Ahead of the federal election on May 21, the Mercury is asking candidates in the Whitlam electorate questions on the issues that readers have identified as the most important to them.
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One of these issues is aged care.
The question the Mercury put to the candidates was:
- Is the government doing enough in the aged care sector?
- Given the increasing number of aged Australians, how important do you think it is the government get it right?
You can read the candidates' responses below.
Since the Coalition came to government, funding for aged care has more than doubled from $13 billion to $30 billion, and it will increase further to $34.7 billion by 2026.
We have a five-year plan to deliver 40,000 home care packages, over 48,000 additional training places, 7,000 new personal care workers and 8,400 respite services.
To help senior Australians manage the rising costs of living, the Coalition Government is investing $70 million to expand eligibility for the Commonwealth Seniors Health Card. From July, the income test threshold will be increased to $90,000 for singles $144,000 for couples.
Since our Government was elected in 2013, pensions have increased by $179.2 per fortnight for singles and $270 per fortnight for couples. To support pensioners during the pandemic, $750 payments were provided in April and July 2020 and further $250 payments were provided in December 2020 and March 2021.
As the Southern Illawarra grows, we must plan to ensure that there are homes fit for purpose, that the community needs. To support this need, we are enabling older Australians who want to downsize to make a non-concessional contribution of up to $300,000 into their superannuation from the proceeds of the sale of their home.
We are also ensuring that Seniors have access to free or affordable health care. The GP bulk billing rate was 89% last year, up from 82% in 2013. We have also added 2,900 new or amended medicine listings worth $16.5 billion to the PBS, and have committed to cutting the cost of PBS medicines by $10 per script, meaning the maximum price Australians will pay for PBS medicines drops from $42.50 per script to $32.50 per script. That's an extra $10 per script back in the wallets of Illawarra residents.
Only a Coalition government will put senior Australians first.
The Greens aged care policy is two-fold. Firstly, we recognise that the best people to understand and meet the needs of older Australians are their own family.
We will continue to advocate for and expand financial incentives and allied support services for in home care, such as the Home and Community Care Program.
A home environment has the best opportunity to provide for the daily emotional and psychological, as well as the physical requirements of our previous generation.
Of course, this is not always possible for a number of reasons, so the Greens will support the implementation of all the recommendations of the Royal Commission into Aged Care, and ensure that the measures are well funded, and appropriately overseen.
The essential parts of this would be ensuring that there are lower staff to patient ratios in aged care facilities, that the staff are well trained, and paid at a rate that anyone entrusted with caring for the vulnerable deserves.
On a further legislative level, we will ensure that older people are specifically protected in domestic violence legislation, and establish an independent review of the Guardianship Board.
We will also legislate greater recognition of the specific needs of First Nations, as well as culturally and linguistically diverse older people.
Older Australians helped build this country. They worked hard, paid their taxes and raised their families.
They rightly expected that the federal government would support them in their frailer years.
That's what they deserve, that's what they've earned, after a life contributing to their communities and to Australia.
But the Morrison government has neglected older Australians and the aged care system for the best part of a decade - it's a national disgrace.
If we want to change aged care in this country for the better, then we need to start by changing the government.
An Albanese Labor government will take practical measures to ensure older Australians receive the aged care they deserve:
- Putting the nurses back into nursing homes with registered nurses on site 24/7.
- Ensuring more carers have more time to care.
- Backing a pay rise for aged care workers.
- Improving food for residents.
- Putting accountability and integrity in the sector to ensure more dollars go to care.
Labor has a plan to put security, dignity, quality and humanity back into aged care.
Only an Albanese Labor government will treat aged care residents with the respect they deserve.
Did not respond.
Did not respond.
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You can see what the candidates thought about:
COST of LIVING: here
HEALTH: here
CLIMATE: here.
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