Anne Webster (Mallee, National Party, Shadow Minister for Regional Development, Local Government and Territories) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the minister for aged care, and I refer to his previous answer. The minister justified Labor's delay in delivering the 83,000 home care packages it promised by implying it was the sector as well as elderly Australians who, when consulted, were asking for this delay. Can the minister identify a single provider or elderly Australian desperately waiting for a package who personally asked him for this delay?

Sam Rae (Hawke, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Aged Care and Seniors) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for her question. When I became minister a few months ago the first thing I did, the first focus I had, was to go around to speak to as many older people as I could and their families and their communities, to speak to people across the sector—to providers—and to speak to workers and their representatives. The overwhelming response I got from all of those groups was that they needed a brief deferral of the implementation of the new aged care act to ensure the implementation would be smooth and would meet the needs of older Australians. As I have previously referred to, the supported home program relies on the legislative framework that the new act heralds, and from 1 November we will be able to deliver more care to more people as we achieve the next milestone.

Anne Webster (Mallee, National Party, Shadow Minister for Regional Development, Local Government and Territories) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The point of order is relevance. The question was to ask for a single provider or a single elderly Australian who asked for the delay.

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The minister can answer the question as long as he's being directly relevant, and there were specifics in the question. I'm just going to make sure he's being directly relevant for the remaining two minutes of his answer. Given the subject matter, he is being directly relevant at the moment.

Sam Rae (Hawke, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Aged Care and Seniors) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

As I was saying, I spoke to many older people and their families. I spoke to providers and people across the sector. I spoke to workers and their representatives. The overwhelming response, which is reflected in the public commentary from many across the sector, was that they needed a brief deferral of the new act. That is what we have done to ensure that older people across our community continue to receive the very best care. From 1 November, we will have the next milestone in our transformation of Australia's aged-care system.

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Leader of the Opposition is seeking leave to table a document. The minister has concluded his answer.

Sussan Ley (Farrer, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

That's correct. I seek leave to table a document outlining the uniform position of the aged-care sector, aired at a recent Senate references committee, indicating that they are all, in unison, ready to deliver the aged-care package to elderly Australians. I seek leave to table the document.

Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Leave is not granted. We've already got the Hansard.

Honourable members interjecting—

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! I'm just going to bring the House to order because the member for Swan is on her feet and I'd like to hear her question.