Carers (Recognition) Bill 2010 – Text of speech from Hansard
On behalf of Family First I support the Carers (Recognition) Bill 2010. Family First recognises that one in every 10 Australians are involved to some extent in caring for someone in the community who needs additional help. It is estimated that their caring work, if they were paid, is worth about $30.5 billion. Carers consist of a vast range of people who may be connected by kinship or blood or by other relationships. Sometimes people are just moved to help another. We know of incredible examples of children who care for adults before and after school and adults who care for children with disabilities. I have been a member of committee inquiries into children with disabilities and their educational needs. After listening to one parent after another, one gets the feeling that a great number of parents are near the point of exhaustion. They are almost at the point where one more straw will break the camel’s back.
The heaviness of caring for children with profound disabilities is extremely difficult. It would ease the burden of carers somewhat if the work they did was recognised and regarded by the rest of community as valuable. Their caring work reduces the Government’s expenditure in programs such as the Home and Community Care Program. I am pleased that this bill recognises carers’ worth and the significance of their work. Two important components of this bill are the Carers Charter and the Carers Advisory Council. I acknowledge the work of Mr Andrew Constance, the member for Bega. The member worked on carers recognition legislation for a long time and consulted with various carer organisations.
I also acknowledge the earlier New South Wales Carer Action Plan 2007. It is important that we have a clear understanding of what we mean by “carers”. The bill states that for the purposes of the proposed Act the term “carer” means an individual who provides ongoing personal care, support and assistance to any other individual in the target group referred to in the Disability Services Act 1993, who is a person with a mental illness or a chronic illness or who is frail or aged. The bill also defines who cannot be carers in that regard.
The bill also has two other important aspects. The bill outlines the NSW Carers Charter. The Carers Charter is established on the basis of 13 principles to guide agencies in their dealings with carers. I will not go through the 13 principles because several members have spoken already about them, and I acknowledge that sometimes the House must get very tired of hearing the same points being made by speaker after speaker. I understand that the 13 principles are not only basic but balanced in their response to caring for the carers.
Also, a Carers Advisory Council has been appointed by the Minister. I wonder whether it would be better to enable some of the carer organisations to nominate their own representatives so they have a sense of ownership of the Carers Advisory Council. When all members are appointed by the Minister, if their task is to review and make recommendations to the Minister, it is only natural that there would be a feeling that they have to be “yes” persons. We consider it would be better if various organisations are able to recommend some people to the Minister but that they are elected on behalf of their caring function, because there are many different functions in caring. The Carers Advisory Council will perform an important role in advancing the interests of carers and making recommendations particularly to the Minister. This is a good piece of legislation. It is not a tough piece of legislation and it does not have any teeth in it; it is primarily a recommendation to a large number of people and to the Parliament. Family First will support the Carers (Recognition) Bill 2010 and I commend the bill to the House.