Rebekha Sharkie
Mayo · Centre Alliance · Australia
“People often say to me, 'What's the greatest thing that you love about your job?' I would say—what I love the most is actually never in the media—that what I love the most is when my team and I can help somebody with their aged care issue or their NDIS package or a Centrelink problem.”
“For all of us, and certainly for me, that is my team members, and some of them have been with me for many, many, many years. Whether they've been with me for a short time or a long time, I've got to say that every single member of my team has been fantastic. They really have. I love the team of people I work with.”
“These have all been incredibly worthwhile and important projects that our whole community has backed in together. One that we've all really loved and enjoyed being on is the Amy Gillett Bikeway. That's now been extended from Mount Torrens to Birdwood.”
“Ten years ago today, the community of Mayo put their trust in me to represent them. I'd particularly like to acknowledge former senator Nick Xenophon. Nick Xenophon put his trust in me to represent his party.”
“I mustn't forget Kangaroo Island and upgrades to Hog Bay Road which have improved safety. We've had such enormous population growth, but there is so much more to do. There's always so much to do. When I look at health, we have emergency departments that have been upgraded at Victor Harbor and a new emergency department in Mount Barker.”
“He is constantly asked by children and teachers if his skin hurts, if the eczema is getting worse and, by some children, 'What's wrong with you?' There are thousands of children just like Angus in Australia whose severe eczema will cause some long-term physical and emotional harm if they cannot access new treatments.”
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“I've heard from apprentice hairdressers, from hairdressers who are qualified hairdressers and have been in the industry for a long time, from mechanics and from people who work in retail. In some cases, they've been working at businesses that are very, very well-known businesses in my community. The level of unpaid superannuation that exists in our nation has shocked me. In 2021, only 17 per cent, or under $1 billion, of unpaid superannuation guaranteed entitlements were recovered from $4.7 billion total of unpaid super. The 2022 Australian National Audit Office report into superannuation guarantee noncompliance found that the ATO's use of the framework was only partially effective.”
“In my experience, when I've seen notifications from employees who have tried to use the ATO to recover funds, it has not always been very successful. It's very important that we look to include superannuation in the National Employment Standards. This would mean that most employers would have that access rather than relying on the ATO to do that debt recovery. I remember seeing one form from the ATO when a constituent was owed several thousand dollars. The ATO recovered something like $2.50, an absolutely nominal amount, and said, 'We've made a recovery and we're closing the case.' We need to have a much, much better system; perhaps that's more people working in the ATO on this issue of superannuation and debt recovery, which is what it is. It makes it very, very difficult.”
“My bill would have improved notification requirements of payment, or indeed nonpayment, for employers and superannuation funds and included superannuation within the National Employment Standards, providing more avenues for employees to pursue their unpaid superannuation debts. That bill contained other measures, including the ability for employers to claim salary-sacrificing super as if they were employer superannuation contributions—we needed to get that removed—and an exemption allowing employers to not make superannuation contributions to employees when they earn less than $450 in wages each month. I'm glad those issues have been addressed. It's really important that we provide employees with every avenue we can to try and recover their super.”
“It must be said that workers have been waiting at a collective cost to them of over $5 billion a year in unpaid super. I feel that that loss must be addressed. I understand the ATO's first-year compliance approach will allow some leniency during this initial period for low to medium at-risk employers who are genuinely trying to make efforts to comply; I understand that this is genuinely the case. For too long I have been raising concerns about unpaid superannuation. In fact, in 2017 in this place I introduced a private member's bill called the Fair Work Amendment (Recovering Unpaid Superannuation) Bill.”
“Employers will not be allowed to accumulate a superannuation debt under the radar because they will be required to pay within the seven days after pay day, rather than quarterly. Employees and, importantly, the ATO will become aware sooner if superannuation payments are not being paid into their fund. There have been concerns raised that employers may not have enough time to deploy, test and implement changes pre-commencement of this act, particularly system changes. I absolutely appreciate that the timeline is tight—eight months from passage to commencement—and some challenges may remain that need to be addressed. I absolutely have sympathy for some businesses, particularly small businesses, who are worried about this additional compliance burden. We know this has been coming for some time; it was flagged in the 2023-24 budget.”
