The extraordinary thing is the number - two and a half million people. That's an army of care. That's an army of concern. That's an army of love out there.
And it's quite humbling for those of us who are engaged in paid political life to reflect on that, and what I'll say from the very beginning is thank-you. It's a truly remarkable thing. Thank-you.
The extraordinary part of the story of carers is the number, the intensity and the personal dimensions of each story. If you look up the side of this room here: “I worry about the future” - Sally. “I want to make a difference” - Aaron. I like Aaron's story. He has been looking after his mum since he was 11. We have just heard of course from Lois and the other stories along the side of the wall as well. “I don't finish at 5” and “I sometimes feel invisible”.
The great thing about what you are doing here is giving a truly personal dimension to what is an extraordinary national story. The story of carers in our country is a narrative about Australia itself, it's a narrative also about those who provide that care individually and each story is different.
So whether it's what is contained in this 2020 report, in the book which Jenny launched before, or in the stories which go through this extraordinary campaign as we saw reflected just now in the DVD, this is all part of a further wake-up call to the nation about what is happening out there in so many families.
The other thing about being a carer is a very sober and personal reflection. At some stage in our life, all of our lives, we will be receiving care. At some stage of our life we will probably all be giving care in one form or another. It's a very humanising reflection to realise that this is an experience, if not ours at the moment, it will be soon in one form or another.
And the dimensions of it, not just in providing for aged parents, but the sheer happenstance of not knowing when you are going to find yourself in a situation where through a young child who is born with an abnormality, with a disability or through an extraordinary accident and suddenly your world is turned on its head.
So this is not just a reflection of good national policy, not just a reflection of what is very good about being Australian, it is also a reflection I think on each of our personal journeys in life and again I thank Carers Australia for introducing us to that today.
Last year, as Jenny indicated before, we began examining the cost of living pressures faced by pensioners through an inquiry we recommended to the Australian Parliament. In this year's Budget the Government delivered $7.5 billion to deliver increased financial security to seniors, carers and disability support pensioners.
The Budget also delivered an $822 million package for carers which included:
* $293 million for carers of children with a disability or severe medical condition in response to the recommendations of the report ‘Carer Payment (Child): A new approach'
* Secondly $428 million for bonus payments for carers, and
* And thirdly $100 million for supported accommodation facilities for people with disability.
And Jenny was right, the impact which that lady had on us as a Government at a meeting of community cabinet in Penrith where she simply detailed her story, about what does she do as the loving mother of a 26-year-old boy.
Hearing this - “I worry about the future”, and that is, what happens when she can no longer provide that care. Which led to an active discussion in the Government about simply the adequacy of the provision of effective supported accommodation for those who have had care provided to them by their parents, but for whom that prospect becomes more difficult as the years roll by.
The Government has also embarked on a focused examination of the pension system through the Harmer Review, to reform that system to ensure it delivers for carers and other pensioners over the long term.
The Government's commitment to seniors, to carers and to people with a disability is deeply held. Now for us, this is simply a matter of fairness and getting it right. And fairness we believe is part of the Australian DNA, it is also part of this Government's DNA and we want to get it right and get it right for the long term.
From 8 December also, almost 130,000 Carer Payment recipients and 714,000 Disability Support Pensioners will receive lump sum payments of $1,400 for singles and $2,100 for couples.
This is a recognition of the strong view expressed to Dr Harmer's review that the current single pension rate which has remained just 60 per cent of the combined couple rate over the last 12 years is just not enough.
In the nine months between now and when we intend long term pension reform to take effect, these payments provide the equivalent of an additional $35 for single pensioners and $26 for each member of a couple pensioner household.
We will also provide a one-off payment of $1,000 for more than 400,000 Australians who receive carer allowance in recognition of the tireless support they provide for children and adults who are ill or who have a disability.
This means that in the 12 months that will be our first year in office, we have invested an additional $12.3 billion in assistance for pensioners, seniors and carers.
In the 12 months that we have been in office we have established a process to achieve long term pension reform - to deliver economic security for carers and the people for whom they care. This is the right thing for Australia to do.
Supporting carers in our community goes beyond providing financial security.
That is why the government has asked the House Standing Committee on Family, Community, Housing and Youth to conduct its own examination into the provision of better support for carers.
This cross-party review, led by Annette Ellis, the Member for Canberra, who is with us today, is looking at how we better recognise the needs of carers and the necessary support for them. I commend Annette and the committee members for their work.
I am delighted this morning to be presented with the report of the Carers' Virtual 2020 project.
This project provided an opportunity for carers from all over Australia to provide their views and experiences on being a carer. This provides the personal stories which we have spoken of already.
I look forward very much to reading the report and listening to carers' views during this Carers Week. The Government recognises that carers make enormous personal sacrifices. We know that caring responsibilities can impact on a carer's capacity to participate in the community at large, both socially and economically, and individually. We recognise also that the burden of care can be especially heavy on young carers and women.
Around five per cent of Australians under the age of 25 - that is 350,000 young people - provide care to another person. That is an extraordinary figure, 350,000 people under 25 acting as carers. Of these, more than 20,000 are the primary care giver.
More than 170,000 young carers are under the age of 18 and, among these, the average age is 12 to 13, another extraordinary figure. Each day, young carers face constant challenges trying to juggle their study, their work and their caring responsibilities.
At a time when most young people are out there enjoying life and a new independence, these young carers, I would call them young Australian heroes, are out there shouldering the responsibilities of adults.
That can mean restricted opportunities and increased stress compared with the lives of other kids.
In particular, their capacity to participate in secondary and tertiary education may be limited because of their caring role, which, in turn, limits their career options and their employment opportunities and puts them at risk of some long term disadvantage.
Earlier this year, the Government provided more than $7 million to the Young Carers' Program to enable it to continue providing respite, general support and information services to young carers.
This will also give young carers who are at risk of not completing secondary education because of their caring responsibilities much-needed access to education, training and recreational activities.
The Government has also provided $20 million over three years in respite support for carers of young people with severe disabilities.
The Government is committed to engaging and consulting with young carers so that they can provide us with advice on how to give them better support.
Young carers will have an opportunity to influence future government policy and give the government their views on future policy direction when they meet at a national forum on 26 and 27 November this year.
Another aspect of caring that has been highlighted by the NATSEM-Commonwealth Bank research is that primary carers are most often women. In 2003, almost 55 per cent of carers were women, with the number of primary carers who are women likely to increase to 70 per cent by 2013. This is a huge responsibility.
The NATSEM-Commonwealth Bank report notes that “women carers pay a high price in terms of their health and financial well-being for taking on a primary carer role.” Carers suffer greater ill health, reduced earnings and less financial security.
The lessons in this are threefold:
* First, we must provide greater financial support and assist carers to build retirement income.
* Second, we must assist carers to participate in the paid workforce.
* And third, we must work harder to help carers themselves stay in good health.
Making progress for carers starts with achieving a better understanding of our nation's carers and the work they do, and the help they need and the support they deserve. And that is the purpose of this Carers Week.
If I could say thank-you to Carers Australia for the extraordinary work that you do. This is a labour of love. It takes a lot of effort, far beyond a normal working day.
I have learnt from both Jenny and from Justine in the time that we have been in Government, the extraordinary efforts put in by your association to effectively argue the case for carers, I think is worthy of real commendation. Put your hands together for them.
But beyond that in this Carers Week if I as Prime Minister of Australia could say this one thing: the nation thanks the army of carers, of unpaid carers, the 2.5 million carers who make this country continue to tick.
You are heroes, each and every one of you. The country recognises your achievement and through the forms that we have begun and those which we have yet to conclude, we intend to honour you.