Zoe McKenzie (Flinders, Liberal Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Mental Health) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Aged Care and Seniors. Kevin, an 85-year-old, lives by himself in Mount Martha in my electorate and now needs further assistance to remain at home. Kevin registered to get an assessment for an aged-care package in March 2025, but his provider was told by the department that the department couldn't even get an assessment until 'early next year'.This is despite Kevin being told he's on the 'urgent' list. Is it really the minister's position that Australians like Kevin were the ones asking him to delay the delivery of 83,000 home-care packages?

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

I thank the member for the question and appreciate her interest in this matter. I also thank her for raising the matters relating to Kevin and, as I extended to a colleague yesterday in this House, if she is able to provide me with Kevin's details after question time, I will personally follow up and see where Kevin's matter is at.

Kevin's story is such a great example of why our aged-care reforms are so very important. Our government is driving landmark reforms to in-home care, ensuring that older Australians get the care they need in the comfort of their own home for as long as possible. In line with recommendation 28 of the aged-care royal commission, we're delivering a single streamlined assessment process that will help people just like those the question refers to. The new aged-care assessment system we're rolling out is designed to be faster, reduce wait times and improve the overall experience for older people and their families.

Instead of requiring multiple assessments with different providers, the new system will make it simpler for older Australians to access the right level of care when and where they need it, especially as their needs change over time. We recognise—I've said this before—that current wait times for aged-care assessments are longer than they should be, and we're working hard to address this in every corner of Australia. Median wait time for an aged-care needs assessment from when a referral is issued to when the support plan is completed is currently 25 days, and these wait times are continuing to reduce under our single-assessment system.

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

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

The minister will pause. It's not going to continue. The Leader of the Nationals had a really good go. One more noise—I mean it, there is far too much noise. We're taking the temperature down. The question has been asked. The member for Flinders wants to hear the answer and so do I. No more.

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

As our population ages, the demand for assessments continues to grow. Last year alone, more than 521,000 home-support and comprehensive assessments were completed. This is a complex system. The national priority system and assessment lists are related, but different. They can't be conflated. The assessment waitlist contains those seeking lower-level care along with—

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

The minister will pause so that the member for Flinders may take her point of order.

Zoe McKenzie (Flinders, Liberal Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Mental Health) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My point of order is on relevance. I'm very grateful for the assistance that has been offered for Kevin, but my question was whether Kevin or anyone like Kevin had asked the minister to delay the 83,000 packages.

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

The member knows I can't direct the minister to answer the question as she would like. He is being directly relevant, talking about the package, talking about the information, talking about exactly the constituent you've asked about. We're not just going to get up and say, 'I don't like the answer.' If the minister was talking about another topic or an alternative policy, he would absolutely be out of line. Everyone knows the rules, so we're just going to follow the rules, not get up because you don't like the answer. If there are any more points of order like that, people won't stay for them. The minister will be directly relevant, otherwise he will be sat down as well.

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

The assessment list, to which the member's question refers, contains those seeking lower-level care along with crossover and duplication of numbers on the national priority system, with many people waiting for assessment at a higher level while they're already receiving some form of in-home care.

These stories are exactly why we're reforming this system from the ground up. Big reforms don't happen overnight, but we're working hand in hand with assessment organisations and the states and territories to ensure a smooth transition, to minimise impacts on older Australians and to get them the care that they deserve.