“They were told by the business that, while it was not currently able to pay their entitlements, they would be paid in full. After weeks of seeking payment of their entitlements, Katherine and her former colleagues contacted the Fair Work Ombudsman. Their former employer advised the ombudsman that they would be paid within the week, but they were not. They made complaints to the Australian Taxation Office regarding their unpaid wages and superannuation owed. Katherine is trying to maintain hope, but they remain in limbo, as the former employer, which is an NDIS registered provider, still continues to trade but says that it lacks the funds to pay their entitlements. With the passage of this payday superannuation bill, it will be much harder for Katherine's former employer, or others like it, to get into this situation in the first place.”
“These reforms will go some way to protect employees by ensuring superannuation is paid in real time and not months later—or, indeed, perhaps not at all. It will reduce the unpaid debts that accumulate before some employers collapse or restructure, and it will empower the Australian Taxation Office to assess and recover unpaid superannuation more promptly. It will also hold directors accountable through stronger penalties for systematic noncompliance. I think it must be said that the vast majority of employers in Australia do the right thing, and I think nearly every employer in Australia does want to do the right thing. It is going to make a big difference to workers like my constituent Katherine in the future. Earlier this year, Katherine's employer terminated her employment and that of several of her colleagues.”
“My electorate of Mayo has actually been one of the worst affected communities for this, with the highest average underpayment of any South Australian electorate, totalling $33 million in superannuation debt. That affects over 19,500 workers, with an average underpayment of $1,690 per person. Unpaid super allows non-compliant businesses to compete on an uneven playing field with those who pay their workers' entitlements and pay them on time. This bill will require employers to meet key obligations to accurately calculate employees' individual superannuation guarantee and the quantifying earnings; make contributions before the end of the seventh business day after payment of those earnings, or 14 days for a new employee; and comply with the employee's choice of fund.”
“Blue-collar workers in construction, trades and transport are most likely to miss out—and I've certainly heard from many mechanics and those working in factories in my community that have experienced this—with 41 per cent of labourers experiencing unpaid super. In other industries which experience high rates of business insolvencies, unpaid super is also more common. Retail trade and accommodation and food services have also been found by the ATO to be of high risk in recent years. The average worker will miss out on around $26,000 in super for women and $36,000 for men at retirement due to the effects of unpaid super and that compounding loss over time.”
“It's been very difficult for them, particularly if they are still with that employer, to raise this issue, and they're not alone. According to the Super Members Council, unpaid super is costing working Australians $110 million a week. In 2021-22, 2.8 million Australians missed out on $5.1 billion in superannuation entitlements. The Super Members Council's latest figures show unpaid super has grown to $5.7 billion a year. This affects more men than women, as they work in industries and occupations with higher rates of underpayment and, on average, make more income than women. But the impact on women is often more acute, as they often have lower super balances going into retirement.”
“The $4 trillion Australian superannuation system is, overall, I think, a success. It covers around 90 per cent of workers, allowing them to plan for financial independence in their retirement; it makes financial capital available for large-scale investment in Australian infrastructure and enterprise; and it reduces some of the costs of age pensions for taxpayers. The better the superannuation system, the less we need to draw down for the age pension. So looking after workers is the right thing to do, and effective super policy does make good economic sense. Notwithstanding this success, many constituents over the years have approached me because they have not been paid their superannuation entitlements. In fact, it has shocked me over the years—the people who have approached me.”
“In fact, they've won 20 out of the last 25 titles. For more than three decades, the Onkaparinga Swimming Club has trained at Woodside Barracks. They've have done this year round, and the reason is that it's the only indoor pool—that I can think of—in the whole of the Adelaide Hills council. Adelaide Hills gets very, very cold from basically the middle of March through to—well, it's still cold even now. Access to the pool is critical for the club's future, and this base and the facilities must remain open for not only Defence but our whole community. They have no guarantee on the future. There is nothing about a lease past December. They need certainty and they deserve certainty.”
