Senator MOORE (2:11 PM) —My question is to the Minister for Ageing. Can the minister confirm that in 1996 there were 95 residential beds for every 1,000 people aged over 70 in Queensland? Is he aware that if that ratio had been maintained by the Howard government there would now be an additional 3,200 aged care beds in our state? Can the minister also confirm that the South Coast and Logan River regions are both hard hit by the current 600-plus aged care bed shortage in Queensland? Aren’t 30 per cent of people in Queensland needing nursing home care waiting more than three months to find a bed? Why has the Howard government so comprehensively failed to meet the needs of Queensland’s ageing population?

Senator SANTORO (Minister for Ageing) —I very much appreciate this round of questioning, and I would invite honourable senators to continue to make up for the abysmal lack of questioning and interest in aged care that they have been displaying during the past two or three weeks. In terms of the very specific information that both Senator Moore and Senator McLucas have asked for on Queensland, as is usually my case, I will undertake to provide very specific information to them on the Queensland situation but I do wish to address those points that relate generally to the Australian scene in order to suggest to Senator Moore that in fact she is not accurate when she belittles the performance of the Australian government and the allocation of licences and beds.

I can inform Senator Moore and the Senate that the Australian government will meet its 2001 election commitment of having almost 200,000 operational places by June 2006. It is important to remind Senator Moore, Senator McLucas and everybody else that that was a commitment that we made in 2006—endorsed by the people of Australia—which we will meet. As at 31 December 2005, there were 197,203 operational places—

Opposition senators interjecting—

Senator SANTORO —for the benefit of Senator McLucas—including 163,432 residential places. Of these residential places, 80,052 were high care and 83,380 places were low care. This is the important point which Senator Moore, with respect, I do not think will like. I am able to inform Senator Moore and the Senate that there are now at least 55,911 more operational aged care places than there were in June 1996. Of these, 26,581 are additional residential places.

The Australian government, as I have informed the Senate before, is also committed to achieving a ratio of 108 operational places per 1,000 persons aged 70 years or over, nationally, by 2007. As I suggested at the start of my answer, I and the Australian government are committed to reaching that target. At 31 December 2005 the operational ratio—which I know interests Senator McLucas, and it should interest everybody else who is fair dinkum about aged care—was 104.2 places. The Australian government will be releasing at least 8,771 places in 2006 with a further 19,913 indicator places planned for release in 2007 and 2008. This is the highest the operational ratio has been, and it should be good news for even the most mean-spirited person opposite.

Opposition senators interjecting—

The PRESIDENT —Order! There is too much noise on my left.

Senator SANTORO —By comparison, in 1996, when the Labor Party left the aged care mess to us to fix, the operational ratio was only 93. These are figures that I have not manufactured as Minister for Ageing and nobody in my department has manufactured. They are able to be audited by the Auditor-General and they are able to be verified by any reasonable person who looks at the performance—

Opposition senators interjecting—

The PRESIDENT —Order! There is too much noise on my left.

Senator SANTORO —of this government in comparison to the performance of those opposite. The operational ratio will increase as aged care approved providers bring online the Australian government’s rollout of aged-care places— (Time expired)

Senator MOORE —Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. Does the minister believe that the amount of effort that he and his department have made over the last three weeks to give figures and to hoe into the Queensland election was the best use of resources in his department? Given his past experience in Queensland elections—and Saturday’s emphatic result—will he now commit to focusing on the job and improving aged care in Queensland?

The PRESIDENT —Minister, I would ask you to reflect on that supplementary question and answer the parts that are relevant to your portfolio.

Senator SANTORO (Minister for Ageing) —I simply refer Senator Moore and other senators opposite to the substantial answers I gave to the Senate in answer to questions relating to the health of Queensland, including questions last Thursday relating to the health considerations of elderly Queenslanders. As long as I am Minister for Ageing I will accept questions from either the opposition or people on my side about health issues relating to ageing Queenslanders, which were the questions that I was answering. Labor senators opposite do not care about the health of Queenslanders, particularly ageing Queenslanders. That is no business of mine but it is a sad indictment of their capacity to represent their constituency.