E&OE...................................................................................................
Well, thank you very much, Senator Bishop; to my other Senator
Bishop, good Heaven's, what a bad start. Bronwyn, I'm sorry.
That's what happens when you spend an hour-and-a-half on the
golf course early in the morning. It takes your mind off business.
It makes me very active, Jackie. But to Bronwyn; to my other ministerial
colleague, Jackie Kelly; to all the other groups who are represented
here today and I particularly acknowledge Peter Bartells, the Chairman
of the Australian Sports Commission, and all the other organisations
that are involved in the sort of aims and the sort of projects that
we have in mind for the International Year of Older Persons.
Not every international year which is designated by the United Nations
or other international bodies draws unifying support within the Australian
community. But it's fair to say that this year, which has been
set aside to recognise the contribution of older people to the building
of Australia and to the nature of Australian society that we have
at present, is something that has the enthusiastic support of not
only the Australian Government but the enthusiastic support of all
Australians.
Our aim in this year is to recognise the contribution that older people
have made to the Australian nation and to also pursue a number of
underlying policy objectives. To recognise the desire of older Australians
to remain in their own homes. To recognise the desire of older Australians
to remain very active. And to implement a number of programmes which
work towards those aims.
I'm very proud of a number of the initiatives that the Government
has already implemented in the three years that it's been in
power to assist older Australians. I think particularly the extension
of the Seniors' Card to something like 225,000 largely but not
entirely self-funded retirees. I think particularly the extension
of the Gold Card to 50,000 World War II veterans, a very special group
of older Australians to whom all of us owe everything in terms of
our current lifestyle and the fact that we can live in freedom in
this wonderful country of ours.
We have linked the pensions to 25% of male total average earnings.
We've made changes to the thresholds in relations to taxation
for self-funded retirees. We've provided a capital gains tax
exemption for small businesses where the proceeds are rolled over
into an approved retirement fund. And we've, very importantly
for rural Australians, we've eased the assets test on retiring
farmers so that they can transfer their farm to their family without
affecting their eligibility for the pension. And also very recently,
and I know something widely welcomed by the Australian community and
particularly by older Australians, we've introduced a 30% taxation
rebate for private health insurance, which means that something in
order of 81% of all Australian taxpayers will effectively have a full
tax deduction for their private health insurance.
We are particularly committed, in relation to the care of the frail
aged, we are particularly committed to providing as much assistance
and as many incentives as possible to assisting people to remain in
their own homes. It is the overwhelming desire of older Australians
to remain in their own homes all their lives or, given the circumstances,
as long as possible. And we introduced a Staying at Home initiative
more than a year ago which over four years increases the number of
community aged care packages from just under 10,000 to 22,000. And
we're also going to provide greater support for Australia's
1.5 million carers. And I have to say that some of the most heroic
Australians and some of the most wonderful Australians I've met
are those older people caring for often a disabled or handicapped
child in very, very difficult circumstances. And we have introduced
additional measures to assist them, as indeed we've provided
additional support for the domiciliary nursing care benefit and also
additional assistance in relation to those who suffer dementia. And
in relation to residential aged care, we're increasing funding
by more than $165 million a year. And over the next 10 years $1.3
billion will be provided to upgrade and build new premises.
You are, of course, aware of the very significant benefits for older
people coming out of the Government's taxation reform package.
And particularly the increases in the pension of 4%, that a further
45,000 people will qualify for a part-pension and the pensioner concession
card, the increase in the tax threshold, the reduction in tax rates
and also very welcomed to many self-funded retirees, the abolition
of provisional tax. Now, all of these things are initiatives of the
Government which have taken place over the last three years.
The theme of 1999, the Year of Older Persons, is Australia, a society
for all ages. And that is a theme which is designed to recognise the
contribution of people of all ages to the building of the Australian
community. And I hope that during this year we as a nation can recognise
the immense contribution of older Australians to our society and to
build partnerships between the Government and the community and the
Government and business organisations to better meet the needs of
older people.
And as a permanent reminder of this international year I want to pursue
a substantial advancement in the health care delivered to older Australians.
We want to increase the ability of older people to continue living
in their own homes and to participate actively in their community.
And more specifically in relation to that, we're going to provide,
through Medicare, for general practitioners to be involved in multidisciplinary
care planning and case management for those with chronic and complex
needs. We want to give incentives at the practice level for general
practitioners to achieve multidisciplinary care plans for those over
65 and with chronic and complex needs. And for those over 75, to pay
doctors to undertake an annual health assessment to focus on issues
of prevention and better management of chronic illness, with these
assessments to be done at the person's home where necessary.