“The electorate of Mayo is home to some outstanding sporting clubs. One of them is the Onkaparinga Swimming Club whose home base pool is in the Woodside army barracks in the Adelaide Hills. It is a base with an uncertain future, and I would like to talk to you about this club. It has 80 members. Swimmers age from five to 75. There are programs for all abilities. It has members from across the Adelaide Hills and the city. This is a very special club. The Onkaparinga Swimming Club proudly welcomes swimmers with a disability. They are a valued and respected. Head coach, Pat, who has been with the club for more than 30 years, is dedicated to swimmers with a disability, which is important—that's what inclusion is all about. The Onkaparinga Swimming Club is one of the state's best. Earlier this year, it won the country swimming championships.”
“If the government want to fix housing in Australia, they have to look at the demand side and the supply side. What they're doing at the moment is increasing the demand side exponentially. I think we're creating not a dream of home ownership but a nightmare of home ownership for first home buyers. We need to look at who is buying the homes. We need to make sure that it's an 'Australia first' policy—that's what many nations have. We need to look at reducing migration while at the same time increasing our supply.”
“Because this scheme was so rushed and arbitrary decisions were made on what house cap prices are where, in my electorate in the area of Victor Harbor, we're not going to have any first home buyers because the median house price is $740,000. However, they're under the cap of $500,000 for the first home buyer scheme. In Mt Compass, just over 50 kilometres from Adelaide CBD, the median house price is $851,000. It would be under the metro cap if it were applied, but it's not—the country caps applied. However, also just over 50 ks from Adelaide is Sellicks Beach. That does have a median house price that's less than in Mt Compass, but now they have the $900,000 house cap. If you're in Sellicks Beach you're going to see massive increases in house prices. It's distorting the market.”
“A Lateral Economics report for the Insurance Council of Australia warns that the home guarantee scheme could potentially increase prices from between 3.5 per cent and 6.6 per cent in 2026, with increases to continue for several years afterwards. The deep concern that I have is that in segments targeted by first home buyers—which are properties defined as those below the individual house caps in every single state and in different regions—the impact is expected to be even greater, with house prices tipped to increase from between 5.3 per cent and 9.9 per cent in one year. This is also causing a distortion in the market.”
“Who in Treasury is accountable for the fact that they come up with these statistics, these calculations, of just 0.5 per cent? What I'm seeing and what many economists are seeing is the pouring of kerosene on a bin fire. The Australian Financial Review reported unprecedented demand on day one of the first home buyer scheme. What does an unprecedented demand do? With anything—bananas, coal, whatever you're selling—unprecedented demand increases the price of the good. According to economist Leith van Onselen from MacroBusiness, the five-city aggregate level saw levels rise by 0.9 of a percent—nearly one per cent in the last 28 days. That's the strongest growth since October 2023.”
“A Sydney buyer can buy a home of up to $1.5 million with a deposit of $30,000 if they're a single parent. The balance of that mortgage—$270,000—will be covered by the taxpayer. With absolutely no caps on the number of first home buyers that could enter this scheme, and record migration over recent years—for several years now there has been incredibly high migration—we have created an unbelievable set of demands on housing. Yet, despite this, Treasury estimates that this program will increase house prices by only 0.5 per cent. Domain real estate gurus say that the Sydney median house price grew by 3.5 per cent across the quarter from June to September 2025, with expectations that it will accelerate further in this final quarter of the year.”
“There is already enormous concern that the government's first home buyer scheme is causing house prices to artificially increase. To recap, the government has created what I and many economists see as a subprime mortgage policy ticking time bomb, where first home buyers can buy a home with a five per cent deposit—and, for single parents, just two per cent. The mortgage insurance for that purchase, between 15 per cent and 18 per cent, is on the hook of the taxpayer should the home buyer default. We don't want anyone to default on their mortgage, but it is a sad reality, and that is why we have mortgage insurance. Mortgage insurance is there, ultimately, to protect the banks. Now it's the taxpayers that are going to be protecting the banks.”
“My question is to the Minister for Defence. In September 2024, I asked if the Woodside Barracks would remain operational and if the government would rule out selling the site for housing. The minister responded that the Defence estate audit received by the government in December 2023 was awaiting response. After nearly two years, no response has been published, nor has the minister responded to my letter of 13 May this year. When will the minister reveal the future of Woodside Barracks? My community is very concerned about this.”
