Smithson: Magnitude of aged-care crisis finally dawns on election eve
Aged housing is suddenly a red-hot state election issue with the North Adelaide Women’s and Children’s Hospital landing in party sights. But Mike Smithson says it has clearly been an impending issue since the baby boom in 1946.
Deconstructing SA’s housing crisis is shaping as a hotly contested battleground for next month’s election.
But which major party do you truly believe will make a difference, if either?
The Liberals have come out swinging with an impressive campaign launch showing that new leader Ashton Hurn looks and sounds the part by offering her ageing target audience the chance to pick up $15,000 to sell the family home.
It’s a one-off tax concession to buy your vote.
The major catch is that the over-55-year-old downsizers need to buy their next dwelling for under $1.2 million to qualify.
Labor also has the oldies in its sights.
The government is looking way beyond the next term to transform the most highly prized piece of near-city real estate into an aged care residential mecca.
But it doesn’t take a Rhodes Scholar to see the horse has probably bolted on both housing fronts.
Hurn and the Libs have a substantial credibility gap when it comes to stamp duty relief.
It was just over three months ago when Vincent Tarzia launched his fanciful concept to abolish housing stamp duty over time.
The announcement was designed to prick the ears of prospective voters who’d done their sums on real estate and gasped at this tax imposed on the privilege of buying a home.
Hurn supported it initially, as a loyal foot-soldier, but binned the Tarzia plan as he was vacating the leader’s office.
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The magnitude of our aged-care housing crisis has finally dawned on the state government as an election issue.
The problem isn’t entirely theirs, as this sector is a federal responsibility.
But Canberra knows it’s been a growing problem since 1946, exactly 80 years ago.
That was the start of the post-World War 2 baby boomer period where families flourished, and migrants started their permanent exits from Europe and other parts of the globe.
Unsurprisingly, eight decades on this age bubble has passed through the system.
Now those honest hard-working people, who’ve faithfully paid their taxes, are looking for security as the sun starts to set.
Ambulance ramping has been escalating for more than four years as a by-product of bed block resulting from hospitalised elderly people with nowhere to go.
Relocation of the Women’s and Children’s Hospital was announced nearly five years ago.
If Peter Malinauskas, Chris Picton, Tom Koutsantonis and others now blame the Feds and the Minister for Ageing, Mark Butler, for not funding enough aged care beds in 2026, where have they really been since coming into government?
It’s hardly a coincidence their grand plans have been revealed on the eve of an election.
The Libs have also pledged retaining a health precinct there.
Labor’s earmarking of the existing WCH as a 600-bed aged care oasis is interesting but not without enormous challenges.
Firstly, it’s in North Adelaide and do I really need to say any more?
Many residents there have opposed development over a vast period, so why should this be any different?
Most of the usual suspects are themselves elderly and may be looking for a roof over their heads, so that’s useful start.
But Minister Picton has already let the cat of the bag, by announcing various aged care providers will be involved in developing the site.
A $250 million no-interest, taxpayer pot-of-gold loan will be available to help deliver the promise.
That already has an ominous feel of potential greed, disharmony, committees, sub-committees and grumpy old people waiting in the wings.
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Seinfeld television sitcom devotees are already getting a whiff of Jerry’s parents’ tortured life at Florida’s Del Boca Vista, where “condo board politics” reigned supreme and could even lead to impeachment of elderly office bearers.
Once built, will there ever be enough qualified staff to be on duty 24/7?
These two glossy election pledges are a start, but barely a drop in the ocean in times of exploding house prices and age bubbles.
And emerging this week, there’s a subtle twist in the Liberal’s way forward, which was picked up early by the anonymous author of the mischievous “Ashton’s Circus” email doing the media rounds.
That person predicated a new colour palette would be used to distance the under-siege Liberals from their traditional blue-ribbon look.
Sure enough, other shades such as pink, green and orange have now been introduced into the Liberal vista, seen on stage at Hurn’s campaign launch.
According to the party, that’s not new but it is a welcome change to catch attention where it’s needed.
Another week and another Labor grievance about the Lib’s star recruit for Waite, Frank Pangallo.
Labor says one of Frank’s latest social media posts undermines people’s trust in all levels of government.
But was it a Pangallo blunder or just an honest mistake, such as his unfortunate use of Artificial Intelligence over the algal bloom disaster?
He’s posted a zoomed-up shot of a bogged CFS truck, stating it was taken last year and was the result of a poorly maintained road collapsing under Labor’s watch.
It was part of his sales pitch to push the Liberal’s billion-dollar pledge for road maintenance.
It was worthy of public airing from the candidate, had it been true.
The CFS confirmed the photo and the road problem dated back to 2013.
Labor’s attack dog was quick to put the bite on the Liberal’s self- proclaimed watchdog.
“How many times does it take for Frank to get things recklessly wrong before someone pulls him into line,” was the response from Labor’s campaign spokesperson Minister Blair Boyer.
Labor has now referred its Pangallo complaint to the SA Electoral Commission for adjudication.
The coming week should again fall neatly into the Premier’s lap with LIV Golf dominating the state’s sporting calendar.
It deprives Hurn and the Liberals of much needed oxygen and it will be interesting to see if they publicly go on the attack over the Malinauskas parkland’s golf course proposal when visitors flood into town.
LIV is simply a jab in the arm to the state’s overall economic wellbeing, but the Premier is certain to try to land a hole in one as part of his re-election credentials.
Mike Smithson is weekend newsreader and political analyst for 7News.
