Karen Grogan (SA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

That's very helpful. The other element that I would like to understand better is the transition of unspent funds, not only why the amendment is required on unspent funds but also how long that transition of funds will be managed. We know that there are a lot of challenges in the aged-care sector. I know that when we were previously in government we made a significant amount of change. I was honoured to have been involved in that, working for the minister at the time. It is such a deeply complex area and such a deeply complex portfolio.

Of course, we're dealing with such challenging areas involving older people. We often see a decline in health and a decline in cognition. That impacts not just the person themselves but also their family and friends. The decline we see—maybe post stroke; maybe it's just a natural decline—can be really challenging to people's sense of themselves. My family are dealing with this ourselves. The challenge of being able to source exactly the right service that you need at the right time is not just a difficulty for government in terms of the volume of service provided but also the challenge of the right service in the right place to suit people, whether that be, as the minister very kindly outlined before, the issues of consumables and reimbursements and how that actually plays out, or those other services, particularly when we're talking about more remote or regional areas. There are many aspects to the challenges we face in the aged-care sector not just for the individuals but also for their families.

The transition of unspent funds is something we also need to have a solid understanding of. Minister, could you outline why this amendment is required and how the transition of funds will be managed? That would greatly help me.