Senator PATTERSON (3:06 PM) —I rise to speak on the issue at hand, which is the motion to take note of Senator Santoro’s answers to questions. It pays to have been around here for some time, because I remember very clearly the state of aged care facilities when Labor was in government. It was disgraceful—and in Victoria, in particular, it was nothing short of an appalling situation. In Victoria there were large nursing homes which had run down in terms of capital and leasehold nursing homes where the facilities and the services offered to older people were enough to make you want to vomit when you left after visiting.

I visited nursing home after nursing home after nursing home, particularly in Victoria, and it was nothing short of an absolute disgrace. Labor did nothing. Labor had a report written by Professor Gregory. Professor Gregory said that there was not sufficient funding for nursing homes and there was not sufficient means for using the resources of people who go into nursing homes. I have always given credit to the Labor Party for the reforms they undertook in hostels by allowing an ingoing, which meant that there was the ability for providers to have capital for nursing homes. But Professor Gregory said that something like 80 per cent of people were living in rooms with four to five people, 75 per cent of nursing homes did not meet building standards, 11 per cent of homes did not meet basic health standards and funding to nursing homes had been cut by 75 per cent over a four-year period—the four years before we came into government in 1996. So Labor have nothing—no record, no credibility, nothing to stand up and be able to say, ‘Look what we did.’ When they hold a mirror up to themselves, they will see the disgraceful state that existed in nursing homes, particularly in my state of Victoria.

A range of measures have been introduced by various ministers for aged care since we have been in government. A system of accreditation has been introduced—the first nationally legislated quality assurance program for aged care. Directors of nursing homes and providers around the country say that the government’s accreditation system is the best thing that has happened in aged care. It has lifted the standards. We now have an aged care system that most countries would be proud of. We have introduced certification providing standards to ensure that the buildings and the physical environment are what Australians would expect for older Australians needing care.

I admit that the allegations that were made about what occurred in a nursing home in Victoria are very serious. Senator Santoro, a very new minister, has responded very rapidly to those allegations. He announced that a special meeting of the aged care advisory committee will take place in Canberra on Tuesday, 14 March. This meeting will explore solutions to allegations of abuse in Australia’s aged care facilities. Short of having a video camera in every room, unfortunately there will be situations like this. What we have to do is minimise the likelihood of it happening. I am sure Senator Santoro is going to be discussing that in great detail with the aged care advisory committee.

That committee comprises representatives of the aged care industry, staff and residents and is regarded as a representative committee. The government is keen for members of the public and aged care industry professionals who have ideas and suggestions for improvement to have input into that process. Senator Santoro has called for people to email the task force at aca.taskforce@health.gov.au with any views or any suggestions they might have. If requested, they will be treated confidentially. I think that is important. There are people out there who may have suggestions and ideas about what should happen. Senator Santoro has met with the granddaughters of one of the alleged victims to hear a first-hand account of their experiences and he assured them that he would do all he could to bring about an improvement in the aged care system with a view to preventing the sort of abuse that their late grandmother experienced.

All of us are shocked, no doubt, by the allegations of this abuse. But, as I said, you can put all the best measures in the world in place and unfortunately, whether it is in child care—and the states know this because the states have to regulate and monitor child care—or aged care, there will be people who find their way into those systems who are less than desirable. That may be the thing we need to be looking at, but Senator Santoro has made a very immediate start on this issue. (Time expired)