Helen Polley (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Aged Care) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise today to speak once again on the Abbott government's cruel decision to axe the dementia and severe behaviours supplement. As I have said in this chamber on numerous occasions already, Team Abbott's scrapping of a $16 per day supplement paid to aged-care providers caring for vulnerable people with severe symptoms of dementia was heartless and avoidable. What we have seen from the outset is a government that has handled this entire sorry affair without due regard to the aged-care sector. The lack of leadership demonstrated by the minister responsible—the Assistant Minister for Social Services, Senator Mitch Fifield—has been nothing short of astounding. This government has abandoned the aged-care sector and vulnerable Australians with severe symptoms of dementia. In spite of assurances that he had consulted with the industry, Senator Fifield has kept providers in the dark, and they have remained shocked and horrified at this government's decision.

Once again, I remind Senator Fifield that this supplement supports approved aged-care providers—people who care for some of the most vulnerable people in our community. These providers are worried that the Abbott government is out of touch and is unconcerned about the future of aged care in this country. Many of these providers have acquired extra specialist staff, planned for new buildings and facilities and invested in other support resources based on the very existence of this vital supplement. Are they expected to just desert people with severe behavioural and psychological problems with dementia? Well, of course, that is not an option, but what it does mean is that some of them will struggle to survive and others may have to scale back on their level of care.

As our population ages we need to do more, not less, to address dementia and to support those affected by it. Dementia and aged care are not political toys, and the Abbott government needs to get on with the job of governing and addressing the challenges we face in caring for people with severe symptoms of dementia. The previous Labor government did the heavy lifting to make aged care sustainable and fairer, with wide community and sector support. In contrast, the Abbott government's legacy will be the dumping of this vital supplement, amongst other cruel cuts.

When it comes to the practical implementation of this supplement, the Abbott government would have known from late 2013 that more funding was needed. Every single person with an interest in this supplement knew that it needed to be addressed, but no action was taken. There was no action in MYEFO last November, and there was no action in this year's budget. It appears that Senator Fifield was not working with the Department of Social Services and aged-care stakeholders to address issues around the original design of, compliance with and validation of the supplement's assessment instrument. Instead, on 26 June Senator Fifield announced the supplement would cease as of 31 July 2014—without warning, just like that.

The shadow minister for ageing, the member for Blair, Shayne Neumann, and I have consistently sought more information from Senator Fifield, because we think the sector deserve better. They have looked to us for leadership because there is certainly none being offered by Senator Fifield and company. But, again and again, we have been given no firm timeline, no details, no strategy, no plans. Senator Fifield responded to another Dorothy Dixer on this issue on 24 September by saying that a replacement scheme will be developed once he receives a report from a ministerial dementia forum in October. But, again, no real timeline was provided, meaning that providers are still operating in an atmosphere of uncertainty and fear. This sense of anxiety has of course been made all the worse by the Abbott government's other callous cuts to the aged care sector.

In this year's budget the government scrapped the workforce supplement, which Labor introduced to improve the pay and conditions of aged care workers. This ensured that $1.1 billion went back into the 'general pool of aged care funding'. The budget provided that the supplement would be 'reprioritised' by increasing aged care subsidies as well as a viability supplement. However, this 'repriortising' was accompanied by the scrapping of the aged care payroll tax supplement in the budget—another move that happened without any warning. The now-scrapped payroll tax concession previously covered the payroll tax bills for most aged-care providers by giving them a payment roughly equivalent to their liabilities. This decision promises to send many providers to the wall, particularly those in remote and regional areas.

The Treasurer also altered the indexation of the pension and equivalent payments. The government remained completely silent on the impacts this would have on aged care revenue, which is worked out at 85 per cent of the age pension. This means that the change to the rate of growth in pensions will cause a proportionately lower rate of revenue for aged care facilities with pensioners as residents. What does all of this mean? It means that a sector in need of investment in growth and development is mired in fear and hesitation. It means that as our population ages and more and more people develop dementia, we have a government seemingly unconcerned about the welfare of those with severe symptoms of the disease. It means that once again Labor will have to pick up the slack and actually provide some leadership on aged care.

Senator Fifield has refused to meet with stakeholders, he has refused to own up to his decisions and he has refused to communicate with the sector. He is hiding under the doona covers because he knows the mess he has created. That is why he has looked so flustered during question time in recent weeks when this matter has been raised. He has sought to save face by having a series of dorothy dixers handed his way by sympathetic senators. But even when handed these on a plate he has failed to actually outline when he will come to the rescue of providers caring for people with severe psychological and behavioural problems of dementia. I repeat: Minister Fifield has been asleep at the wheel. He has never sought to ease anxiety within the sector; he has treated providers and the people they care for with absolute disdain. This Saturday, it will be 100 days—you heard me correctly, 100 days—since Senator Fifield rose in this chamber on the last day of a sitting week and cowardly announced the axing of the dementia supplement—100 days! Aged care providers and their hardworking staff who tirelessly care every day for those suffering from severe dementia have experienced 100 days of uncertainty—100 days of neglect, 100 days of desertion, 100 days of disregard for their welfare, 100 days that demonstrate how little respect Senator Fifield has for this sector. This government needs a designated minister for ageing—something Shayne Neumann and I have said from the very beginning. The reason you need a minister with clear responsibility for ageing is that otherwise it gets lost in the wash, the relevant department is not monitored and the implementation of a vital supplement is bungled and all hell breaks loose. If the Prime Minister is planning a reshuffle in the short to medium term, he could do a lot worse than cast his eye over the Senate chamber. Senator Fifield ripped away the supplement without warning. He did not act in any way and then he remained completely silent whilst aged care providers fumed. He has completely failed in his duties; he has been inactive, incompetent and indecisive.

I think things need to change and it is not just me and Shayne Neumann saying this. This is what the sector are saying. The sector have tried to engage with this government through the minister but all avenues have been closed off. How can you take away a supplement for the most vulnerable people in our community? How can you cut funding to aged care providers who, day to day, are caring for these most vulnerable people? This is a heartless government and the minister is without any vision. The minister is without any plan. He has demonstrated he has no interest in aged care. If it were not for the issues raised in this chamber by me and Shayne Neumann raising them in the other place, this government would be completely silent on aged care. We did the heavy lifting when we were in government. During the Howard government they put their head in the sand. They were not prepared to consult with the sector to bring about a new policy for aged care in this country.