QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE

Senator McALLISTER (New South Wales—Minister for the National Disability Insurance Scheme) (14:38): We will continue to make investments in aged care. We understand that this will not be a welcome decision for many older Australians, but it is the right one, because it allows an additional $3 billion to be invested in delivering more aged-care beds, more packages and better care for older Australians.

It reflects the increased investment that has been made to aged care in our time in office. The per-bed rate that we pay residential aged-care providers has increased for the care they provide by 65 per cent per bed in just four years. Last year we increased the number of home-care places by 25 per cent.

Assessment wait times are down very substantially, and people who need an aged-care package at home urgently are getting it within a month. We continue to make the investments that are necessary to support older Australians.