“It was a fantastic night for young and old. We even started the night in the RSL, where we ate bully beef, which I can tell you is something you wouldn't believe, and curried eggs. That was to really take us back to 1945 to think about those wonderful young men who went to war on behalf of all of us. I'd really like to say to would like to Macclesfield RSL: you are a fantastic group of people. Congratulations to you on such a wonderful and successful night.”
“I'd like to talk about the special dinner that we had at the Macclesfield RSL last Saturday night. It was a dinner to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, which happened on 2 September 1945. Everyone was dressed to the nines or, you could say, dressed to 1945! There were kilts. There were victory rolls in hair. It was a fantastic night. We had the Army band serenading us, and many of us danced. In fact, the RSL even organised dance lessons for people so that people could feel confident getting on the floor. I'd like to acknowledge the president of the Macclesfield RSL, Dennis Oldenhove, and his wife, Kaye. Bev Slack, who is a member of the RSL, organised all of the catering. We had a massive country roast with turkey, lamb, all the vegetables and more desserts than you could possibly believe.”
“I think that these amendments that have come down from the Senate are desperately needed by our nation, by our oldest people. We in here all enjoy the nation that we live in because of them. So I commend these amendments, which were very hard-fought and won. Let us hope that we never again in Australia get to a position where we have nearly 5,000 Australians in a year dying waiting for care.”
“The rest of those 83,000 packages that were promised by the government last December—around the time that Cyril passed away—are now going to be released in this financial year. That's still going to leave many, many older Australians on the waiting list, but, hopefully, it will mean that we'll get to a position in this place where people are not waiting up to a year to be assessed and then up to a year, or even longer in some cases, to actually get their package. People are dying; people are losing hope; and people cannot understand why, when they can't even lift their husband to get them into the shower and when their husband can't even walk because of neurological disease, they are still just a medium priority—they're not even given high priority.”
“He was a tall man; he was about six foot tall. Cyril ended up being hospitalised and ended up choosing voluntary euthanasia because the package never came for Cyril. The packages didn't come for thousands of people who died in the last year nor, as we found out, for nearly 5,000 people this year. These were older Australians who died while waiting for a package. Cyril held my hand before he died. We had a bit of a party for Cyril, to celebrate his life, before he died. He said, 'Rebekha, I'm going to make a difference.' Well, it took a long time, but, to Cyril and all of the other older Australians, I hope you realise that all of us in here are fighting to make a difference for you. The 20,000 packages are excellent. They are a drop in the ocean, and I'd like to acknowledge and talk to some of the other amendments.”
“It is an incredibly positive thing to rise and support these amendments. These amendments were hard fought, I think it's fair to say, and I want to talk to each of these amendments individually. The first amendment I would like to talk to is the 20,000 Home Care Packages that are going to be released immediately by the government, recognising that there are 106,000 people on the waiting list right now and recognising that there are 120,000 people waiting to be assessed. When I think about these 20,000 packages, I think about a gentleman called Cyril Tooze. Cyril was a carer until he was 82—a paid carer for a gentleman with a disability. Cyril was waiting for his package, and he very well needed one of these 20,000 packages that are going to be released. Cyril ended up being hospitalised because he couldn't get that care at home last year.”
“Congratulations to all of the artists that exhibited right across South Australia with SALA. It's a very exciting exhibition. For those who missed the SALA exhibition, please make sure that you get along to SALA. There are schools and different community groups. There's something for everyone.”
“It's the South Australian Living Artists Festival, with more than 700 events and thousands of artists—actually, more than 9,000 artists. It started in 1998, and it's always in the month of August. I'd like to acknowledge one particular event I went to. I went to quite a few SALA events in my community, but there was one that I opened, and that was the Season's Bounty art exhibition at Bethany Hall in Willunga. It really recognised and celebrated the wonderful produce that we create in Mayo. It was wonderful to see so many artists. It's my birthday in August, so I actually bought myself a beautiful little birthday present: some chickens, a beautiful piece of chicken—not the real thing; I lost those to foxes. It's just wonderful to have this platform for visual artists right across the South Australian community.”
