Turner Judy: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Turner Judy: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:624;Page:19224] 
4.  
JUDY TURNER (Deputy Leader—United Future) 
 to the  
Associate Minister of Health 
: Is he satisfied that the pay conditions and development of carers in aged-care facilities are sufficient to ensure a sustainable and viable workforce; if so why? 
Hon PETE HODGSON (Associate Minister of Health) 
: 
 No which is why the Government recently made an extraordinary funding injection into the sector. 
Judy Turner 
: Why has the Government fobbed off the Health Committee’s recommendation that the Government fully fund foundation skills training for caregivers and roll out the model quickly given that in its own response it admitted that current subsidised training schemes simply cannot address the need for the industry’s 45000 workers to be trained? 
Hon PETE HODGSON 
: We are not fobbing off anybody. We are not short of advice on what to do in this sector whether it comes from the select committee report the Quality and Safety Project report the report of the so-called working party and so on. This is an ongoing matter that the Government will address from time to time. 
Dr Lynda Scott 
: Why has the Minister not met with District Health Boards New Zealand to discuss the aged-care crisis which has seen the sector say that it is 20 percent underfunded caused 37 rest homes and hospitals to shut and not-for-profit organisations such as the Mt Roskill retirement village the Methodist Mission the Salvation Army and Presbyterian Support to exit the sector and seen home-care workers paid so poorly due to 6 years of serious neglect by a Labour Government? 
Hon PETE HODGSON 
: Again the member’s invective does not match the facts. For example on the issue of home care which is the most rapidly growing funded area in this general arena funding in the last 6 years has almost doubled. 
Darren Hughes 
: Can the Associate Minister outline further improvements that have been made for the care of older people since 1999-2000? 
Hon PETE HODGSON 
: Yes. Total funding for providers in the older peoples sector increased by 14.5 percent in the first 4 years of this Government. Last year it increased a further 3 percent and there is a further Budget in May. 
Barbara Stewart 
: What does the Minister believe are the main issues facing the sustainability of the aged-care sector and what plans does he have to ensure that the current shortage of staff is addressed immediately given that the ageing of our population is set to make this problem worse in the very near future? 
Hon PETE HODGSON 
: I would list the main issues as being quality and safety low pay the ability for the Government to roll out different and in some cases quite innovative models and the desire for us as a nation to move progressively to a point where we meet the needs of the clients in front of us rather than presenting them simply with an array of options that the State has developed. 
Sue Bradford 
: Why if home-care funding has almost doubled over the last 6 years is the Government still allowing home-care workers in some cases to have to cover their own vehicle costs and to cover travel time in their own time which reduces their already low wages to almost nothing in some cases? 
Hon PETE HODGSON 
: It is true that home-care workers are in my view quite poorly paid. They receive in some cases $10 an hour or even less. What might interest the member is to learn that when we contract for home care we pay—this is for under-65-year-old people—not $10 an hour but $17.20. 
Judy Turner 
: Does the Minister accept that without Government intervention to ensure that funding for caregivers’ wages is ring-fenced and that significant numbers become qualified—as recommended by the committee—staff turnover rates averaging an alarming 40 percent and up to 88 percent in some places where better-paid work exists will continue to plague this industry? 
Hon PETE HODGSON 
: Generally speaking yes which is why we increased the rates for home-care workers a few months ago by a further 6 percent. 
Peter Brown 
: Noting those answers will the Minister give the House a specific answer to this question: when will the aged-care facility operators be reimbursed for the Holidays Act legislation that was passed last year—now soon or never? 
Hon PETE HODGSON 
: I will be able to advise the member of the outcome of those negotiations which are Budget negotiations in due course. 
Judy Turner 
: Will the Minister guarantee that this current aged-care crisis is addressed by way of substantial increases in funding this year that will be significantly greater than the token 3 percent recently received; if not what does he say to caregivers such as Pat Parata of Christchurch who has stuck in this industry for 12 years and is earning only $1.50 more an hour than when she started? 
Hon PETE HODGSON 
: I refer the member to the answer to her primary question which was that the Government made an extraordinary non – Budget cycle funding injection into the sector recently. 
Dr Lynda Scott 
: I seek leave to table an answer to a parliamentary question showing that the Minister has not bothered to meet yet with District Health Boards New Zealand to discuss this funding crisis. 
Madam SPEAKER 
: Leave is sought to table that document. Is there any objection? Yes there is an objection. It will not be tabled.