We've committed and this was announced at the time of
the passage of the health insurance legislation an additional
$25 million for further co-ordinated care trials to address the health
care needs of older people who are chronically ill or disadvantaged.
I do want to, and I particularly welcome the emphasis here today on
encouraging older people to remain physically active in their local
communities. The Active Australia International Year of Older Persons
campaign that we're going to launch today will highlight the
benefit of physical activity for older people, indeed, for Australians
of all ages and is one of our major initiatives for the year. And
I particularly mark there the contribution of different agencies,
the Australian Sports Commission, the Health Department and the Department
of Veterans' Affairs, to deliver benefits in that particular
programme.
Twenty years from now there will be almost twice as many people over
the age of 65 as there are now. And this fact presents particular
challenges and for this reason I've established a Ministerial
Reference Group chaired by the Minister for Aged Care, Mrs Bishop,
to develop a national strategy for an ageing Australia. And it will
provide the vehicle for consulting the community about the type of
policies and programmes needed in the years ahead to meet the demands
of older people.
I've asked that group to focus on four themes. Firstly, helping
Australians to be independent and to provide for their later years
through employment, life-long learning and financial security. Secondly,
delivering quality health care through new approaches to service delivery,
co-ordinated care and independent living. Thirdly, improving attitudes
to older people and ageing, lifestyle issues such as personal safety,
housing, transport, recreation and community support. And fourthly,
encouraging healthy ageing and the role of general practitioners of
maintaining the wellbeing of older people. And I understand that that
group will release a preliminary discussion paper in the next month
or so with further discussion papers later in the year.
And in the area of recognising in a symbolic way the year, we're
going to mint a commemorative coin set, we're going to print
the commemorative stamp issue and we're going to fund a national
touring photographic exhibition and book called Images of Our
Elders' to promote positive images of the contribution of older
people. And we're going to expand the Safe at Home programme
to improve the personal and physical security of all the people living
in their own home should the trial be successful.
And a great practical benefit will be our support for the partnership
between the Australian Bankers Association and seniors' organisations
to familiarise older people with automatic teller machines, electronic
funds transfer, the Internet and telephone banking. And additional
funding will also be provided to establish a Building Safer Communities
programme which will target areas of community concern including burglaries,
home invasions, assault and robbery, particularly against older people.
The Mature Age Workers Project will involve developing promotional
material for job network members and employer associations to encourage
them to assist older job seekers into employment.
Ladies and gentlemen, as we approach the Centenary of the Federation
of Australia there is, I find, throughout Australia a surge of interest
in the history of our country and a surge of interest in the contribution
that people of different generations have made to the building of
the modern Australia. There is a growing pride in what Australia has
been able to achieve. There is a sense that there are now, in relation
to some of the great historical events of our nation, of course, a
dwindling number of Australia who had personal experience of involvement
in them. And as we near the Centenary of Federation we have an opportunity
to honour the contribution of all of those Australians that have made
this country what it is today.
I want 1999 to be a year that recognises the ongoing contribution
of mature Australians. I want it to be a year which produces, amongst
younger Australians, a wider appreciation of the contribution of generations
that have gone before them. I want it to be a year that recognises
that economic and physical security are the two of most important
things that older Australians can have. The security of a home, the
security of a supporting family, the security of financial stability
and adequacy and also the sense of physical safety of being able to
walk the streets of this country in physical safety and security,
all of those things are tremendously important.
I want to thank my ministerial colleague, Bronwyn Bishop, for the
tremendous leadership that she's giving as the portfolio Minister
for Aged Care. It's a new appointment and I think Bronwyn brings
very special skills to that job and I think she will make an outstanding
contribution through the year.
I do recognise the importance of the presence here today of my Minister
for Sport, Jackie Kelly. The emphasis on physical activity and the
need for Australians of all ages, and not just older Australians but
some of the less fit younger Australians, to be more physically active
and more physically energetic I know is something that Jackie is very
particularly committed to.
I think 1999 will be a great opportunity to emphasise what older Australians
have done but, more importantly than that, what older Australians
continue to do for this country. To recognise that we are, in the
main, a society that is lucky to enjoy longer, healthier lives, that
the excitement that many older people derive from new careers, new
opportunities, new experiences and new activities is something that
is adding very greatly to the quality of life. And what they give
back through experience and understanding and having lived through
experiences that younger Australians have not lived through, all of
that will go to a greater enrichment of our community.
I commend all of the organisations involved in making life better,
more fulfilling and bringing closer links between different generations
of Australians. I thank you very much for attending today's gathering.
Bronwyn has a few more things to say and a few other observations
to make about some of the activities but I know that 1999 will be
a great year in recognising the contribution of older Australians
to our modern Australian community.
Thank you.
[ends]