Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Fierravanti-Wells for her question. In relation to aged care, the Productivity Commission's Report on government services 2012 covering the 2010-11 financial year was released on 31 January 2012. The report confirms the Australian government's ongoing commit­ment to reforms that will enable the Austra­lian government to build a consistent and unified aged-care system that delivers high quality, accessible and affordable care. The Productivity Commission's final report dealing with caring for older Australians was released, as Senator Fierravanti-Wells indicated, on 8 August 2011. The Labor government is committed to promoting opportunities for positive and healthy ageing. The government recognises—which the opposition failed to do during their years in government—that the future of our aged-care system is on the minds of many Australians, and we are committed to starting aged-care reform in this term of government as part of a broader ageing agenda. The government will use the National Aged Care Alliance as its key partner for sourcing the view of the aged-care sector.

The government held a national conversa­tion with consumers and carers on the aged-care reform through forums across this country, and the first conversation was held in Adelaide on Friday, 19 August last year. The Prime Minister did make it clear that this should be an open conversation, so those opposite should engage in that conversation just as the government will engage with the aged-care community more broadly. (Time expired)