Keep up-to-date with carer, ageing, disability and mental health ministry changes following the federal election.

Following the recent federal election there has been some re-shuffling of those politicians responsible for areas like ageing, disability, carers and mental health.

Many will be disappointed to see the loss of Bill Shorten as Parliamentary Secretary for Disabilities.

Bill was widely thought to be one of the very few politicians who seemed to sincerely care about the plight of people with disability and carers. He was accessible to individuals and groups and was committed to a strong reform agenda, including supporting an investigation into a no-fault National Disability Insurance Scheme.

We can only hope that he doesn’t forget the pressing issues being faced by people with disability and their carers – especially working carers – in his new role as Assistant Treasurer and Minister for Financial Services and Superannuation.

In a media release following his new appointment he said he wanted to ‘deliver a better quality of life for all Australians’ – let’s hope that his experiences as Parliamentary Secretary for Disabilities has broadened his understanding of who ‘all Australians’ are and that people with disability and their carers don’t once more become invisible to the federal government.

Bill said: “I knew little about disability when I was elected as a Member of Parliament, but my eyes have since been opened to the suffering and need that still exists in Australia. They have also been opened to the needless barriers and attitudes that prevent people with disability from reaching their potential.

“I have been inspired by the courage and passion of the many people with disability who refuse to accept the arbitrary limits that society puts on them, and who fight to change things for the better. I have also been inspired by the commitment of disability workers and organisations to giving people with disability lives of dignity and opportunity. If we are to be a truly fair and equal society, we need to do more to ensure that the most vulnerable in our community are not shut out or neglected.

“The Productivity Commission’s study into a long-term care and support scheme will report by July 2011. This study represents a unique opportunity to make real change to the way disability is funded in this country. I know this government will treat the report with the seriousness it deserves.

“You should be assured that my new responsibilities will not dampen my passion for disability and I will continue to argue the case for better treatment of people with disabilities as well as I can, both inside and outside of government.”

Bill has been replaced by Senator Jan McLucas, who has been appointed as Parliamentary Secretary for Disabilities and Carers. Jan has had a lot of experience in disability, having served as Shadow Minister for Ageing and Disabilities from October 2004 to June 2005; and as Shadow Minister for Ageing, Disabilities and Carers from June 2005 until December 2007.

She was responsible for drafting much of the ALP’s 2007 election policy in relation to disability and carers which formed the basis of the Labor Government’s reform agenda and achievements in the portfolio during its first term. As such, the disability sector can hope that Jan is well placed to carry forward the momentum for change.

Although the federal government has made many advances in the area and put disability on the political map, there is still much to be done before people with disability are treated as equal citizens in this country.

The Prime Minister has also announced that The Hon Mark Butler MP will be the Minister for Mental Health and Ageing – a brand new ministry. Previously Mr Butler was Parliamentary Secretary for Health. Catherine King is the new Parliamentary Secretary for Health.

Mark’s position curiously sits under that of Nicola Roxon, Minister for Health and Ageing, who in a recent statement said she was ‘pleased and honoured to continue leading the Government's ambitious health reform agenda to deliver better health services for all Australians’.

In particular, Nicola said she wanted to focus on the better delivery of health services through improved GP clinics, modernised hospitals, an expanded medical and nursing workforce, better after hours services and unleashing the benefits of e-health and telemedicine.

“The health team will continue to oversee the delivery of vital health services to the community – and will have a strong focus on implementing existing, agreed reforms, ensuring their benefits to the whole country, as well as shaping an important second term health agenda in aged care, mental health and dental services,” she said in a media statement.

The Commonwealth has already pledged to develop a nationally consistent and integrated aged care system that provides improved access to appropriate care to meet the needs of older Australians and their families.

Their objective is to Increase the capacity of the aged care system through 5,000 places or beds and 1,200 packages of care by 2013.

They will

• Increase primary health care services provided to people in aged care.
• Strengthen consumer protection in aged care.
• Provide easy access to information and assessment for aged care services, through one-stop shops located across the country linked with Local Hospital Networks and Medicare Locals.

The federal government has pledged to invest $813 million in aged care, including $533 million in additional funding, and will direct $280 million to the states to support older people eligible for aged care in public hospitals.

It will take full policy and funding responsibility for aged care services, including a transfer to the Commonwealth of current resourcing for aged care services from the Home and Community Care (HACC) program, currently except in Victoria.

This will enable the development of a consistent aged care system covering basic care at home through to high level care in aged care homes. It will enable the Commonwealth – as the majority funder of Australia’s health and hospital system – to drive increased integration between acute care, public hospitals, GPs, primary health care and aged care.