Rebekha Sharkie (Mayo, Centre Alliance) | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That this House:

(1) recognises that:

(a) the number of older people in Australia is anticipated to grow from 4.31 million people aged over 65 years in 2021 to 6.66 million by 2041 with the number of those aged over 85 years anticipated to grow 140 per cent from 534,000 to 1.28 million over that same timeframe;

(b) many older Australians report experiencing age discrimination, elder abuse, financial stress and homelessness;

(c) one in three people report experiencing age discrimination after turning 50, with employment-related and other forms of age discrimination reported, including when accessing businesses and financial and Government services such as My Aged Care;

(d) 20 per cent of pensioners are considering going back to work but barriers in place to their doing so reportedly include dealing with government services including finding digitally-based Services Australia interfaces inaccessible;

(e) 94 per cent of older people are concerned about rising living costs in the long term, 26 per cent are extremely concerned, and 24 per cent of older people report an inability to access dental care due to its cost;

(f) Australia's homeless population is ageing, with the rate of homelessness growing by over 30 per cent between 2011 and 2016 for older women;

(g) one in six older Australians reported experiencing elder abuse (psychological, neglect, financial, physical and/or sexual) in 2021, with higher rates among those experiencing poor health or social isolation; and

(h) many retirement village residents report poor transparency and lax consumer protections and calls have been made for a national review and harmonisation of regulation; and

(2) calls on the Government to establish a portfolio and Minister for Older Australians to:

(a) demonstrate the Government's commitment to older people during a time of demographic change in which Australians are expected to live longer lives, but with increased reliance on key services such as health and aged care;

(b) act as a conduit between Government and the community to better engage with older people on matters which concern them, beyond aged care, and enable a whole of Government approach to policy-making for and with older Australians across multiple sectors and Government agencies;

(c) ensure Government services are accessible and inclusive for all including those who may not have ease of digital access or may be experiencing hearing or vision loss;

(d) champion our older Australians and shift the narrative of older people as vulnerable and in need of support (a 'burden') to more positive aspects of ageing and the contribution older people make to the economy and society;

(e) work with older people and the sector to address key issues including age discrimination, elder abuse, social exclusion and isolation, homelessness, access to and cost of health care, and financial stress; and

(f) reframe the current narrative to recognise that older people helped to build our nation and continue to represent some of our greatest assets, rather than promoting intergenerational competition or conflict.

The Intergenerational report2023 tells us a lot about the shape of our population in years to come. So, too, does targeted research from organisations like the Centre of Excellence in Population Ageing Research, the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, the Council on the Ageing and National Seniors Australia.

We expect the number of older people in Australia to grow from 4.31 million aged over 65—that was the figure in 2021—to 6.6 million by 2041. The number of those aged over 85 years is expected to grow by 140 per cent, from 534,000 to 1.28 million over the same timeframe. The impacts and contributions of older people are growing, and the issues affecting them need to be managed in a strategic and inclusive way.

Many older Australians report experiencing age discrimination, elder abuse, financial stress and homelessness. These issues are regularly raised with me, in my electorate of Mayo, which is the oldest federal electorate by median age and among the oldest in the nation. One in three people report experiencing age discrimination after turning 50. Employment related and other forms of age discrimination are reported, including when accessing businesses and financial and government services such as My Aged Care.

Twenty per cent of pensioners may like to work, but they face barriers. Those include dealing with government services, particularly Centrelink, and finding the digital and phone based interfaces with Services Australia incredibly challenging and inaccessible.

Ninety-four per cent of older people are concerned about the rising cost of living in the long term. Twenty-six per cent are extremely concerned. And one in four report being unable to access dental care, due to the cost.

The rate of homelessness of older women grew by 30 per cent between 2011 and 2016. That reflects, in part, women's lower lifetime earnings and resulting lesser wealth.

