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

My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Health and Ageing, Senator McAllister. My office has been contacted by John, whose father is living with dementia and has been waiting for residential aged-care place for more than 12 months. After being hospitalised, John's father was deemed unsafe to return home. He has remained stuck in the Modbury Hospital in South Australia for 47 days, costing his family more than $3,800—as well as taxpayers thousands of dollars more—and taking a serious toll on his mental health. John told my office that his father was not alone. An entire ward occupied by older Australians waiting for aged-care placements was what his father shared. Minister, will your government take full responsibility for this national aged-care crisis, which is leaving thousands of older Australians, like John's dad, stranded in hospitals?

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

Thank you, Senator Ruston, for the question. Thinking about John and his father, I understand how challenging it is for people who are facing these circumstances and who are, in many ways, facing a very significant change of life. This is a complicated and very longstanding issue, as you will understand, Senator Ruston, in our aged-care system. Those pressures are being felt particularly acutely in some regions.

The Commonwealth has responsibility for the aged-care system, and we are working very closely with the states and territories—who, as you know, have responsibility for the hospital system—to manage the issue. Of course, our view is that every day that an older Australian spends in hospital when they should be in a more appropriate care environment puts a lot of pressure on those families. I'm sure that John, his family and his father are feeling that, but it also puts pressure on the hospital system. This system wasn't fit for purpose for older people when we came to government. That is exactly why, Senator Ruston—

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

Senator Ruston!

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

we are rebuilding our aged-care system—

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

Senator Ruston!

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

from the ground up—

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

Senator Ruston! Three times I've called you.

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

to make sure that people are getting the care that they need where and when they need it. Senator Ruston, we were grateful for the constructive approach that the coalition took to that work, but we observe also that this was work that could have been done in the period when you were in government.

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

Senator Ruston!

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

We are moving very quickly to make up ground for the work that should have been done in the decade that you were in office. We are essentially attempting to do a decade's worth of work in aged care in just a few years.

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

Before I call you, Senator Ruston, you need to stop the running commentary. First supplementary?

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

My office has been contacted by Ron, who lives with Parkinson's disease and is cared for full time by his wife, but she is now experiencing serious mobility issues herself. Ron was approved for a level 4 home-care package last October but has been told he faces a 10- to 12-month wait, despite the urgency of their situation. Minister, do you accept the excessive home-care wait times caused by your government's decision to ration care are causing incredible distress to older Australians as well as placing more pressure on our hospital system?

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

Thank you, Senator Ruston. As you know, we are making a substantial investment, backed by legislation, to roll out further packages so that families can get the support that they need. People whose needs are urgent are being prioritised, and I am advised that they are being offered care much sooner. There are longer wait times, but we are, pleasingly, expecting to see some of those come down.

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

Senator Ruston, second supplementary?

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

Yesterday, Labor health ministers in South Australia and New South Wales revealed that 1,200 older Australians in New South Wales and 363 in South Australia are currently stuck in hospitals waiting for aged-care placements. Both ministers called out the federal government for the fact that more needs to be done to fix this national problem. Minister, do you agree that more needs to be done to move older Australians out of hospital and into the aged-care system?

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 Ruston's primary question, a great deal needs to be done in the aged-care system because of the neglect that characterised your approach to this policy area during your very long period in government. It was the finding of the royal commission, and we moved very swiftly, on coming to government, to start to address it. It's meant bringing in new legislation, it's meant providing new resourcing and it's meant working carefully to ensure that the workforce is available to support people and to deal with the ageing population. All of those demographic signs were there when you were in government, Senator Ruston.

All of that information was before you.

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

Minister McAllister, please resume your seat. Senator Ruston, I've lost count of the times I've called you. I've also asked you to stop the running commentary. So, for the remaining 20 seconds, please be quiet. Minister McAllister, please continue.

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

So, yes, we intend to continue to work—as we have done from the very first moment of coming to government—on building the aged-care system so that it is fit for purpose and so it can meet the needs of Australia's ageing population and make sure our people have the care that they deserve.

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I ask that further questions be placed on notice.