Shadow Minister for Regional Health, Shadow Minister for Regional Communications - Member for Mallee - Transcript - ABC Regional Victoria - Friday 28 August 2026

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‍DR ANNE WEBSTER MP

SHADOW MINISTER FOR REGIONAL HEALTH

SHADOW MINISTER FOR REGIONAL COMMUNICATIONS

FEDERAL MEMBER FOR MALLEE

TOPICS: Caller concerns about My Aged Care, Labor government assessment algorithm, waiting times, support services, Four Corners investigation, service centralisation, Ministers Butler and Rae responsibility

Moon  
On ABC Victoria, you're with Sandra Moon. Here you are, 23 past nine, and we have an ageing population, and you know, hopefully, all of us will continue to age and get to a good age as well. You want to know, though, as you're doing that, that you're in safe hands, especially if you need medical help. Now, on Tuesday on this programme, Julie from Edenhope called in to share her, quite frankly, terrifying story about the lack of support after she broke her arm two weeks ago, and she asked my aged care for help. This is what they told her:

Caller Julie
She said that I would be put on a waiting list and probably someone would ring me by the end of September, said, but but I have a broken arm. Could I not go on a priority list or something? No, she said no. She and I said, is anyone else on that list with a broken arm? She said, I can't discuss that. My advice would be to engage your family or friends.

Moon
So Julie's story, unfortunately, is not uncommon. Also, there was a call from Diane in Wodonga to share her similar issues.

Caller Diane
I wanted some help, but they said no, no, we will put you down for a cleaning service, but it won't be for a while. So I said I'll either be dead by then or I'll be recovered. So I did recover, and I have the cleaning service now. Six months later, it took six months to get the cleaning service, and now I have it, and I'm going to keep it because although I can clean my house, I don't want to let it go because I know there'll be a time when I need it. I had another horrible attack again, and I've been very sick in hospital for two and a half weeks, and I thought to myself, well, I need to go to respite into a nursing home, so we looked into my aged care. No, there's no way I could go into a nursing home just yet. I hadn't got the right number, and when I get the number, then maybe we can look into it, but not just yet. So I was so fortunate. I've got some lovely, lovely friends, but I've got no family that live anywhere close to me. So I have these beautiful friends that said, "Don't come home to our house, and they looked after me for a week so I could get strong enough to come home."

Moon
Just terrifying, isn't it? Is that something that you've had experience with either yourself trying to to get some help, similar issues with dealing with My Aged Care, or maybe with you know an old. A loved one, where you've been trying to seek help as well, it doesn't seem right. We've contacted My Aged Care and the Minister for Aged Care and Seniors, Sam Rae, but they didn't want to speak with you - despite being given plenty of notice. So instead, Dr. Anne Webster is with you, who is The Nationals MP for Mallee, covering Edenhope where Julie lives. Anne Webster, good morning.

Webster
Good morning, and also the Shadow Minister for Regional Health. So, I am very engaged in this subject. I mean, people are going through so much; it is unnecessary.

Moon
Well, it's it's shocking to me, but I mean, does it come as a shock to you? Are you hearing this quite regularly.

Webster
Oh no, I'm hearing it regularly. I have a lot of people across Mallee, and I think Mallee is a good example because it's a very it's a vast electorate. It's over a third of the state geographically of Victoria, and so we have a lot of small towns just like Edenhope, where care is hard to find, but we're also constricted by a centralised system that the government has put out, where you rely on algorithms, you have to rely on phone assessments. I've got a gentleman in Mildura who is blind. He's 83. He's blind. They did an assessment of his capabilities on the phone. On the phone! How can you see what somebody who is frail is actually able to do? And you know, most people want to be ... I spoke with Julie in my electorate, and most people want to be independent. You know, so they'll say, "Oh, you know, I'm okay. I, you know, I can, I can manage." That's enough to, you know, shoot you off into the distance. The wait list now is extraordinary. I've got another gentleman, Lou, who is in Talbot, another teeny tiny town. They applied for aged care. I don't have the date in front of me, but it's definitely eight to 12 months ago. He has been assessed. He was put on, you know, the level two, not that important. He's now in palliative care, and he has not got aged care. I just find that inhumane, absolutely inhumane and so extraordinary.

