Shayne Neumann (Blair, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Veterans' Affairs and Defence Personnel) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

A 90-year-old man who is blind, deaf and incontinent, with heart disease and poor circulation, was assessed three years ago as needing a home care level 3 package but was in receipt of a level 1 package. He eventually got a level 2 package in 2019, when it was urgent. When I wrote to the minister about this, it took him three months to respond to my letter and he said, 'There'll be a likely waiting time of nine to 12 months for the respective and necessary level 3 package.' This is one of many, many examples I could give about how my electors in Blair—in Ipswich, Somerset and the Karana Downs region—are being disadvantaged by this government. The recent alarming figures reveal older Australians, particularly in my electorate, are waiting for higher level home care packages for up to three years, and that example is yet another one.

There have been over $3 billion in cuts and four ministers in six years for aged care. This is a government of inaction, and it now wants to privatise ACAT assessments. There are about a thousand workers in this space. It's absolutely outrageous for their jobs. They're professionals—registered nurses, occupational therapists and physiotherapists. And guess what? This government gives excuse after excuse about not taking action when it comes to the recommendations of the royal commission. It's got report after report sitting on the minister's table and being taken from one ministerial office to another when it keeps changing ministers with rapidity. And guess what? Nothing has been done.

The figures show shocking waiting times—a median wait time of 152 days to get into a nursing home. That's shameful! And guess what they did last year? When we needed 110,00 packages for home care, they decided to give 10,000—we need 110,000 and they give 10,000! This is a government who look at bandaid solutions. Privatisation does nothing with respect of caring for older Australians, particularly in my electorate. The government are incompetent. Their inaction and idleness across this space is an indictment of their lack of care for older Australians. Their members would have example after example they could give, but I never hear any of them get up to give their examples like I did today about the failings of this government when it comes to aged care—residential aged care or home care. Their addiction to privatisation makes them a shameful government when it comes to aged care.