Nearly 15 per cent of older Australians reported experiencing elder abuse, whether that was neglect or psychological, financial, physical or sexual abuse, in 2021. There were higher rates among those experiencing poor health and social isolation.

Australians who acquire a disability after age 65 aren't eligible for the NDIS, due to the scheme's inbuilt age discrimination. Older people can only receive lower and often inadequate supports through the My Aged Care system.

So we have all of this data about the experiences of older Australians and the demographic changes we can anticipate. What do we do with this information? What we do is important. This knowledge provides the opportunity to enable older Australians to shape the future now. The existing narrative, I believe, needs to be reframed, to recognise and respect our older generations who helped build this nation and who are continuing to help build this nation. They, to me, represent some of our greatest assets.

That's why I'm calling on the government to establish a portfolio and a minister for older Australians, just as we have a youth portfolio, a portfolio for women and a multicultural portfolio. The minister would provide a conduit between government and the community, to better engage older Australians—on all matters that concern them, not just aged care. Aged care is the only ministerial portfolio that you could say is, technically, for older Australians. But we know that not all older Australians will have a connection with aged care in their lifetime. I believe that this will be essential to develop a coordinated, strategic response to our ageing population and to address issues such as age discrimination, elder abuse, social exclusion, isolation, homelessness and access to aged care. The other important role for the minister would be to champion older Australians and their positive contributions to society.

Too often, there's language that says older people are a burden, and this is just not true. We need to look at the more positive aspects of ageing.

I'd like to thank the Prime Minister for meeting with me and the member for Kennedy and the Chair of National Seniors, Ross Glossop, late last year, to discuss this proposal. Older Australians are our greatest asset, and we need to change this narrative and stop promoting this intergenerational competition. I believe the establishment of a portfolio for older Australians would go a long way to achieving this, and I urge members to support this motion.

Zoe McKenzie (Flinders, Liberal Party) | Link to this | Hansard source

Is the motion seconded?

Russell Broadbent (Monash, Independent) | Link to this | Hansard source

I second the motion and reserve my right to speak.

David Smith (Bean, Australian Labor Party) | Link to this | Hansard source

I also rise this afternoon to speak on the member for Mayo's motion calling for a minister for older Australians. Ensuring dignity, respect and care for older Australians is an important issue for me and for all members of the Albanese government. It's reflected in my regular seniors' forums, the production of and contributions that are made to my seniors guides, and my interactions with the many active organisations in which older Canberrans do so much great volunteering work right across the territory. It's crucial that we listen to and engage with our older Australians right across the country.

The Albanese Labor government has worked hard to improve the quality of life for older Australians, particularly those in need of care. We've put nurses back into nursing homes, given residents more time with their carers, lifted wages in the sector and improved transparency and accountability.

Since the October 2022-23 budget, total investment in older Australians in aged care has increased by 30 per cent. This includes an investment of more than $11 billion to deliver the largest one-off increase to aged-care wages in history, with more increases to come in the future. We continue to enhance the capability of the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission, to ensure older Australians are in safe and quality aged care; to upgrade technology systems, to make the new Aged Care Act possible; and to provide an additional 24,100 home-care packages to shorten average waiting times, giving older Australians the ability to stay at home for longer.

The new rights based Aged Care Act is a once-in-a-generation reform that will put older people at the centre of the aged-care system and ensure those who access government funded aged-care services are treated with respect and have the quality of life they deserve. It will also support the government's response to the Aged Care Taskforce.

The Albanese government is ensuring our national aged-care system has a world-class regulator, to meet the challenges facing the sector both now and into the future. We've accepted all 32 recommendations of the final Report of the independent capability review of the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission, with a number of recommendations already complete.

