Claire Moore (Queensland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Ageing. Can the minister confirm that in 1996 there were 95 residential beds for every 1,000 people aged over 70 in Queensland? Is he aware that if that ratio had been maintained by the Howard government there would now be an additional 3,200 aged care beds in our state? Can the minister also confirm that the South Coast and Logan River regions are both hard hit by the current 600-plus aged care bed shortage in Queensland? Aren’t 30 per cent of people in Queensland needing nursing home care waiting more than three months to find a bed? Why has the Howard government so comprehensively failed to meet the needs of Queensland’s ageing population?