The House of Representatives Standing Committee on Social Policy and Legal Affairs has tabled the report of its inquiry into the recognition of unpaid carers. The Committee examined the challenges faced by unpaid carers and options for reforming the Carer Recognition Act 2010.

Media release issue date: Wednesday, 27 March 2024

The House of Representatives Standing Committee on Social Policy and Legal Affairs has today tabled the report of its inquiry into the recognition of unpaid carers. The Committee examined the challenges faced by unpaid carers and options for reforming the Carer Recognition Act 2010 (the Act). Chair of the Committee, Ms Susan Templeman MP, said “despite the best of intentions, the Act has not encouraged a cultural change in how public service agencies and their associated providers interact with and support carers. This is because the Act is unenforceable, contains weak and vague statements without clear calls to action, and relies on a voluntary and inconsistent reporting system with little oversight or accountability.” “It is critical that carers have the right to be acknowledged as partners in care, to be involved in planning and policy development, to be provided with information regarding the person they care for in order to provide care, and to be able to access flexible work arrangements.” “I acknowledge the important work of the former Committee Chair, the late Peta Murphy MP, who led this inquiry until her death in December 2023. Peta was committed to making a difference in public life and brought compassion, intellect, integrity, and good humour to her work with the Committee and in everything she did,” Ms Templeman said. The report makes 22 recommendations, including: modernising and extending the definition of carer in the Act to be more inclusive of the diversity of caring roles, and ensuring this definition is harmonised across all relevant legislation seeking legal advice to determine how best to establish rights for carers creating stronger obligations on public service agencies to reflect the principles of the Act improving carers’ access to the supports they need, such as respite options and counselling, through Carer Gateway prioritising carers’ health and wellbeing, and providing targeted support for First Nations and culturally and linguistically diverse carers, through the new National Carer Strategy addressing the financial disadvantages carers experience over their lifetime, including supporting flexible work arrangements, introducing an income tax credit for carers returning to the paid workforce and consideration of other options to incentivise and recognise the impact of caring through the income tax and superannuation systems implementing a community education campaign to promote recognition and awareness of carers’ rights and the diversity of carers, to address gender stereotypes and reduce stigma, and to drive positive workplace cultures ensuring there is more comprehensive data to inform policy and to track outcomes requiring a review of the operation and effectiveness of the Act and the National Carer Strategy every five years. The report and further information about the inquiry is available on the inquiry webpage. Media inquiries Ms Susan Templeman MP Charlotte Kennedy-Cox 0419 268 918 For background information Committee Secretariat 02 6277 2358 spla.reps@aph.gov.au For more information about this Committee, you can visit its website: www.aph.gov.au/spla. On the site, you can make a submission to an inquiry, read other submissions, and get details for upcoming public hearings. You can also track the Committee and receive email updates by clicking on the blue ‘Track this Committee’ button in the bottom right-hand corner of the page.

Carers Australia will appear before the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Social Policy and Legal Affairs at a public hearing on Tuesday, 17 October 2023 as part of the inquiry into the recognition of unpaid carers.

Media release issue date: Monday, 16 October 2023

Carers Australia will appear before the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Social Policy and Legal Affairs at a public hearing on Tuesday, 17 October 2023 as part of the inquiry into the recognition of unpaid carers. The Committee is examining the challenges faced by unpaid carers and options for reforming the Carer Recognition Act 2010. Chair of the Committee, Ms Peta Murphy MP, said ‘National Carers Week is a time to recognise and celebrate Australia’s 2.65 million unpaid carers who provide care to our most vulnerable. Carers often take on caring roles with very little outside assistance. They are heroes in our communities, and we are grateful for all they do.’ Carers Australia argue that the Carer Recognition Act 2010 has not had a significant impact on the recognition of carers because the Act is not enforceable, there are insufficient measures to ensure compliance, and there is a lack of awareness and understanding of the Act by carers, the public, public servants, agencies and associated providers. Ms Murphy said, ‘the Committee looks forward to hearing from Carers Australia about how carers can be better recognised, respected, supported and have their rights protected.' Public hearing details Date: Tuesday, 17 October 2023 Time: 4:30pm to 5:30pm AEDT Location: Committee Room 1R3, Parliament House, Canberra The hearing will be live streamed (audio only) on the APH website: www.aph.gov.au/live. Further information about the inquiry, including published submissions, hearing dates and transcripts, are available on the inquiry webpage. Media inquiries Ms Peta Murphy MP Peta.Murphy.MP@aph.gov.au 03 9781 2333 For background information Committee Secretariat 02 6277 2358 spla.reps@aph.gov.au For more information about this Committee, you can visit its website: www.aph.gov.au/spla. On the site, you can make a submission to an inquiry, read other submissions, and get details for upcoming public hearings. You can also track the Committee and receive email updates by clicking on the blue ‘Track this Committee’ button in the bottom right-hand corner of the page. 

The House of Representatives Standing Committee on Social Policy and Legal Affairs will hold public hearings on Thursday, 24 August and Tuesday, 29 August as part of its inquiry into the recognition of unpaid carers to shed more light on the challenges faced by unpaid carers and inform recommendations to amend the Carer Recognition Act 2010.

