Carol Brown (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Tourism) Share this | Hansard source

Before moving general business notice of motion No. 164, I wish to inform the chamber that Senators Griff, Polley and Siewert will also sponsor the motion. I, and also on behalf of Senators Bilyk, Griff, Polley and Siewert, move:

That the Senate—

(a) notes that:

  (i) the latest Government report indicates that there are 120,000 older Australians waiting for their approved package, and

  (ii) more than 72,000 older Australians on the wait list have no home care package at all;

(b) recognises that:

  (i) the majority of older Australians waiting for level three and level four packages have high care needs,

  (ii) some older Australians have been waiting more than two years for their approved package, many of whom are in their 90s, and others who have terminal illnesses, and

  (iii) older Australians are entering residential aged care or even emergency departments instead of receiving their approved home care package;

(c) condemns the Morrison Government for failing to stop the waitlist growing; and

(d) calls on the Morrison Government to listen to the growing chorus of voices for urgent action to fix the home care packages waitlist now, and properly address this national crisis.