CARERS DESERVE RESPECT, NOT TO BE TREATED AS A BURDEN

Media Release.

Jenny Macklin MP.

Shadow Minister for

 Families and Social Services

21 September , 2016

The Turnbull Government must treat Australia’s carers with respect and dignity not treat them like they are a burden.

The Minister for Social Services, Christian Porter, yesterday failed to articulate what additional supports and services his new ‘investment approach’ would provide to young carers.

Australia’s carers are unsung heroes – they deserve our respect and should not be treated as a burden.

A true ‘investment approach’ requires actual investment by Mr Porter and the Turnbull Government not just buzzwords and slideshows.

Mr Porter is happy to talk about the payments to carers but fails to mention how much carers save the community every day. A Deloitte Access Economics Report for Carers Australia last year estimated that the replacement value for the work carers do at around $60 billion.

There are 2.8 million informal carers who work around the clock to care for children with additional needs, parents and sick or elderly family members.

The Abbott-Turnbull Government’s record on carers leaves a lot to be desired.

In the horror 2014 Budget, the Liberal Government launched an unprecedented attack on carers, attempting to slash the indexation arrangement for the Carer Payment.

Labor fought this cut, and prevented it from passing the Parliament.

Last year Mr Porter flagged that payments to carers could be cut.

In February at Senate Estimates we learnt that a review was being undertaken into the eligibility for the Carers Payment.

Mr Porter should say where the review is up to.

Is he planning to cut the Carer Payment or push people off the payment entirely?

Labor remains concerned that the Turnbull Government will use the review to reduce eligibility for these important income supports for carers.