Ms WELLS (Lilley) (13:48):Australia's aged-care system is in crisis. There is now not one part of our aged-care system that has not been compromised by the mismanagement of this government across seven years. A national crisis like this does not appear out of thin air. It takes years of mismanagement and years of policies focused on cuts rather than compassion for us to get to the dire straits that we are in now, and that system has rotted from the top. The Prime Minister himself was the architect of almost 45 for a shower-$45 for a shower!-under this government and the way that they manage this sector. The company she works for is cutting even more staff. It is not good enough. Our older Australians built this country; they are overdue some respect and some dignity. They are not what this Treasurer calls them-that is, 'a burden'.
