Page 2300 - Week 07 - Thursday, 17 August 2006
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It gives me great pleasure to introduce the Carers Recognition Legislation Amendment Bill 2006 to the Assembly today. It is essential that we acknowledge and support carers, not least because they make up some 14 per cent of the population and provide a service that the government alone could never address. The majority of the estimated 43,000 carers in the ACT are female. We also have a growing number of young carers. In this regard, it is estimated that some 7,600 carers are under the age of 25 years.
In recognition of the unique needs of carers for support, a key commitment in Building Our Community—the Canberra Social Plan was to articulate a number of goals to build a safe, strong and cohesive community, one of which is to promote and support the work of carers. To implement this goal, the government developed the Caring for Carers policy. This was tabled in the Assembly in 2003. The policy aims are simple: to provide a basis for improving supports for carers that enhance their health and wellbeing and that of the people they care for. Above all, the policy recognises the social, economic and health risks that confront carers. Further, we seek to progress the objectives of the Caring for Carers policy through further input from the community and stakeholders to develop an action plan to address these risks.
On 26 August 2004, the Caring for Carers in the ACT — A plan for action 2004 to 2007 was released. This document outlines the actions that were being taken over a three-year period to meet defined objectives. This action plan is structured around the principles outlined in the Caring for Carers policy and reflects the key messages arising from the extensive consultations with carers and the people who receive care. The messages heard from this consultation include the need for public recognition of the role and contribution made by unpaid, informal carers; assurance that the person being cared for is provided with quality, adequate and accessible support; and that carers be regarded as partners with government. The Carers Recognition Legislation Amendment Bill, which has been tabled today, will implement recommendations that flow from the report on the Review of Carers Legislation in the ACT released in November 2004.
In late 2004, the Department of Disability, Housing and Community Services engaged Minter Ellison Consulting to review, in consultation with the community, whether there was a need for new or improved legislation to support carers in the ACT. The report found that there was no broad-based support, nor a demonstrated need, for a standalone Carers Act in the ACT. However, the report recommended the development of an amendment bill, to amend some existing acts so that they better support carers, as well as a range of non-legislative actions to facilitate greater use by carers of relevant legislative rights. The report was released in January 2005 for public comment on its findings and recommendations. Fifteen written submissions were received from individual carers, community and government agencies. Overall, submissions supported the recommendations of the report.
In November 2005, the government agreed to a response to the report, and agreed in principle to the preparation of legislation to give effect to amendments consistent with that response. In its response, the government agreed to consider whether amendments could be made to the definition of carer in the Discrimination Act 1991 and the Guardianship and Management of Property Act 1991 to allow for, and to recognise, the various caring responsibilities by a number of people for a person in need of care. This bill inserts new definitions that remove references to primary carer and clarifies the fact
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