MARK DREYFUS
SHADOW ATTORNEY-GENERAL
SHADOW MINISTER FOR CONSTITUTIONAL REFORM
MEMBER FOR ISAACS
TACKLING ELDER ABUSE NEEDS ACTION NOW
The long overdue National Elder Abuse Prevalence Study confirms the shocking cost of the Morrison Government’s failure to take action to protect older Australians.
Research by the Australian Institute of Family Studies finds almost one in six older Australians report that they have experienced abuse in the past 12 months.
Equally shocking, much of this the abuse is being hidden with only about one-third of those victims have sought help.
How can Australians trust anything Mr Morrison says after delaying this critical report for almost a year and then sneaking it out on Christmas Eve hoping that no one will notice?
It’s long past time this government stopped calling endless inquiries into this problem, and actually started doing something to tackle elder abuse.
Labor believes that ensuring that older Australians are protected and are given the opportunity to live dignified, good lives is too important to be treated in this fashion.
Labor will combat elder abuse in all its forms as part of the Positive Ageing Strategy that Labor Leader Anthony Albanese committed to in his Respecting And Valuing Older Australians vision statement.
SUNDAY, 26 DECEMBER 2021
