Page 579 - Week 02 - Wednesday, 22 March 2023
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Mr Rattenbury for his work and commitment to protecting our Canberrans from abuse as Attorney-General and Minister for Consumer Affairs.
As a human rights jurisdiction, we believe that older Canberrans have the right to dignity and security. That is why focus area 2 of the government's Age Friendly City Plan is “Safe, secure and free from abuse”. The government is delivering for older Canberrans through this plan and focus area. Under the plan's latest progress report, which I updated the Assembly on last year, the government has delivered on five of the eight actions under this focus area, with the remaining three measures in progress.
The completed actions include introducing legislation that makes elder abuse an offence; promoting the Home Safety Program for older Canberrans; delivering an inclusion and age discrimination social media awareness campaign; amending record-keeping requirements under power of attorney legislation; and strengthening ACAT powers to provide compensation and other remedies for misuse of substitute decision-making powers.
The three remaining actions in progress are working with the commonwealth and other jurisdictions to develop a national register of powers of attorney documents and improve consistency of powers of attorney legislation; monitoring community attitudes of older Canberrans; and piloting a series of e-learning modules for ACT government employees on ageism awareness.
The Ministerial Advisory Council on Ageing also advises the government on policies and initiatives to support better outcomes for older Canberrans, including on the Age-Friendly City Plan and the promotion of positive ageing and tackling ageism and discrimination. I would like to thank the council for their continued hard work and invaluable advocacy.
The ACT government funds COTA ACT, as the peak body to support seniors in the ACT as well as for a wide range of services and programs, and ADACAS for individual advocacy to promote and protect the rights of people with disability, including older Canberrans. ADACAS is also the ACT member on the Older Persons Advocacy Network.
Further, the Older Persons Safety Network, formerly known as the Elder Abuse Network, provides a forum for organisations handling elder abuse situations, including suspected elder abuse. The Older Persons Safety Network shares information which may assist other organisations to manage issues relating to elder abuse and to support each other in their work to prevent this kind of abuse, to assist victims and support older people’s safety.
I am immensely grateful for the network of community sector organisations involved in this ongoing work to end the abuse of older people in our community, including COTA ACT, led by ACT Senior Woman of the Year, Jenny Mobbs.
I also note that the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety has handed down its final report. The ACT government will work with the commonwealth to play our role in ensuring the safety and wellbeing of older people in aged care.
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