Gary Humphries (ACT, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Ageing, Senator Santoro. I understand that the minister recently visited the United States. Would the minister inform the Senate about the purpose of his visit and the outcome of any discussions with key stakeholders in relation to issues of ageing and aged care policy?

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

I thank Senator Humphries for his question and for his continuing strong interest and involvement in aged care issues. I have just returned from the United States, where I was able to share information and views with key stakeholders on ageing policy and the aged care system. Additionally, I was privileged to attend, in Washington DC on 14 June 2006, a special ceremony to commemorate the 63rd anniversary of the Baker’s Creek air crash, in which 40 US servicemen died shortly after taking off from Mackay, Queensland, where they had just completed a period of rest and recreational leave from the theatres of war in the Pacific. I have addressed the Senate on this matter several times before.

I can report to the Senate that during my trip to the United States I had a large number of very useful meetings regarding ageing matters. In Austin, Texas, I met with the adviser to Governor Perry on ageing issues, the Texas Land Commissioner, who is responsible for the administration of the Texas veterans homes, and Mr Pat Kennedy, a director of the Holiday Retirement Corporation. I also met with the Texas Secretary and Deputy Secretary of State. In Washington DC I met with Dr Zaven Kachaturian, a world expert in programs for those suffering from Alzheimer’s disease and their carers, and also the man who contributed greatly to the Alzheimer’s Australia 2004 Report, Dementia research: a vision for Australia.

I also met with the Director of Ageing and Retirement Policy at the American Enterprise Institute, the Director of the National Institute for Ageing, the Assistant Secretary of the federal Administration on Ageing, the Director of Health Policy at the Heritage Foundation, the President of the American Association of Homes and Services for the Ageing, and the Director of the National Centre on Elder Abuse. I also met with Congressman Ralph Regula, Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Labor, Health and Human Services and Education, and—

George Campbell (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

This is a travelogue!

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

Order!

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

Senator Herb Kohl, the ranking Democrat member on the Senate Special Committee on Ageing.

Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Opposition Business in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I raise a point of order on relevance. I am sure Senator Humphries would like his question answered. What we have had so far is a travelogue. There are times later on in the day when he might be able to do that. Mr President, I ask you to consider the relevance of the answer to the question.

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

I believe that the question did ask Senator Santoro what he was doing, and I believe he is answering that—although, he does seem to be answering it in rather a—

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting—

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

Order! I ask the minister to return to his answer.

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

I think it is relevant that I tell the Senate who I met with because these are very high-level meetings, out of which we obtained very good dialogue, information and advice. Additionally, in New York I met with the Director of the Social Integration Branch of the United Nations, the President of the Continuing Care Leadership Coalition and the President of the Isabella Community Centre. I also addressed the Inaugural World Elder Abuse Awareness Day Symposium at the United Nations on 15 June.

Michael Forshaw (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I raise a point of order on relevance. The minister has said that he had these meetings. If he was actually at these meetings then surely he would be able to stand up here and tell us about those meetings rather than read from a prepared script that has obviously been written by somebody else.

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

There is no point of order. Senator Santoro, you have 1½ minutes left.

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

It is appropriate for me to report at this stage that I have returned from that trip convinced that, while there are some things we can do differently in Australia, overall by comparison to the United States we are doing well on a number of important fronts. Firstly, the key policy makers that I met with were most envious of the fact that the Australian government has been able, by taking difficult decisions and exercising fiscal discipline, to eliminate all of the $96 billion of public sector debt bequeathed to this nation under, in part, Kim Beazley’s stewardship as Minister for Finance.

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting—

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

Order!

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

Furthermore, when they learnt that this has allowed the government to establish the Future Fund and about how it will help meet the costs of demographic ageing, they were even more impressed. Consumer advocates, such as the National Centre for Elder Abuse, and provider organisations, such as the International Association of Homes and Services for the Ageing, commended the Howard government for establishing a quality framework in relation to care and building standards for residential aged care. They were very surprised to learn that this had not been in place prior to 1996 when the government was elected. The government’s approach of increasing the availability of community care so that people have the option of staying in their own home to receive care close to their friends and communities was strongly supported by the US industry stakeholders with whom I met. (Time expired)

Nick Minchin (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance and Administration) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I raise a point of order. The opposition’s behaviour during the answer to that question was completely unacceptable and completely unruly. There are only three question times to go; you would think they could manage to maintain some order during the last week.

Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, on the point of order: senators are getting frustrated by ministers misusing question time. Quite frankly, if the minister wants to embarrass himself and bring back the photos and tell people what a wonderful time he had, he should do that at the government senators’ cup-of-tea time rather than now and abuse the process of the Senate.

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

Order! There is no point of order. A point of order was raised during the answering of that question which went to relevance and I ruled that the minister was relevant because he was asked that question. I would ask the Senate to come to order.