Page 2437 - Week 08 - Wednesday, 18 August 1993
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because they could no longer find the excessive amounts of money that are needed to provide appropriate accommodation. One of the recommendations of the Social Policy Committee report was that there desperately needed to be more day care facilities. I could not agree more. But where are they in the Federal Labor Party's budget? They are nowhere to be found, as is anything for the elderly or pensioners - except increased costs, of course.
The Opposition will be supporting this motion, obviously, but it would be nice to see both the ACT Labor Government and the Federal Labor Government pay attention to their own words.
MS SZUTY (11.23): Madam Speaker, I wish to take up similar themes to those which have been taken up by Mrs Carnell this morning. I wish to take the opportunity to speak to Ms Ellis's motion which was partially debated some time ago, in the June sittings of the Assembly, I believe. The issues are certainly important, as Mrs Carnell has outlined. However, the question does need to be asked: Why is Ms Ellis raising this issue in this manner at this time? The report on aged accommodation and support services in the ACT by the Standing Committee on Social Policy was published after almost seven months of reviewing the ACT's range of accommodation and support services for the aged, and I will quote recommendations 9.9 and 9.10 of that report. This is recommendation 9.9:
The Committee recommends that, as a matter of urgency, the Government investigate the feasibility of including a day care facility as part of the Victoria Shakespeare Cottage complex for dementia sufferers.
Recommendation 9.10 states:
The Committee recommends that the ACT Government actively pursues with the Commonwealth the need for changes to the current funding arrangements for dementia specific units to make them more cost effective thus making it possible to create more full time dementia beds in the Territory.
With a little bit of readjustment we have Ms Ellis's motion before us today. I would like to remind members of exactly what we are debating here. The motion reads:
That this Assembly notes the inadequate funding for dementia care in the ACT and support services for carers of dementia sufferers. This Assembly calls on the Government to negotiate with the Federal Government to:
(1) alter and increase the funding formula for dementia care facilities; and
(2) provide funding as a matter of urgency for increased dementia care facilities in the ACT which include adequate provision of respite care beds for dementia sufferers usually cared for in a home environment.
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