Carol Brown (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Disability and Carers) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

( I rise to address the chamber during this week, National Carers Week. I was lucky enough to attend a breakfast this morning to celebrate this special week and to hear firsthand from carers, parliamentary colleagues, representatives of Carers Australia and state and territory carer organisations, and the community about the invaluable work that carers perform day in and day out.

Weeks like this and events like that are so important because they show our appreciation for carers, giving them the national attention that they clearly deserve. They're important because they ensure that carers are placed front and centre on the national stage. But that's not something we can do just one week of the year. We need to do this on a daily basis and we need to do this to show our tremendous appreciation for the unpaid work that is performed by the 2.7 million carers, including 680,000 full-time carers, across our country. There are events taking place all over Australia this week, and there is a campaign being run on social media that encourages people to share their personal stories of being a carer by using the hashtag #whywecare. We have seen hundreds of stories coming in on Twitter, on Facebook and on the Carer Australia website as a result of this campaign—moving stories like that of Russell, from Victoria. He said:

I have been a full-time carer for my wife since 2010. My wife had a brain aneurysm in 1999, six weeks after my youngest son was born. In 2010 she could no longer look after herself and I had to leave work to take care of her. I would do anything for her. That is what love and marriage is. For better or worse. She would have done it for me. It's hard sometimes but it is the best job in the world.

Russell's story shows us the dedication of some of our carers who face significant challenges in being full-time carers but persevere anyway, putting the people they care for first in their lives. It is something we see in stories like that of Amanda, from my home state of Tasmania. She said:

My sons and I look after my father after recent decline in his health. Although at time it's not easy, due to being his case manager and advocate as well, we wouldn't have it any other way. Caring is exhausting but rewarding in many aspects. I know he is grateful but I always look forward to respite when my brothers take him for a couple of hours. I don't receive a payment for this and carers save government millions of dollars. This is a serious glitch and needs to be addressed.

Amanda's story shares the full spectrum of the experience of caring. It shows the value that she gains from being a carer, but it also tells us we need to do more to give carers the time needed to take time for themselves. We know that carers experience social isolation at a rate far greater than noncarers and we know that carers face greater financial challenges. So it's little wonder that so many stories show that carers don't always have the luxury of time or money to seek respite when they need it. In fact, the median weekly income of primary carers is 42 per cent lower than noncarers. So we know just how serious are the financial challenges for carers in trying to keep up with daily life expenses.

National Carers Week is a reminder that there is more work to be done. There is more work to be done to show carers that we appreciate and respect everything they do and there is more work to be done to close the financial and social gaps between carers and noncarers. So I encourage one and all—today, this week and all throughout the rest of the year: if you know a carer, tell them you appreciate them. Share a story on social media about your appreciation for carers or take time out of your week to support a carer. As a full-time carer, Rebecca Unwin shared in the Launceston Examiner this week that 'It's okay not to be okay'. That's a powerful lesson that she learnt after Carers Tasmania and her GP told her to see a counsellor. It is a lesson that so many carers learn along the way and it is a lesson that only gets shared when we discuss the work of carers. So let's take the time to make sure our carers know they are valued. Let's take the time to listen and to hear their stories and offer time for a helping hand—whatever we can do to recognise that Australia wouldn't be the country it is today without carers and we wouldn't have the support of such incredible people without weeks like National Carers Week. Happy National Carers Week and thank you to all our carers all over Australia.

Senate adjourned at 19:39