Aged care misses out in Govt stimulus package
Funding for the aged care sector was raised by the Opposition in the debate on the Rudd Government’s planned stimulus package.
Australian Ageing Agenda reported that several coalition MPs, including opposition leader Malcolm Turnbull, slammed the Government for not targeting the industry in its $42 billion nation-building spending spree.
“We have to ask this question: is the most urgent infrastructure deficiency requirement in Australia primary school assembly halls and libraries?” Opposition leader Malcolm Turnbull asked.
“What about hospitals? What about nursing homes and aged care?”
The Minister for Ageing Justine Elliot was criticised when she defended Government funding for aged care.
Shadow Health Minister Peter Dutton said the Minister was out of touch because she refused to acknowledge the extent of the industry’s problems.
Mr Dutton noted that several not-for-profit providers had reported that they would not be applying for high care beds.
“The industry’s in crisis and you have no idea what’s going on!” he said.
Mrs Elliot defended the Government’s position, saying that the industry was receiving “record funding”.
Victorian Nationals MP, Darren Chester, and NSW Liberal MP, Sussan Ley, also criticised the Government for neglecting aged care.
“[In my electorate] I have a lack of aged care facilities and I have older people being forced to travel too far to spend their final days away from their loved ones,” said Ms Ley.
“So, if we are talking about $14 billion to build things, perhaps some of that could be allocated to aged care facilities or to hospitals.”
