Judith Adams (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Ageing, representing the Minister for Health and Ageing. Will the minister inform the Senate how the Australian government is ensuring that older Australians have access to more aged care places? Is the minister aware of any alternative policies?

Santo Santoro (Queensland, Liberal Party, Minister for Ageing) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Adams for her question. Let me say that, in terms of the relevance of this answer, Senator Adams is very well qualified to ask questions in relation to ageing issues and aged care. In fact, honourable senators—

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting—

Santo Santoro (Queensland, Liberal Party, Minister for Ageing) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I just want to complement Senator Adams for the interest that she takes in aged care matters, because she was in fact the rural member of the Western Australian Aged Care Planning Advisory Committee for seven years, prior to entering the Senate, which certainly makes her better qualified than any of you to ask questions. I say thank you to Senator Adams for that.

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting—

Santo Santoro (Queensland, Liberal Party, Minister for Ageing) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I simply say: thank you to those opposite for their welcome today! The Howard government has been committed and remains committed to providing a world-class system of aged care which is high quality, affordable and accessible and which meets the need and choices of older Australians. In answering the question, I would like to compare the performance of this government with the performance of the previous government. In 1996, honourable senators will be interested to know, there were only 141,282 operational places, but as of June 2005—talking about performance and talking about the contrast in policies—there were 193,753.

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting—

Santo Santoro (Queensland, Liberal Party, Minister for Ageing) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

They don’t want to listen, Mr President, just like they have never wanted to listen to anything that I have said, because the truth hurts. Today, over 161,000 older Australians can sleep in residential care beds, compared to less than 137,000 when you on the other side were in charge. Today there are 32,500 older Australians receiving care through community aged care packages compared to just 4,400 aged care places when the Labor Party was in power—an increase of 700 per cent.

Jan McLucas (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Aged Care, Disabilities and Carers) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator McLucas interjecting—

Santo Santoro (Queensland, Liberal Party, Minister for Ageing) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I hear Senator McLucas interjecting. Senator McLucas complains that somehow the residential ratio has decreased under our particular administration. Let me again inform Senator McLucas that what this government continues to do is to provide an increasing number of non-residential places—and you know that. But Senator McLucas is again devoid of a policy—3,000 days since the 1996 election without any real policy on the Labor side. You just keep on harping and carping.

Jan McLucas (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Aged Care, Disabilities and Carers) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

You have never looked at aged care in your life!

Santo Santoro (Queensland, Liberal Party, Minister for Ageing) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I will take the interjection from Senator McLucas in terms of aged care experience.

Paul Calvert (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator, if I were you, I would ignore the interjection and address your remarks to the chair. I know there is a lot of noise on my left—I ask them to come to order.

Santo Santoro (Queensland, Liberal Party, Minister for Ageing) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I am outlining the achievements of the government. The operational ratio has increased from 93 places for 1,000 people aged 70 years or over in 1996 to 102.4 places this year. This clearly indicates that this government is achieving high-quality delivery in residential aged care.