Leah Blyth (SA, Liberal Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Stronger Families and Stronger Communities) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Aged Care and Seniors, Senator McAllister. We have heard from many South Australians who have contacted coalition offices in desperate need of home-care support. A husband and wife in their late 80s who live in the Yorke Peninsula are unable to access services in their community. This gentleman lives with leukaemia and was assessed for care two years ago but is unable to access services due to insufficient funding in the region. Minister, will you apologise to the older Australians of the Yorke Peninsula for failing to support their ageing community?

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

Senator Blyth raises a case of a constituent in her electorate, and I thank her for doing so because these stories are always important. I repeat the offer that I made yesterday to Senator Askew that, where there is an individual who is experiencing particular circumstances, including the kind that Senator Blyth raises today, Senator Blyth, like all senators, is of course welcome to raise that directly with Minister Rae. I know he will want to hear about that person's experience.

More broadly, this points to the significance of the reforms that have been legislated through this parliament and are shortly to commence. We owe a great deal to older Australians and we owe them dignity and respect. Our government promised to lift the standard of aged care, and that is what our reforms are doing. And there is more work to do. We've been clear about that. This task is ongoing. But it is important to remember that older Australians will benefit from the steps that have already been taken by the government and the steps that we intend to take as we implement the aged-care reforms.

Over the last three years, we have started to turn around very significant challenges in this sector. We've had to compress a lot of reform into that three-year period because not very much was done in the decade that preceded it. Our government has invested $5.6 billion in a reform package which represents the greatest improvement to aged care in 30 years. We are delivering registered nurses on site in aged care more than 99 per cent of the time and more direct care to over— (Time expired)

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

Senator Blyth, first supplementary?

Leah Blyth (SA, Liberal Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Stronger Families and Stronger Communities) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Minister, Brian from Geelong lives in the Deputy Prime Minister's electorate. He was recently approved for a level 2 home-care package but due to further health issues now requires reassessment. He is now part of the more than 120,000 older Australians waiting to be assessed for a home-care package. Overall, he could be waiting longer than two years to receive the support he needs. Will you commit to immediately releasing new home-care packages and progressing assessments— (Time expired)

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

In the first part of Senator Blyth's question, she speaks about assessments and she raises the case of a person who is seeking an assessment. Again, I thank her for raising that matter. I acknowledge the challenges that people are facing. It is why, as I indicated in my answer to Senator Blyth's primary question, we are pursuing the reforms that we are pursuing, because older Australians do need to get the care that they need.

As part of that, we are reforming the way that assessment takes place. In the past, there were many pathways into assessment because we do need people to have an opportunity to be assessed so that we can understand the care that they require.

The Royal Commission told us that we need a single assessment process, and that is exactly what we are delivering. We are rolling out a new aged-care assessment system. It will be quicker and will reduce wait times and improve the experience— (Time expired)

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

Senator Blyth, a second supplementary?

Leah Blyth (SA, Liberal Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Stronger Families and Stronger Communities) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Will you commit to immediately releasing new home-care packages and progressing assessments so that people like Brian can get the support that they need?

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

As I indicated in my answer to Senator Blyth's earlier questions, and, indeed, over the course of questioning yesterday, aged-care reform is a very high priority for this government. We made substantial advances during the last term, and there is more to do this term—as has been made clear by Minister Butler, by Minister Rae—

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

Sorry, Minister McAllister; please resume your seat. Senator Ruston?

Anne Ruston (SA, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Health and Aged Care) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On direct relevance, President: Senator Blyth's question was very clear—about the releasing of home-care packages. I'm wondering whether you could bring the minister to that point.

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

The minister is being relevant to the question, thank you, Senator Ruston. Minister McAllister, please continue.

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

The senator asks about support for older people who need care at home. We are committed to delivering support, and indeed on 1 November a new program will be introduced—one that was navigated through this parliament with the support of those opposite, and we acknowledge that. It is part of a broader strategy by our government to increase the care available and the quality of care available to older Australians. We owe them that, and we are determined to do so.