Sarah Henderson (Victoria, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Aged Care and Senior Australians, Senator Colbeck. With record funding for aged care outlined in last night's budget, can the minister outline the Morrison government's plan to provide more home-care packages to support senior Australians since the 2018-19 budget, including since the interim report of the royal commission?

Richard Colbeck (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Aged Care and Senior Australians) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Henderson for her question. Supporting senior Australians to live in their own homes has always been one of this government's key priorities. At every opportunity, we have provided additional home-care packages to help senior Australians with their household tasks, to get the equipment that they may need, and to access personal and clinical care as they age in their own homes.

Last night, the Morrison government announced $1.6 billion for an additional 23,000 packages, building on the $235.7 million for the 6,105 packages announced in July. This means that, over this financial year, around 30,000 new home-care packages will be available to senior Australians. This brings our overall investment to an additional $4.6 billion, for 73,105 packages, since the 2018-19 budget. And I recall that the opposition went to the last election with $387 billion worth of new taxes and not a single home-care package. So their crocodile tears fall on very, very deaf ears over here. By the end of this financial year, we will have tripled the number of home-care packages that were in place under Labor when we came to government in 2013. We will not stop until senior Australians have access to the package and care that they need.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Henderson, a supplementary question?

Sarah Henderson (Victoria, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you very much, Mr President. Senior Australians need a skilled and responsive aged-care workforce. How is the government developing and supporting the aged-care workforce now and into the future?

Richard Colbeck (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Aged Care and Senior Australians) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

More home-care places means more jobs, and our latest announcement of home-care places will generate almost 6,000 new jobs over the next 12 months. Last night, we announced an investment of $10.3 million to support the Aged Care Workforce Industry Council to lead the implementation of the workforce industry strategy. And last week, as part of our response to the royal commission's report, the government announced $10.8 million to expand the Australian College of Nursing scholarship program to establish an aged-care Transition to Practice Program and establish a skills development program for nurses and personal care workers in aged care. The funding will provide opportunities for the aged-care workforce to increase their skills and capabilities, support them to be well-equipped and ensure the care and protection of people in care.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Henderson, a final supplementary question?

Sarah Henderson (Victoria, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank you, Mr President. The royal commission recommended action to reduce the number of younger people with a disability going into aged care. What has the government done to date to address this important issue?

Richard Colbeck (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Aged Care and Senior Australians) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you for the question, Senator Henderson. It is important that young people with complex needs get the right care and in the right setting. The government is proactively working to address the aged-care royal commission's finding that residential aged care is not the appropriate place for younger people except in exceptional circumstances. We are already making progress in this space. The number of people aged under 65 years in residential aged care has reduced from over 6,000 in 2017-18 to 4,860 as at 30 June this year. The government is providing another $10.6 million to continue to reduce the number of people aged under 65 in aged care or at risk of going into residential care, in conjunction with the plan to reduce the number of people in aged care— (Time expired)

Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Vice-President of the Executive Council) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask that further questions be placed on the Notice Paper.