Helen Polley (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Aged Care) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to speak on the Social Services Legislation Amendment (No. 2) Bill 2015, and I do so following on from the contribution that Senator Claire Moore made earlier in the day where she outlined the Labor Party's position in relation to the general outline of this legislation. But I want to focus my comments on the bill's two amendments to aged care. They appear to be innocuous enough—but only if taken in isolation.

The first measure ceases payment of the pre-entry leave subsidy. Unfortunately, the contribution by the government senator before me clearly does not have an understanding of what this is really going to mean, not only to the aged-care sector but also to the families of those who are considering moving into aged-care homes. The message from the government is quite clear. I think they have demonstrated that every day of the two years that they have been in office, and that is that you are on your own, particularly if you are some of the most vulnerable members of our community. Certainly that has been most apparent in this area of policy when it comes to older Australians and aged care in particular. Pressure is going to be placed on the sector to cover that period of time when they cannot recoup that income when they need to make sure the room and facilities are up to scratch and the time when families need to consider all the issues that they have to consider when trying to decide on making what is, for most people, a fairly significant move in the latter part of their lives. So, to me, this is yet again another attack on the budget bottom line of the aged-care sector.

We know this government is very fond of cutting and not really doing anything when it comes to consultation with this sector in particular. But what is more galling is that the Prime Minister, prior to the last election, said that he would bring in a government of no surprises and no excuses. Yet every other day and every other week in the past two very long years that is what we have got—backflips, changes and cuts without any consultation at all. Unfortunately, the aged-care sector has been one sector that has suffered greatly.

The bill also abolishes the Aged Care Planning Advisory Committee as part of the government's small government reforms. This seemed harmless enough at first as well, but now it is clear that this smaller government reform can only be achieved by increasing the burden on the sector, pickpocketing from the aged-care sector. So, once again, it is going to have a real impact on the aged-care sector. One might even say that the government has increased red tape for the sector, something that the sector is not very happy about.

This government is quick on its feet when it comes to cutting funding but differs quite dramatically when it comes to implementing any real reforms. A case in point is the slow and dithering implementation of Labor's Living Longer Living Better reforms to aged care, which were introduced with bipartisan support and extensive consultation over the period of the last Labor government. The reforms were not short-sighted. They were not politically motivated. They were about setting a framework for the next decade to ensure that older Australians and their families and the sector knew the direction they were going to be taking. We know how important it is for the community to understand the challenges around ensuring that we have the world's best aged-care homes and facilities and support to keep people in their own homes as long as we can.

Mr Abbott promised to continue rolling out these reforms before coming into government, and the aged-care sector was quite relieved about that. It was quite relieved because there have been so many changes and a lot of upheavals. There was extensive consultation by Minister Butler and the Labor government, and the sector was assured by the opposition under Mr Abbott at that time that those reforms would be rolled out. But after two years in government Mr Abbott still has no plan to deal with Australia's ageing population. Labor's Living Longer Living Better reforms have been undermined by a consistent lack of oversight and interest. They have been undermined by the assistant minister, who has never had his eye on the ball. I have spoken on many occasions in this chamber about the fact that the assistant minister so blatantly demonstrates his lack of care and compassion for and interest in this very important sector. As a result, a great deal of avoidable anxiety and stress has been caused in the sector.

This is not something that only we on this side of the chamber are aware of. It is what the sector is talking to us about regularly. It is in constant contact. People in the community are concerned about the direction that this government is taking in a whole range of areas, but, I can assure you, aged care is firmly on their agenda. They have a great deal of concern about the lack of direction. In fact, the performance and administration of the aged-care portfolio under this government has been, at the very least, very disappointing.

In fact, this government have demonstrated that they are bereft of any leadership when it comes to the issues to do with ageing in this country. They are bereft of any vision for this country when it comes to looking after older Australians. It has been clearly demonstrated that they cannot even implement a framework that was put in place by the previous Labor government. They are very quick to come in here and espouse that they inherited debt and deficit. We all know what they have done on that. They have just increased it. Growth and everything else is slowing down. But that they are not even being able to implement a good policy that was supported not only by the sector itself but by the community leaves me speechless as to the lack of compassion that has been demonstrated by this government.

Since September 2013 there is only one thing that this government have demonstrated, and that is that they are only interested in cutting. They have made cuts to the aged-care sector—we know that. We on this side understand, as does the Australian community, that this government have no idea what they are doing when it comes to aged care. The government have an integral role to play in ensuring that we can meet the needs of older Australians now and into the future. I am truly concerned that this government's dithering, delays and disarray are creating even further anxiety and concern for aged-care workers, aged-care providers and older Australians and their families, who will be the ones who will feel the brunt of this government's lack of leadership and vision.

Mr Abbott and his Liberals—and it is not just Mr Abbott; it is Mr Morrison, who is the minister who has the overarching responsibility when it comes to aged care, and the assistant minister—have set a very poor record for aged care in this country. The sector has received numerous kicks in the gut—no consultation, no warnings, just hit after hit. They have a record of fuelling anxiety and uncertainty in the sector and the wider community which is entirely avoidable.

Senator Fifield has overseen a number of chaotic, reactive and often ideologically driven decisions, including, firstly, axing with no consultation or warning the $17-a-day dementia and severe behaviour supplement paid to residential aged-care providers. He came into this chamber on 26 June and just announced the cut. That is the level of competency of this government.

Secondly, he announced the flying squads. We will have a lot of fun with the flying squads at Senate estimates. We will have a flying squad that will zoom in and come up with a model for individual care. The whole problem with the flying squad is that, when they put the tenders out, they asked the people tendering for this contract to come up with a solution on how the flying squads are going to work. We do not know whether there will be a flying squad in New South Wales and one in Victoria. Will there be one in Tasmania? Will there be one in Western Australia? How many flying squads will there be? How much money will be used to administer these flying squads? Honestly, it beggars belief. You put out for tender this idea of flying squads without any consultation and without a pilot project to see whether they will work—