“There was $15 million contributed by the federal government; this has been going so long that that was contributed back in 2018-19. I would also like to acknowledge Mount Barker District Council—both the current mayor, David Leach, and the former mayor, Ann Ferguson, who worked tirelessly to make this happen. This new pool not only has 25-metre swim lanes and an indoor pool for us— in the Adelaide Hills it's freezing, so we desperately needed an indoor pool—but also has much-needed hydrotherapy and a fantastic place for children. So this will be a fantastic facility for all of us for decades to come. I'd also like to acknowledge SALA. SALA is a wonderful festival that happens all throughout South Australia in the month of August.”
“Last Friday was a big celebration in my community. We had the official opening of the new Mount Barker Aquatic and Leisure Centre. This replaces our old mountain pool that was built in 1956 and was still in yards. I can tell you from personal experience that our old pool was freezing cold. I was chatting with Jock and he was telling me that, even before our old pool was built, people used to just swim in the creek, and they even used to have celebrations in the creek. But we have a new pool. This has come from the hard work of my whole community—real community advocacy. There are a few people I would really like to acknowledge: first of all, South Australian Independent MP Dan Cregan, the member for Kavel. Dan Cregan and I have worked tirelessly for years to make this happen.”
“Income splitting and assisting with childcare expenses—classing them as a workplace deduction—would go a long way with regard to tax policy solutions.”
“For example, one family with a whole family income of $200,000, with both earning $100,000, will have a combined tax bill of just over $41,000, whereas another family with the same total income of $200,000, but in which one of the parents is raising children at home and the other is earning the $200,000, pays $56,000 in tax. That's nearly a $15,000 difference. This is unfair. There are 13 OECD nations that allow income splitting, including the United States, France, Germany, Ireland, Norway, Poland and Spain. Australia should be one of them. Out-of-pocket expenses for child care, whether it's day care or vacation care, are a legitimate work expense, yet we don't allow families to claim this expense on their tax return. We should. We should be doing everything we can to encourage working families to thrive.”
“Nearly half, 49 per cent, of young Australians cite the expense of raising children as a major obstacle to doing so. Over half of Australians under 35 have delayed parenthood due to cost pressures. Child care in Australia consumes above the OECD average as a share of household expenses. We provide no meaningful tax incentives for families with young children. We do not offer income splitting, nor do we have any tax offsets. Income splitting—where the burden of tax is shared across a couple, combining their incomes and then dividing—creates fairness, because the same family income can have two very different tax bills.”
“Workforce participation in Australia for those aged over 65 is just 15 per cent. In New Zealand it's 25 per cent. Not all but many older Australians do want to continue to be in the workforce in some capacity after age 67. The current Centrelink and tax policies penalise older workers and contribute to age discrimination. Reform would increase incomes and savings of lower-wealth pensioners, particularly women, and help to meet growing demand for care workers, teachers, nurses and a whole range of skill-shortage areas. Australia's fertility rate has dropped to a record low of around 1.5 babies per woman. Our birthrate is a good litmus test, I think, on the confidence of our nation. We want Australian families. We want couples to raise little Australians. Many couples in my community tell me they simply can't afford to have a family.”
“National Seniors Australia, with Deloitte modelling, found that, if just 10 per cent of pensioners took up or increased their work hours, the economy would benefit from an additional 209,000 workers and the government would in fact receive a small boost to fiscal aggregates. It would add benefit to the economy and no cost to the government. If the initiative were confined to just the healthcare and social assistance sectors, there would be a boost of 25,000 workers. For example, Heather is 68. She works casually as a registered nurse. She would be happy to work additional hours. Her employer would welcome her increased availability. Heather wants to work more hours to boost her income, but she finds the 50 cents in the dollar punitive and the Centrelink reporting burdensome, so she doesn't take the shifts.”
“Westpac's CEO proposed tax-free zones or indexed offsets to attract teachers and nurses to regional Australia. Mark Bouris from Yellow Brick Road suggested revamped zonal incentives—for example, a rebate of $1,500 or $2,000 for regional relocation. This would provide greater equity. Regional Australians do not get a fair share of government spending; in health spending alone, there is a gap of over $8 billion. Meaningful tax incentives for regional Australians will help draw people to the regions and will go some way to addressing this inequity. We have a system that penalises older Australians who are entitled to the pension but who would like to remain in the workforce.”
