Page 2442 - Week 08 - Wednesday, 18 August 1993
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She wants to see something done and she is entitled to see something done. If the Government have all this surplus money, if they are such great money managers, then let us have some of it invested in the people who deserve it and who need it, instead of having it tucked away in Ms Follett's little piggy bank against something that might or might not occur in the future. That is what Mr Lamont wants us to do obviously. Do not worry about the dementia sufferers and the carers who are looking after them today; the trade unions might want something next year, so we had better make sure that we have the money to keep them happy.
Mr Lamont: Have you put out your press release yet?
MR KAINE: I might put one out after I leave here, so watch it. You will be on the top of the list. We will suggest that certain members from the Assembly not get paid because they do not contribute anything. Madam Speaker, I think it is quite disgraceful that the Government has not done anything in this matter, and it is quite disgraceful that a member of the Government has to take this course of action to get some attention from her own Government, her own Chief Minister and Treasurer, her own Health Minister. I hope that, when the Assembly passes this motion, as I am sure it will, this time we might see some action.
MS ELLIS (11.39), in reply: Madam Speaker, first of all, I found this whole debate this morning incredibly disappointing. Secondly, I am a bit stunned at the quality - - -
Mr Cornwell: So did we.
Mr Humphries: Join the club.
MS ELLIS: If I am allowed to be heard I might be able to make the salient points that I wish to make. The motion on the notice paper in my name was put there in June, quite a time before the Federal budget. If you try to be a little bit careful and think carefully about this whole process you might have the dawn of knowledge suddenly appear above your heads and gain an idea of why I am even remotely interested in this motion.
The first point I want to make is that I think it was a pretty cheap and churlish shot to turn the debate on what I believe to be a very sincere motion on the fact that the Federal Government has responsibilities in a particular area of aged care and that it somehow needs prompting. You can turn it into whatever you wish. It was not a debate about that report. It was not a debate about last night's budget. It was a debate about something totally different. The churlish attitude of some members opposite to this debate this morning illustrated that. I agree with Mr Berry that the figures showing increasing numbers of dementia patients in this country are alarming, and we need as a community to address them in a very sincere fashion.
Mr Humphries: What are you doing about it?
MS ELLIS: Not interrupting like you, Mr Humphries. The care provided in a specifically built facility like Eabrai Lodge is an important and essential element of aged care in this area. It is not the only one, of course. Whole packages of care are being formulated at the moment, at both Federal and local government levels throughout this country, to address this question of aged care.
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