Aged Care remains the poor cousin in the health budget and is unlikely to receive much new funding before at least the next budget.
Senator Concetta Fierravanti-Wells, the Shadow Minister for Ageing and the Shadow Minister for Mental Health, said it was good of the Minister for Ageing, Mr Butler, to admit on Lateline* that there will be no new money for ageing until the next budget “at the earliest”.
“At least the aged care sector will not be getting its hopes up before then,” Senator Fierravanti-Wells said.
“The Gillard Government ignored Aged Care in its COAG Health Reforms Mark I and II and now it has ignored it in the budget.
“Aged care missed the budget because the Productivity Commission’s Caring for Older Australians reporting date was delayed from April to late June. My concern is that they will miss the next budget as well.
“There is no guarantee that this government will give a timely response to the report.”
* http://www.abc.net.au/lateline/content/2011/s3214361.htm
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