Page 351 - Week 01 - Thursday, 11 December 2008
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In early 2009 I will be undertaking extensive community consultations to help shape the development of a four-year whole-of-government strategic plan for positive ageing within a framework of social inclusion. I did this with housing in 2005 and later on with multicultural affairs. That is the way the community tells us what to do, not the other way around. So that is where I will be headed.
The plan will be underpinned by the United Nations principles for older persons of independence, participation, care, self-fulfilment and dignity. The ACT Office for Ageing in the Department of Disability, Housing and Community Services will work with me to develop a new strategic plan on positive ageing and social inclusion. That satisfies one of Mr Seselja’s wishes, that the Office of Ageing will remain. This time, however, it is within the community services group; there is a relevance there.
Specific issues that we will be considering in our new strategic plan will include health and wellbeing, housing and accommodation, support services, transport, work and retirement, public safety, and lifelong learning. I should acknowledge the University of the Third Age. It has been around for a very long time, and a lot of people are not aware of it. A lot of people are, but I think a lot of people ought to be.
I will engage with the ACT Ministerial Advisory Council on Ageing and work with the Council on the Ageing, National Seniors Australia, ACT seniors clubs, regional community services, other stakeholder groups and government departments. I would like to specifically recognise here the work of the previous ACT Ministerial Advisory Council on Ageing, such as its recent social integration seminar. Another example is the 2007 silver lining project, which it delivered in partnership with the ACT and Region Chamber of Commerce and Industry. This project developed a package for employers which promoted the value of employing older people in an environment of skills shortage. MACA also was instrumental in the ACT government’s adoption of grandparental leave provisions—another measure to assist older people to choose to remain in the workforce.
I am pleased to see that the last chair of the Ministerial Advisory Council on Ageing, the Reverend Dr Elizabeth McKinlay, was recognised as the 2008 ACT Senior Australian of the Year. I expect to be able to announce the membership of the 2008-10 council early in 2009.
On the issue of the accommodation needs of older Canberrans, I acknowledge the work of my colleague Mary Porter MLA in identifying an increasing need for protection of the rights and investments of those in retirement villages. The government will explore a code of conduct for retirement villages. I am reminded that Ms Porter and I discussed this some years ago. A chap named Chris Old, I think, developed a charter of rights for people in nursing homes in 1991. However, I think it is time we had a look at that and revisited it. We will canvass broad community views about emerging issues in this area, the extent of these issues, the effectiveness of the existing regulatory framework and what additional safeguards are necessary.
This government has a bit of a record in doing a few things along the way. Who will remember the stamp duty waiver that we have for older persons wanting to downsize from a large home to a smaller one? If that is the case and they are going from their principal residence, there is no stamp duty. That is a positive move and something which people had been prevented from doing in the past.
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