Aged Care: No more excuses

Date: 12 February 2004

The Federal Government is running out of excuses for its refusal to properly fund aged care services in Australia the Joint Aged Care Council said today.

" The Howard Government spent more than $7 million on a national inquiry and it now seems to be confused about how to react," Helen Creed said on behalf of the Joint Aged Care Council.<> " Minister Julie Bishop came up with the latest excuse last night when she addressed the National Aged Care Summit dinner in Melbourne, claiming this report was merely an interim report - and she had granted the inquiry an extension.

" The PM says that the report - produced by Prof Warren Hogan - has been received, and he will consider it next week, while, earlier, Minister, Julie Bishop, denied seeing the report at all," Craig Thomson of the Joint Aged Care Council said.

" Now she admits to getting the report - but has labelled it as interim."

The Joint Aged Care Council is made up of the two key unions in the aged care sector the Health Services Union and the LHMU Aged Care Union who together represent aged care workers in every State and Territory.

Helen Creed is the National President of the LHMU Aged Care Union. Craig Thomson is the National Secretary of the HSU. The two unions participated in the National Aged Care Summit and are campaigning together to provide informed comment on the aged care crisis.

" Providing quality care for older Australians is becoming increasingly hard because of the failure of the Federal Government to provide adequate funding for nursing homes and ensure minimum staffing levels," Craig Thomson said.

" The Federal Government should stop playing politics with the care of older Australians by releasing the results of the Hogan Inquiry - interim or not - and resolve to act quickly on the key recommendations."

Helen Creed said: " Quality care for older Australians should be a priority for all political parties. The Inquiry should be tabled in Parliament to allow for proper policy development in a sector, which has been much neglected. "

For further information please contact:

Helen Creed on 0403 572 042 or 08 9388 5400 or

Craig Thomson on 0419 498 691

For further information

Contact:	Andrew Casey
Union:	Liquor, Hospitality and Miscellaneous Workers Union
Phone:	8204 7206
Fax:	92821 4480
Email:	andrewc@lhmu.org.au
WWW:	http://www.lhmu.org.au/

LaborNET is proudly created, designed and programmed
by Social Change Online for the Labor Council of NSW
[Credits] [Site Matters]