Richard Colbeck (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Aged Care and Senior Australians) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Van for the question. Just on indulgence, I'd like to acknowledge the tremendous effort that went into ensuring that 140 residents were safely evacuated from the Carramar aged care facility on Friday 8 November. These senior Australians took refuge from the bushfires at the evacuation centre, their local library and nearby facilities, at Kabara Hostel and the Arcare facility. They were able to return to their homes yesterday, Sunday 10 November. I know that other facilities had prepared themselves ready to evacuate as well, including Japara Noosa. I'd like to particularly thank staff for their tremendous work, as well as volunteers, families, emergency workers and the senior Australians themselves for the part they played in responding so well at such a difficult time.

Back to your question, Senator Van. I acknowledge your interest in issues of aged care. Our government has been investing more than ever before to support older Australians, but we recognise, following the release of the interim report of the royal commission, that additional investment will be required to ensure that all Australians have access to high-quality care as they age. It's worth noting that, when those opposite left office, funding for aged care was at $13.3 billion, and it's growing every year, from close to $22 billion this year to over $25 billion at the end of the forward estimates.

We know that senior Australians are increasingly choosing to remain in their own homes longer, and the government is committed to supporting this choice. There were 60,308 aged-care packages under Labor in 2012-13. This will grow to 157,154 in 2022-23 under the current settings—an increase of 161 per cent. Over the same period— (Time expired)