Older Australians are some of the highest users of PBS medicines and so have seen some of the largest benefits from the Albanese government's commitment to cheaper medicines. In 2022-23, over 60 per cent of total PBS expenditure went towards older Australians, while close to 240,000 older Australians in residential aged-care received more than 10.7 million PBS-subsidised prescriptions through 2023. We're also investing more than $300 million over five years to strengthen pharmacy and keep medicines cheaper, with a freeze of up to five years on the cost of PBS prescriptions for pensioners and Commonwealth seniors health card holders, so medicines stay cheaper instead of rising each year with inflation, benefiting people in residential aged-care homes in particular.

The Albanese government has already implemented its five aged-care election commitments, including 24/7 nursing, a record $11.3 billion pay rise for aged-care workers and increased transparency through Dollars to Care. We've also addressed 69 royal commission recommendations, and our work is having a tangible impact. Since the election of the Albanese government, older Australians are receiving an additional 2.16 million care-minutes every single day. There has also been a reduction in the number of pressure injuries, and in physical restraints, significant unplanned weight-loss and falls, while we're also seeing improvements in the star-ratings data, with fewer one- and two-star ratings and more four- and five-star ratings. I list these achievements and important undertakings of the Albanese Labor government, as they highlight that we don't just need a dedicated minister for older Australians; we actually need a government that is ready to invest the time and money to ensure that older Australians enjoy the dignity and respect they deserve.

We have some great champions for older Australians in Ministers Wells and Butler, who are determined to reform aged care and restore dignity to older Australians, and I thank them for their important work and thank the member for Mayo for moving this motion. I also thank the many people right across this chamber who are working with their older constituents to ensure that they have a voice in every part of policymaking that occurs through this parliament.

Russell Broadbent (Monash, Independent) | Link to this | Hansard source

I have the greatest respect for the member for Bean—and he knows that—as I have respect for every member of parliament in this place. However, the member for Bean has completely missed the point. This motion is not about the government's response to aged care. This motion is about older people, their place in Australia, respect for older people, living life to its full as an older person and older people being given the opportunity to participate actively within the confines of the nation. As the motion points out, the number of Australians over 50 is going to increase exponentially over the next 10 to 15 years. I happen to be one of that group.

I was asked on radio this morning, Deputy Speaker McKenzie—and you're not going to like what I'm about to say—'Do you think the Liberal Party are ageist?' and I had to answer, 'Yes, they are.' But I should have said—and I didn't get a chance—that it is because they reflect the rest of the Australian community. The Australian community say to people like me, 'We're old and we're retired, so why aren't you old and retired?' Because I don't feel old and I don't feel like retiring. Why? It was never about my performance. As one elder and former leader of the party said, 'He's too old and he's been there too long.' There was no question about performance. Then I was asked about President Biden's age, and I said: 'It's nothing to do with President Biden's age. It's about his competence.' It's nothing to do with his age. There are plenty of people of that age who are still working on their farms, still working as doctors and specialists in their field. It's only Catholic priests now who are told that they've got to retire at 75. It used to be 70, but they ran out of priests.

I say to you, Deputy Speaker, that this motion by the member for Mayo gives an opportunity for Australia to grow up and recognise that older Australians have a place in the future—not looking to the past the whole time but a place in the future. The member for Mayo calls for a minister for older Australians. Wouldn't that be a turn-up—that we actually recognise that this major bulk group in the community deserves some attention, rather than saying, as the member for Bean said, that it's all about aged care and how we're going to look after them? No. They are looking after themselves quite well, thank you very much—overall. I know there are people doing it hard. There always will be, and we do our best to accommodate them. But, overall, older Australians have done well. They've worked hard. They've put a nest egg together. They have good superannuation. They have opportunities for pensions if they need them. And if they've paid off their house and they're not paying rent—I had one pensioner saying: 'What are you on about? Myself and my husband are doing quite well on the pension.' But they own their house, and they probably have a conservative lifestyle. I remember the mum of one of my friends saying, 'What are these people on about?'—she had been on her own for years—'I save money on the pension.'

