Elizabeth Watson-Brown (Ryan, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We'd all like to imagine that we'll be cared for when we get older and that we'll be able to access the support that we really need when we need it. In a wealthy country like Australia, surely that is not too much to ask. But, last year, the Labor government did a dirty deal with the coalition that protects for-profit care providers and makes life harder for older people and their families. Many older people must pay more for the care they receive or simply make do with less care. With long delays for receiving funding, shamefully—tragically—people will die while they wait.

The Greens opposed this scheme at the time, and, sadly, since these changes have come into effect, I have heard truly heartbreaking stories from Ryan residents about the deep suffering that these changes have caused. One constituent told me that her elderly father has recently suffered a stroke and has been classified as needing the highest level of Support at Home funding, level 8. However, under the new laws, he still has an eight- to nine-month wait for the funding to arrive. This constituent says, 'There is a high likelihood my father will die before his funding comes through.' These are the harsh, tragic realities that the government has imposed on people at the stage of life when they should be being looked after.

Not only is the policy itself terrible, but the rollout has been absolutely atrocious. One constituent wrote to me regarding her 82-year-old stepmother, whose funding for vital care services has been consistently delayed. They said, and I quote: 'It seems to us that the government is trying to manage costs by agreeing people need and are entitled to a package but then withholding the money in a sneaky and non-transparent way.' One in three big corporations in Australia are getting away with paying no tax, but instead of going after them, Labor and the coalition are going after older people who've worked hard and paid their taxes all their lives—older people just trying to get the care that they need to survive.

The Greens forced the government to release 20,000 home-care packages early, but that is not enough. We've won two Senate inquiries into the changes, one of which is still accepting submissions until July. So, if you've been affected by these changes, consider making a submission so that your story can actually be heard. The Greens and I will continue to hold the government to account for the damage they have caused to so many people and their families.