“How income tax is applied in Australia ultimately shapes our society, our economy, where we live, how we live and even our family composition. Over the decades, incentives for living in regional Australia have diminished. Zone tax offsets were first introduced in 1945 to compensate for climatic hardships, isolation and higher living costs in rural Australia. The tax offset amount hasn't increased since 1993-94. That's over 30 years with absolutely no indexation. Current annual offset rates are just $338 for zone A and $57 for zone B. The relative value has eroded over time and now has a minimal effect on migration or residential decisions. We have huge regional workforce shortages despite the regions being the best place to raise families. Advocates are calling for fresh incentives to reinvigorate regional Australia.”
“My question is to the Minister for Health and Ageing. A year ago, I asked about the $6.55 billion gap in health spending between metropolitan and regional Australians. The response was that the gap was being addressed. Now the National Rural Health Alliance reports that the gap has increased to $8.35 billion—over $1,090 less in annual spending on the health of each regional Australian. Minister, it's getting worse a year later. What urgent steps will you take to fix this inequality?”
“Evidence suggests that around 14 modifiable risk factors throughout life could prevent or delay up to 45 per cent of dementia cases. Dementia Australia is advocating for support in a number of ways. We need to lead a national conversation in this place on dementia to raise awareness and promote brain health for all Australians; establish a team of Dementia Australia specialist navigators to improve service, support and access; and, finally, build the capability of the workforce to provide care and support for people living with dementia. We can't afford to wait. This 48th Parliament must be the one to commit to taking action on dementia.”
“Dementia Australia will hold their Parliamentary Friends of Dementia event tomorrow, 2 September, and I urge all members to attend and hear firsthand from people living with dementia. Dementia is a public health, disability and aged-care challenge facing Australia. This issue matters to Mayo. I have the oldest electorate by median age in South Australia. Dementia is already the leading cause of death for Australian women and will soon become the leading cause for all Australians. There are around 433,000 Australians living with dementia today, and around 1,500 children and many families and carers are affected. The figure is expected to double over the next 30 years in the absence of significant intervention and medical breakthroughs. Dementia can be prevented.”
“How can that be so? And, you know what, this affects all of us. This doesn't just affect older people and it doesn't just affect their daughters—and it's largely their daughters who are helping to care for people. It affects all of us, because in nearly every state we've got ambulance ramping. Why? This is because older people that desperately need help in the home end up hospitalised, and then they're taking up those beds. The emergency department can't get through them, and it's a clog the whole way. Peak bodies, like COTA, National Seniors, OPAN and Ageing Australia, are all talking about this. They're all demanding urgent action. Over 3,300 people died in the previous financial year while waiting for a home-care package. Shame on this government for not delivering those packages.”
“The government promised they were going to put care back into aged care, but it has been a complete failure, and it's a failure because of government will. That is the only reason. When government wants to spend money on stuff, the dollars magically appear—the chequebook is out. But the government has delayed putting up these home-care packages because, I think, it doesn't care. Maybe older people don't vote for the Labor government, so they're thinking, 'The election's done; we don't need to worry about that now.' But, right now, we have people dying waiting for home-care packages. How can it be acceptable in our nation for people to be waiting up to a year to get an assessment? In many cases in my electorate, it's over six months. And how can it then be acceptable, once they get that assessment, to wait another year for a package?”
“The other thing they say is, 'It's okay; if you are a high priority, you'll get your package within a month.' Well, I don't know anyone who is a high priority. In my office—in the electorate with the oldest median age in South Australia—we are working with people who are desperate for home care. One of those people is Graham. Graham is on a level 2 package. In August 2024, Graham was assessed as needing level 4. He has a degenerative neurological condition and he desperately needs that care. He has already spent nine weeks in hospital. He's lost significant mobility. He can no longer stand unassisted. He's lost his independence and can no longer drive. Yet Graham is not considered high priority. Graham is medium priority, like everyone else.”
“We found out in the Senate last week that there are 120,000 Australians waiting for that phone call—waiting for that appointment, to get assessed for home care. Right now, we believe there are more than 100,000 older Australians that have been assessed for home care but have not received a package and that are desperately waiting—waiting for over a year—plus 120,000 people that the government doesn't want to have on that waitlist that are waiting to be assessed. This is an abject moral failure at every step. Two things happen. The government says, 'People will get a CHSP code.' Well, that means nothing, because the CHSP is full. Many organisations are not even taking a waitlist for CHSP because it's full, and the government hasn't put extra money into it.”
