Wendy Askew (Tasmania, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Health and Ageing, Senator McAllister. Margaret and her husband, Tony, applied for home-care support in January last year. They desperately needed assistance. Tony suffered from Parkinson's and several cancer diagnoses, but more than 12 months later Tony still had no access to care. Tony was taken to hospital on 4 May this year and tragically passed away a few days later. During that week he spent in hospital, in his final days, Margaret was advised that his home-care package had finally been allocated. It was, frankly, too little too late. Minister, will you apologise to Margaret and the thousands of other people who have lost loved ones while waiting for the care they have been assessed as needing?

Jenny McAllister (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the National Disability Insurance Scheme) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the senator for raising this important case. Stories like this remind us of exactly why reform is so critical. The reforms we are putting in place are designed to put people at the centre of the aged-care system. They were passed, we acknowledge, with support from those opposite—

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order!

Jenny McAllister (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the National Disability Insurance Scheme) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

and they reflect the significance of quality aged care for older people in their homes. They follow a period which, as everyone understands, was described as 'neglect'.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Minister, please resume your seat. Senator Ruston, when I call 'order', I shouldn't have to specifically name you. I've called 'order', and now I'm going to name you. Please come to order, Senator Ruston, or leave the chamber. Minister McAllister, please continue.

Jenny McAllister (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the National Disability Insurance Scheme) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I have listened to the interjections from Senator Ruston, and I note her use of the term 'national disgrace'. It's an interesting choice of term because that is what a commissioner on the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety, Ms Briggs, called it. She called the performance of the aged-care system under you 'a national disgrace'. It was neglectful, and there is a lot of work to do to resolve it, and the government has been pleased to work with senators across the chamber to put these important reforms in place. We know that it is important to make sure people get the care that they require. Older Australians who are currently assessed as high priority continue to receive their package within a month. Just in the last five years we have gone from 155,000 people accessing in-home care to over 300,000 people. There is more to do, and we intend to do it. (Time expired)

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Askew, first supplementary?

Wendy Askew (Tasmania, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Minister, we've heard from a 90-year-old constituent from South Australia who also suffers from Parkinson's. He is mostly wheelchair bound and able to do very little for himself. His daughter has had to give up her permanent job as a teacher and move in to care for him. He has been told it will be up to 12 months before he will receive the home-care package he has been assessed as needing. Will you promise this 90-year-old constituent and his daughter that you will urgently address this waitlist before it is too late?

Jenny McAllister (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the National Disability Insurance Scheme) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I again thank Senator Askew for raising an important case, and I say to her: of course, for any individual who comes to you, we will always be interested in hearing their stories directly; you should refer those to myself or to Minister Rae. But it highlights why these reforms are so significant. It is a generational reform designed to deliver aged care of the highest quality for older Australians. They are people who have given so much for our country and they deserve nothing less than the very best care. Support at Home, which I know all senators are looking forward to, will make it possible for older people to live independently at home for longer, with higher levels of care available close to family and close to community.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Askew, second supplementary?

Wendy Askew (Tasmania, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Minister, Gladys has just turned 97 and has been assessed as needing a level 4 home-care package, but she's just been told she may have to wait up to 12 months before she can access the support she needs. Gladys fears that, at her age, she may not live long enough to see the support she has been assessed as needing. Why is your government making older Australians wait for a year for the help they need right now?

Jenny McAllister (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the National Disability Insurance Scheme) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the senator for her question. The senator is aware that the government is progressing an important national reform and is doing so with the support of members opposite, because we do understand how important it is for older Australians to receive care in their homes. I don't wish to overly politicise this, Senator Askew, because I do acknowledge the role that the opposition played in providing support to the legislation to bring these reforms through. But we are dealing with a very long period of neglect that requires our attention, and our determination is to make sure that we have the resources and the framework ready to deliver for the people who need care—

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Senator Henderson!

Jenny McAllister (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the National Disability Insurance Scheme) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

under the new arrangements for home care.

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

After what you did in the last parliament? What a joke!

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Henderson, I called for order, and you directly kept speaking over me. I called order again, and you ignored it. Finally, I had to use your name. That's unacceptable and it's disrespectful. When I call order, it includes you.