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

I completely and utterly reject the premise of the question. We made provision for a service if people needed it. The fact is that the demand hasn't been what we thought it might have been, and it's a good thing that people have been able to get the food without having to rely on emergency relief packages. I think it's a good thing. It's also, as I've said, a demonstration of the fact that a range of measures that included additional capacity of over $50 million into Meals on Wheels has been a significant success, because Meals on Wheels provides a number of other things than just delivery of a food package. It provides human contact. It provides a capacity to be in touch with the outside world. I am not at all disappointed at the fact that the demand hasn't been what we thought it might have been. I don't regard it as a failure to make a promise. I regard it as a success in providing— (Time expired)