MATTERS OF PUBLIC IMPORTANCE

Ms KARA COOK (Bonner) (15:38): There are more than 25,000 people aged over 65 in my electorate of Bonner. They are the older Australians who are an incredibly important part of the community I have the privilege of representing, so I take supporting older Australians very seriously, and that is exactly why I want to start by correcting the ridiculous scare campaign that those opposite are running today.

This motion misleads not only this parliament but the Australian people and the older Australians that every single person on this side of the chamber take very, very seriously in our representations to them. Those opposite are the only ones who have failed to support older Australians, and they did it for over a decade. Our government is proposing to return the private health insurance rebate for older Australians to the same basis as everybody else—income rather than age.

Australians will continue to receive significant taxpayer support for their private health insurance. What changes is that two households on exactly the same income will receive the same level of taxpayer support, regardless of if they are 55 or 75. The money will be redirected to where older Australians need it most.

Labor is investing more than $3 billion to deliver more aged-care beds and better care for older Australians. Those opposite know this, but the facts are terribly inconvenient when you've already written the scare campaign. When those opposite want to talk about this government's record of supporting older Australians, I am more than happy to have that conversation because Labor's record speaks for itself.

Let's start with health care. Older Australians in my community of Bonner are paying less for their medicines because this government has cut the cost of scripts to just $25. Pensioners and concession card holders continue to pay no more than $7.70, and that price has been frozen until 2030.

Across my community of Bonner, more than 2.7 million cheaper scripts have been dispensed, saving people in my community—including older Australians in my community—more than $19 million. Eligible Australians managing ongoing health conditions can also now access 60-day scripts. Those opposite just hated that!

It has meant fewer trips to the pharmacy and fewer dispenser fees and fewer trips to the doctor. This government has made record investments in Medicare, with the number of bulk-billing clinics in my community of Bonner doubling. For older Australians managing multiple health conditions, being able to see their GP for free, fill their scripts and go to a Medicare urgent care clinic without worrying about the cost is not optional for those on this side of the chamber; it is absolutely essential.

This government is making that care more affordable and accessible. We also need to talk about aged care, because, when those opposite talk about supporting older Australians, I think Australians are entitled to look at their record. As I've said, those opposite had almost a decade in government, and they left behind an aged-care system so badly neglected that it required a royal commission into quality and safety.

That royal commission found serious failures in the treatment and care of older Australians. Labor came to government and acted. We required residential aged-care homes to have registered nurses on site, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

We introduced mandatory care minutes, so that older Australians can actually receive the time and attention they deserve. We backed aged-care workers, with substantial wage increases, because you cannot deliver quality aged care while treating people who provide that care as an afterthought. We have introduced a new, rights based Aged Care Act that puts the dignity, choice and rights of older Australians at the centre of the system.

We've also rolled out Support at Home to help older Australians remain independent and stay in their homes for longer. It is an absolute embarrassment that those opposite come in here and try to scare older Australians, not only those in my community of Bonner but right across our country. Those in this government are the only ones committed to supporting older Australians, and we will continue to do that every single day.