The Federal Member for Hinkler is pleading with the Labor government to urgently address the aged care crisis as locals remain stranded in hospital.
In a speech to Parliament this week, David Batt MP asked, ‘what did older Australians do to deserve to be treated so badly by this Labor government?’
“The electorate of Hinkler is serviced by the Wide Bay Hospital and Health Service, and, at last count, 117 mostly elderly people remain stuck in our hospitals even though they’re fit for discharge,” Mr Batt said.
“What is the problem? Labor’s failure to properly fund aged care places. The system remains broken.
People are stranded with nowhere to go, and the impact is felt across the entire health system with fewer beds, increased pressure on patient flow and longer waits.”
Mr Batt said Hinkler has the second highest percentage of people aged over 65 in the country, and the highest percentage of people living with one or more long-term health conditions.
“How can Hinkler not be on this government’s radar for more aged-care beds and when will Labor stop short-changing older Australians?”
“Small, standalone not-for-profits like Forest View Care in Childers, a residential support service, are simply giving up.
Forest View has 170 people on the waiting list – but despite countless attempts and tireless advocacy for more beds – support from Labor is nowhere to be seen. Instead, constant rejection.”
On Wednesday, Mr Batt met with Shadow Minister for Health and Aged Care, Senator Anne Ruston to discuss the aged care concerns facing Hinkler.
Senator Ruston said the Government has once again short-changed older Australians, recently announcing a residential aged care funding increase that falls well short of the rising cost of delivering care.
“The Government has confirmed the 2026–27 Australian National Aged Care Classification (AN-ACC) price will rise by just 2.55 per cent from 1 October – a figure that doesn’t come close to covering the pressures facing the sector.
Latest ABS data shows health inflation rose 3.8 per cent over the past 12 months, with medical and hospital services up 4.9 per cent, the largest contributor to that increase. The AN-ACC increase also sits well below the 4.75 per cent wage rise awarded to aged care workers by the Fair Work Commission – a pay rise Labor itself committed to funding,” Senator Ruston said.
“This is another broken promise to older Australians from a Government that promised to fix aged care,” Senator Ruston said.
Mr Batt has thanked the Queensland LNP Government for their support and is committed to continue to work with the State Member for Hervey Bay David Lee and State Member for Burnett Stephen Bennett to get a fairer go for elderly Australians in Hinkler.