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

Senator Keneally clearly wasn't listening when we provided this information in the chamber before. When we came to government there were 60,000 home-care packages in the market. As of today there are 146,000-plus home-care packages in the market, and that will be 150,000 home-care packages by the end of this financial year. That is a significant increase—in fact, an investment of over $2.7 billion since the budget before last. We have made a significant investment.

We put 10,000 additional places into the market on the back of the interim report of the royal commission; the royal commission drew our attention to that issue. We want to see the waiting time for Australians waiting for home-care packages reduced. That's why we've continued to invest in new home-care packages and in the aged-care sector. We will continue to do that.

There are a couple of numbers Senator Keneally should remember: $387 billion and zero—$387 billion of taxes that the Labor Party promised at the last election and zero home-care packages.