Jan McLucas (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Aged Care, Disabilities and Carers) Share this | Hansard source

It is not surprising, then, that he and his office have spent much of their time over the last three weeks involving themselves in the state election campaign. We know, from reading the newspapers, that his press adviser, Mr Malcolm Cole, was parachuted into the campaign in the very early days of the campaign, even inasmuch as attending joint campaign committee meetings. He stressed that this was all in his own time. I gave the minister the opportunity during question time today to clarify the involvement of Mr Cole, to explain to the chamber what he had been doing as a part of his responsibilities as press secretary to the minister or what he had in fact been doing as part of his involvement in the Queensland state election campaign. It was interesting to note that Minister Santoro completely avoided that opportunity—he did not try in any way at all to explain the involvement of his press secretary in the Liberal Party’s Queensland campaign.

We also know that, over the last week or so, we have been subjected in this place to Senator Santoro’s attempts to attack the Queensland government on the state of the health system in that state. I thought it was opportune to clarify what effect that expenditure of public resources had on the state election campaign. I have to ask: did he take the opportunity to perhaps doorknock in the electorate of Gaven? Did he send his speech to the people who live in Redcliffe? Did he ask the people of Chatsworth whether they thought it was a good contribution and whether it would in fact affect their vote? I think that, if you look at the results of those three electorates in particular—in fact, the whole state campaign—the answer is extremely clear.

I congratulate Peter Beattie and his team of ALP candidates on a strong campaign that focused on the message of fixing our health system, fixing the water supply and the other issues—but, particularly, fixing our health system. We recognise in Queensland that the problems we experience are not all of Queensland’s making. There is a doctor and nurse shortage. We know that we are dealing with changing demographics. But we also recognise the pressure that is being placed on Queensland hospitals by this government’s neglect of residential aged care in Queensland.

It is in the minister’s interest to cloud and confuse the issues surrounding the number of aged care places that are being provided, not only in Queensland but right across the nation. But the facts are these: in 1996, when Labor was last in government, for every 1,000 people in Queensland over the age of 70, there were 97 operational beds; 10 years later, in 2006, there are 86 operational residential aged care beds for every 1,000 people over 70 years old. We have lost 11 beds for the group of people who need them most—11 beds for every 1,000 people over 70 have been lost to the people of Queensland. And the government themselves lowered the target that they were attempting to achieve in 2004 from 90 beds for every 1,000 people over 70 down to 88. So they are still not even meeting their own target, even though they lowered it themselves.

The minister talked about increasing the number of places in Queensland. You basically talk in telephone numbers when you talk with Senator Santoro about the number of aged care beds, because he just lists numbers. He does not recognise that people in Australia actually understand that we are ageing in this country, as we are around the world. We are getting older. So rattling off total numbers does not actually explain anything. That is why you have to understand the application of the ratio.

The other thing we know is that there are 1,500 more Queenslanders coming into Queensland every week. A lot of those people are either requiring aged care or very close to requiring aged care. (Time expired)