❓ Ms. Quirk asks about funding for elder abuse services. The Minister outlines the government's commitment, including a $2.3 million investment across various departments and support for the Advocare helpline, while criticising the federal government's inaction.
AnsweredQoN 347Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
ELDER ABUSE
347. Ms M.M. QUIRK to the Minister for Seniors and Ageing:
I refer to the McGowan Labor
government's commitment to tackling the growing issue of elder abuse in
our community. Can the minister outline to the house how this government's
increase in funding will help provide more resources for those important
services in the community that are working to tackle this significant issue?
347. Ms M.M. QUIRK to the Minister for Seniors and Ageing:
I refer to the McGowan Labor
government's commitment to tackling the growing issue of elder abuse in
our community. Can the minister outline to the house how this government's
increase in funding will help provide more resources for those important
services in the community that are working to tackle this significant issue?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for this very
important question. Although it has been raised on several occasions in this
house by members on both sides, it is still an ongoing problem and will not go
away easily. The McGowan government has certainly taken a really serious look
at how we will go forward. We know that between two per cent and 10 per cent of
seniors in Western Australia suffer from elder abuse in one way or another. It
can happen in many ways. This abuse can be of a psychological, emotional,
social, physical or sexual nature. It is very sad to think that it is happening
in our society—it really is. Any electorate officer would have seen it
over the counter in one way or another. People come in and are not quite sure
about how to go about reporting it and making it an issue, because it can
impact on their family unit. A son, a daughter or a grandchild may be putting
pressure on an older person in any of the ways I have just mentioned. The state
government made an election commitment to respond to elder abuse. That response
will include an educational program to help identify and prevent some of this
abuse that is going on. It was sad to see that the federal government, which
made a very bold announcement that it was going to do something very special,
did not do that. All it said was that it would help direct people to the elder
abuse hotline, which is funded by the Western Australian government. That has
been a huge letdown.
The Leader of the Opposition over
there is not listening. He was asking about what may be in the budget. I can
tell him one thing in the budget, but he is still not listening. It does not
matter. That is normal. In this budget, $2.3 million will be set aside to
attack this awful part of our society. It will help different government departments,
such as the police, hospitals and nurses—the whole lot—to
identify some of those areas so we can go back to the community and say it is
wrong and people should not be doing that. The helpline, which is run by
Advocare and supported, I will say it again, by the state government, will
provide free and confidential advice to seniors who suspect they may be victims
of elder abuse. Confidentiality is very important. Otherwise, they will not try
to find the help that is available and can be given by those special people at
Advocare. Again, it is with great pride that today we will announce in the
budget that $2.3 million will go towards attacking this scourge in our society.
important question. Although it has been raised on several occasions in this
house by members on both sides, it is still an ongoing problem and will not go
away easily. The McGowan government has certainly taken a really serious look
at how we will go forward. We know that between two per cent and 10 per cent of
seniors in Western Australia suffer from elder abuse in one way or another. It
can happen in many ways. This abuse can be of a psychological, emotional,
social, physical or sexual nature. It is very sad to think that it is happening
in our society—it really is. Any electorate officer would have seen it
over the counter in one way or another. People come in and are not quite sure
about how to go about reporting it and making it an issue, because it can
impact on their family unit. A son, a daughter or a grandchild may be putting
pressure on an older person in any of the ways I have just mentioned. The state
government made an election commitment to respond to elder abuse. That response
will include an educational program to help identify and prevent some of this
abuse that is going on. It was sad to see that the federal government, which
made a very bold announcement that it was going to do something very special,
did not do that. All it said was that it would help direct people to the elder
abuse hotline, which is funded by the Western Australian government. That has
been a huge letdown.
The Leader of the Opposition over
there is not listening. He was asking about what may be in the budget. I can
tell him one thing in the budget, but he is still not listening. It does not
matter. That is normal. In this budget, $2.3 million will be set aside to
attack this awful part of our society. It will help different government departments,
such as the police, hospitals and nurses—the whole lot—to
identify some of those areas so we can go back to the community and say it is
wrong and people should not be doing that. The helpline, which is run by
Advocare and supported, I will say it again, by the state government, will
provide free and confidential advice to seniors who suspect they may be victims
of elder abuse. Confidentiality is very important. Otherwise, they will not try
to find the help that is available and can be given by those special people at
Advocare. Again, it is with great pride that today we will announce in the
budget that $2.3 million will go towards attacking this scourge in our society.
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