“The government is failing on aged care. The government said they would put care back into aged care, but they are categorically failing in this regard. They're failing in every aspect of home care—whether it's the Commonwealth Home Support Program, getting assessed for home care, or receiving a home-care package. I don't even have the time to talk about residential care and the waiting lists to get into it. Let's start with this: at the end of last year, the government promised 83,000 home-care packages. They were going to be delivering 20,000 of these home-care packages, the first tranche, by 1 July this year. Then they pushed that out to November this year—we believe November this year. As of 31 March, there were more than 89,000 older Australians waiting for a home-care package. Those were the ones that were being assessed.”
“I move: That this House: (1) recognises that: (a) on 31 March 2025, 89,597 older Australians were waiting for a Home Care Package at their approved level, 70,223 without receiving lower-level Home Care Package services; (b) many older Australians are waiting up to a year to receive a Home Care Package at their approved level; and (c) although many people are approved to receive Commonwealth Home Support Programme (CHSP) services while waiting for Home Care at their approved level, those in regional and rural areas have great difficulty accessing CHSP services due to providers' lack of capacity and poor coverage of some Aged Care Planning Regions (ACPRs); (2) acknowledges that: (a) during 2023-24, 3,383 people passed away and 7,380 people entered residential aged care while waiting for a Home Care Package at their approved level; (b) the Government's deferral of an additional 80,000 Support at Home places from the commencement of the new Aged Care Act 2024 from 1 July 2025 to the revised start date of 1 November 2025 is having a profound, adverse impact on older Australians; and (c) CHSP providers are funded under grant agreements to deliver services in ACPRs, but it is a provider's business decision whether to deliver services to specific areas within the ACPR, meaning some would-be recipients miss out; and (3) calls on the Government to urgently: (a) address systemic issues in the CHSP which see people in many regional and rural areas unable to even get on a provider's waiting list for services; and (b) commence delivery of 80,000 additional packages promised in December 2024 so that older Australians are not left waiting up to a year or more for much-needed care.”
“My question is to the Minister for Aged Care and Seniors. The department informed the Senate that 120,000 older Australians are waiting to be assessed for aged care, some for as long as 12 months. This is in addition to the estimated 100,000 older Australians waiting for up to 12 months for their approved package to materialise. Is the government deliberately slowing the aged-care assessment process so that the reality of approximately 200,000 older Australians waiting up to two years for care isn't revealed?”
“Then it went up to 100,000. Then, under Rudd, it exploded under his 'big Australia' policy, and that is where the problem is. As I said, we've had a combined influx in just two years of a million permanent migrants, and we don't want to talk about it in this place, but that is creating a demand that we can't control. Then you have the government come in here with irresponsible policies like this as a way to try and address that housing demand. I predict interest rates will not fall with this program in place. What the government has put forward here is a dangerous, populist thought bubble that will have real-world consequences for all of us.”
“So we're simply not building enough quality homes, and I would say that most of us don't want to continue the constant carve-up of farmland on the edge of suburbia, putting more pressure on the environment, to expand our suburbs in order for everyone to own a home. As I said, we need to tackle that demand side. I've got to say, it's just heartbreaking to watch in my community 200- and 300-year-old gum trees getting felled and those areas turning into 250 square metre blocks. That's the thing with the houses at these ridiculous prices we're selling to our children—there's no backyard. Then we wonder why children are obese. There's nowhere for the kids to play but the street. If you go back to the mid-90s when housing was affordable—when I bought my first home as a single woman—migration in 1994 was 46,000 people a year.”
“For rental properties, increased temporary migration and student visas have contributed to unbelievable rental increases. Back in 1990-91, Australia offered just over 35,000 student visas. In 2022-23, we offered 577,000 student visas. Last year, we offered 371,000, and the government has announced they're going to increase that by a further 25,000. The majority of student visas transition to permanent visas, and we've created an expectation that will occur. If the government meaningfully and tangibly wants to help Australians into a home, the most responsible and efficient way to do this is to reduce migration because you're then managing the demand side, and that's the area we haven't tackled. We haven't tackled the demand side for a decade.”