in aged care in 2017-18. That will grow to $23.6 billion over the next four years, and that includes funding for aged-care facilities for people with specific needs from multicultural communities.

A good example is Fronditha Care down in Victoria. It was established more than 40 years ago by the Greek community and provides care for around 2,000 people of Greek background in New South Wales and Victoria. We've got federal government support for culturally appropriate aged care in the Chinese community in Sydney, in the Arabic-speaking community and across the board. It is so important that aged-care services are provided that are culturally appropriate for people from all backgrounds in Australia, and that's why, in addition, this government is providing important grants for multicultural communities. In fact, just today, the Fostering Integration Grants Scheme—a $5 million program for grants towards cultural inclusiveness and social cohesion—becomes available and can be used, including in the aged-care context. So we have record investment in aged care and investment in aged care for people from all walks of life and all backgrounds in Australia. We will stand with Australians of all backgrounds. They have helped to build the backbone of this nation. In their retirement, in aged care, we will stand with them every step of the way.

Scott Morrison (Cook, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I ask that further questions be placed on the Notice Paper.