Andrew Wallace (Fisher, Liberal National Party, Shadow Cabinet Secretary) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I recently met with RangeCare in Maleny, a not-for-profit that's been caring for older Australians since 1986, when it began as the Montville Care Group. This year they turn 40. They support around 1,800 Sunshine Coast locals. They employ 260 staff and engage more than 300 contractors. They support reform in caring for older Australians, and they agree change is needed. But here's what they told me: the concept may be right, but the rollout from this government is all wrong. Providers are being forced to build the plane while it's rolling down the runway. Key rules are unsettled. Systems are not functioning smoothly. Pricing is unclear. They ask, 'How do we budget, how do we plan, and how do we reassure an 85-year-old client when we don't even know what next month looks like, especially in a cost-of-living crisis—not just for households, but for businesses and not-for-profits?'

The government keeps saying older Australians will be no worse off, but RangeCare are telling me their clients are being left in the dark. They're seeing people hesitate on essential supports because of rising out-of-pocket costs. They're seeing assessment delays stretching towards 12 months. Reform without readiness is risk. Good policy, badly implemented, still harms people. Slow it down, fix the systems and clarify the pricing.