I suppose it just depends on your lifestyle, how you operate and how you go. But this should be an exciting time for people, when they turn 50. One of our great popstars said this morning, 'I'm turning 40, and I'm excited to launch myself into the next stage of my life.' I'm saying that people turning 70 should be launching themselves into the next stage of their life, in an exciting way, in a futuristic way, in a way that says, 'I want to be part of this great nation, this great south land, this amazing place, and I want to take leadership roles and I want to be recognised for the experience and the ability that I have and the wisdom that I have learnt over many, many years, which will keep younger people out of the trouble that they would have headed for if they had kept going down the track they were on.'

This motion is a good motion, which recognises people in Australia over 50, over 60, over 70, sometimes over 80 and over 90. In fact, my aunty, who lives in your electorate, Deputy Speaker McKenzie, died within two weeks of her 102nd birthday, and at age 95 she went on a six-week fishing and camping trip with her son. Not bad. Good on you, Aunty Glad.

Mike Freelander (Macarthur, Australian Labor Party) | Link to this | Hansard source

I'd like to thank my friend and colleague the member for Mayo for moving this motion. I don't agree that we need a minister for older Australians, but I understand the sentiments behind this motion. I am of course an older Australian. I'm over 70. I think that the motion is important because this is not just about aged care. Aged care is a very small part of what older Australians require. I'm someone who likes work and wants to continue working, and I still see patients as a paediatrician. It may seem strange that a paediatrician is talking on this motion. In fact, I did meet with the Prime Minister last year and said that I thought we should have a minister for children to specifically look after the needs of children in every piece of legislation that goes through this parliament. But, as an older Australian, I can see that the needs of older people are not being met in the way that they should be. Yes, aged care is certainly part of the issue, but there are many issues that older Australians face that the population is not aware of and are kept rather silent.

For example, we've had an explosion in the development of retirement living accommodation, but the legislation to deal with that and the requirements and standards in those areas have not really kept pace with the rapidity of the development. I know that my political office is often approached with concerns about retirement living legislation and conditions. We also know that, while many older Australians—many of my medical colleagues at my age—are doing very well, there are a small number of people in the older Australian group, becoming larger, that are struggling with issues like housing, access to health care and access to dental care.

Our government is working very hard to try and keep up with these needs, with the improvements in the pension and dental schemes, with looking at the transition-to-retirement schemes for people financially and with our increases in paying superannuation on paid parental leave, which will very significantly help, particularly with women as they approach retirement age. We're trying to increase their superannuation balances up to the same level that men have. We're also doing much in access to health care. Our cheaper medicines policies have been dramatic in the way they've improved access to health care. The 60-day prescribing has been described to me as one of the most significant changes in health care in the last 30 years.

We are an ageing population. More of us are getting older. In 2020, 16 per cent of our population were over 65. By 2026, over 22 per cent of the population will be over 65. They have needs, and they certainly are not always being addressed with our current social security and housing systems. Our life expectancy, of course, is increasing. In 2022, the average male could expect to live to the age of 81, and the average female could expect to live till 85, compared to 51 and 54 for males and females in 1900, so things are changing dramatically. Every year, we see an increase in life expectancy.

We must make sure that our society is conditioned and has legislation and has care for older Australians if they want to stay in the workforce or if they don't. We've done a lot as a government to improve the ability for people to still earn money while they're on a pension. There has been an increase of $4,000 in the amount that people are able to earn per year without affecting their pension. This has been a dramatic difference, encouraging people to stay in the workforce. It's estimated that, if we can increase by three per cent the hours that older Australians are working, this will add $33 billion to the economy every year. So I think it's vitally important that we keep older Australians in the workforce. We see this in medicine. My uncle Hyme, at 91, was still seeing patients until last year, and I said to him, 'Why don't you think about retiring?' He said, 'I don't like gardening, and I'm too old for bowls.'

Zoe McKenzie (Flinders, Liberal Party) | Link to this | Hansard source

The time allotted for this debate has expired. The debate is adjourned and the resumption of the debate will be made an order of the day for the next sitting.