Coalition aged package leaves core issues unaddressed
The Aged Care Industry Council (ACIC) described the Howard Government’s package, announced on 15 November, as a slap in the face for older Australians who had built Australia’s prosperity.
“We released independent research by PricewaterhouseCoopers showing that without fundamental financial reform the aged care system faces a $5.5 billion funding shortfall,” ACIC spokesman and chief executive of Aged and Community Services Australia, Greg Mundy, said.
“The Coalition’s response – promising just $65 million a year to aged care – is manifestly inadequate.
“The Howard Government has completely devalued older Australians.”
The chief executive of Aged Care Association Australia, Rod Young, dismissed the Howard Government’s claim that the Coalition’s package doubled capital funding for the industry.
“The actual annual increase amounts to a miserly $11 million a year increase to the capital grants program,” Mr Young said.
“Further, at a recent aged care industry debate, the Minister for Ageing, Christopher Pyne, said state governments had not used all their existing transition care beds and that the program was of questionable value.
“So why is the Government now trumpeting an expansion of the program?”
Mr Young said the elderly were the forgotten people of the campaign, with neither party making any real commitment to ensure that older Australians continued to have quality and choice in aged care services. The industry is urging Australians to Vote 1 Aged Care by viewing the scorecards at www.agedcare.org.au and www.agedcareassociation.com.au.