Moon
What's what are the other avenues? I mean, what can Diane and Julie do? Where can they turn to get help apart from relying on you know their friends and family?

Webster
So I would heavily advise people to contact your local federal MP, not your state MP. This is a federal matter, and have your federal MP negotiate, argue, advocate on your behalf if you are not getting any help. That is our job. That's why we're sent to Canberra. I have met with Sam Rae, and I've, you know, laid down the line two weeks ago on, you know, he must be embarrassed by the Four Corners exposé on aged care. Honestly, so much should spur, I can't even describe it, and so the federal MP can make contact with the federal agencies, and ask for a review quickly, and ask for updates. Push - push the departments basically to move faster. Then there is the carers pathway - Sorry, let me say the right name - Carer gateway - is a a web page people can go to. Also, Older Persons Advocacy Network (OPAN), and that is another one where you can make inquiries and get some support. And then Council on the Ageing - COTA - in Victoria is also another website. But honestly, Sandra, why do people have to go to this effort? They need assessments in a timely fashion. They should be done locally by OTs, sorry, occupational therapists, who are local, who can see someone and their ability to manage in their home where they need assessment. It's just .... and supports, and that should be provided. The Royal Commission recommended that there be a single gateway into aged care, a single place where you go in and you apply, and then all of those assessments, look, in my view, should be local. They should be providers who are local. What I'm finding is this: this federal government, the Labor government, is centralising and providing funds to those who are not actually in the area.

Moon
And Dr. Anne Webster, look, we're just about to get to the weather, but you have been in touch with Julie. Are you able to help her?

Webster
Well, she's doing better now. Her arm, her arm is recovering. That's not the point. we talked about the local services and what is available. West Wimmera Health, or the hub down there, is her closest point of support. But you know, I've said to her, look, reach out, and we will push for an outcome that is more appropriate for you in your in your own circumstance. And she said to me, "Look, I'm fiercely independent. I want to be independent. I think most of us do." Yeah, of course. But there there comes to be a point where you need just that bit of help, and so she's making decisions that ...

Moon
... what about what about services in regional Victoria? I mean, what what are you doing to improve those services?

Webster
Yeah, well, this is- again I've been to Sam Rae because these decisions are made by the federal government. The funding, the grant funding for delivery of services is made by him and by his department. So, under Mark Butler, let's not forget Mark Butler, he's certainly got the authority to make changes. I have gone to Sam Rae and said, "Look, there is the government has recently funded this particular provider, who is hundreds of kilometres away from Stawell in this instance, another town in Victoria, and why is that when the local service has not been provided with that funding? This makes no sense. This is like the bureaucratic decision making, where it's easier for the bureaucrats to say, "Well, we'll just give this big provider more funding, even though they don't actually have a footprint." So I've been in touch with that provider and said, "Well, what is going on?" They were a little miffed that I'd called them out. That's okay. I can cope with that. But they, you know, said, "Well, they're setting up in Mildura. That's not Stawell"

Moon
Well, it's a long way away from Stawell. Look, we'll have to leave it there, but appreciate getting your perspective on this and your time this morning, Dr. Anne Webster. Thank you.

Webster
Thank you so much,

Moon
Anne Webster, who is The Nationals MP for Mallee, and I mean, I'm shaking my head. I'm sure you are as well. Do you have a similar story? Is there something that because we're getting plenty of messages on the text line, but love to hear from you 1300 977 222. We'll keep trying to get My Aged Care and the Minister for Aged Care and Seniors Sam Rae on the program. Perhaps they might listen to this and decide that they do need to speak with you.

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