Media release issue date: Wednesday, 23 August 2023

The House of Representatives Standing Committee on Social Policy and Legal Affairs will hold public hearings on Thursday, 24 August and Tuesday, 29 August as part of its inquiry into the recognition of unpaid carers to shed more light on the challenges faced by unpaid carers and inform recommendations to amend the Carer Recognition Act 2010 (the Act). Chair of the Committee, Ms Peta Murphy MP, said ‘on Thursday, we will hear from carer support groups and organisations, national peak bodies, and four individual carers. This hearing will be an opportunity for diverse voices to contribute to discussions about the value of unpaid care and the unique requirements of specific cohorts.’ ‘Hearing from individual carers will also offer a closer look into the daily realities of unpaid carer responsibilities and highlight the emotional, financial, and logistical aspects of their roles,’ Ms Murphy said. On Tuesday, 29 August, the Committee will hear from carer support organisations from various states and territories, as well as organisations dedicated to assisting specific groups of unpaid carers, including young carers and those tending to children with cancer. Ms Murphy said, ‘not all unpaid carers are expressly identified or recognised in the Act. Hearing from these support organisations will help inform the Committee make its recommendations to government on how the Act can be more inclusive and better recognise the needs and challenges of unpaid carers.’ Programs for the Committee’s upcoming hearings will be made available on the inquiry website here. Public hearings details Date: Thursday, 24 August 2023 Time: 10:00am to 3:30pm AEST Location: via videoconference Date: Tuesday, 29 August 2023 Time: 10:00am to 4:00pm AEST Location: via videoconference The hearings will be live streamed on the APH website: www.aph.gov.au/live. Further information about the inquiry, including published submissions, hearing dates and transcripts, are available on the inquiry webpage. Media inquiries Ms Peta Murphy MP Peta.Murphy.MP@aph.gov.au 03 9781 2333 For background information Committee Secretariat 02 6277 2358 spla.reps@aph.gov.au For more information about this Committee, you can visit its website: www.aph.gov.au/spla. On the site, you can make a submission to an inquiry, read other submissions, and get details for upcoming public hearings. You can also track the Committee and receive email updates by clicking on the blue ‘Track Committee’ button in the bottom right-hand corner of the page. 

The House of Representatives Standing Committee on Social Policy and Legal Affairs will hear from Carers Australia and two individual carers at its first public hearing on Tuesday, 8 August 2023 for its Inquiry into the recognition of unpaid carers.

Media release issue date: Monday, 7 August 2023

The House of Representatives Standing Committee on Social Policy and Legal Affairs will hear from Carers Australia and two individual carers at its first public hearing on Tuesday, 8 August 2023 for its Inquiry into the recognition of unpaid carers. Chair of the Committee, Ms Peta Murphy MP, said ‘in 2020 it was estimated that there were 2.8 million unpaid carers in Australia providing nearly 2.2 billion hours of unpaid care.’ ‘This hearing will be an opportunity to hear from Carers Australia, the national peak body representing Australia’s unpaid carers, about its views on whether the current Carer Recognition Act 2010 is fit for purpose and whether it appropriately recognises and values the diversity of such a large cohort.’ ‘The Committee will also hear personal stories from two individual carers to better understand the significant contribution of carers and their challenges,’ Ms Murphy said. ‘A lot has changed since the Act was established in 2010, and demographic shifts suggest there is a growing gap between demand for care and the capacity of Australians to take on caring roles. The Committee is examining the Act with a view to strengthening and modernising it,’ Ms Murphy added. The Committee will conduct further public hearings in August 2023. Submissions to the inquiry close on Friday, 11 August 2023, however late submissions will still be considered. Public hearing details Date: Tuesday, 8 August 2023 Time: 4:30pm to 6:00pm AEST Location: Committee Room 1R3, Parliament House, Canberra The hearing will be live streamed on the APH website: www.aph.gov.au/live. Further information about the inquiry, including the terms of reference and published submissions, are available on the inquiry webpage. Media inquiries Ms Peta Murphy MP Peta.Murphy.MP@aph.gov.au 03 9781 2333 For background information Committee Secretariat 02 6277 2358 spla.reps@aph.gov.au For more information about this Committee, you can visit its website: www.aph.gov.au/spla. On the site, you can make a submission to an inquiry, read other submissions, and get details for upcoming public hearings. You can also track the Committee and receive email updates by clicking on the blue ‘Track this Committee’ button in the bottom right-hand corner of the page.

The House of Representatives Standing Committee on Social Policy and Legal Affairs has today launched an Inquiry into the recognition of unpaid carers.

Media release issue date: Wednesday, 14 June 2023

The House of Representatives Standing Committee on Social Policy and Legal Affairs has today launched an Inquiry into the recognition of unpaid carers. Chair of the Committee, Ms Peta Murphy MP, said ‘This inquiry will examine the effectiveness of the Carer Recognition Act 2010 in acknowledging and raising awareness of the important role of unpaid carers in Australian society, and will consider if legislative reform is needed.’ ‘The Committee wants to hear from individual unpaid carers, carers’ representatives and advocacy organisations so it can make meaningful recommendations to government.’ The Committee is seeking written submissions, ideally of no more than ten pages, on the inquiry terms of reference by Friday, 11 August 2023. The inquiry is not considering the adequacy of payments for carers. If you want to tell your story but have concerns about your privacy, you can ask for your submission to be published without your name, or for your submission to be received confidentially and not published by the Committee. Further information about the inquiry, including the terms of reference, is available on the inquiry webpage. Media inquiries Ms Peta Murphy MP Peta.Murphy.MP@aph.gov.au 03 9781 2333 For background information Committee Secretariat 02 6277 2358 spla.reps@aph.gov.au For more information about this Committee, you can visit its website: www.aph.gov.au/spla. On the site, you can make a submission to an inquiry, read other submissions, and get details for upcoming public hearings. You can also track the Committee and receive email updates by clicking on the blue ‘Track Committee’ button in the bottom right-hand corner of the page.