The Echidna: Old age a touchy subject for politicians

Comedians love gags about old people. They figure it's a safe topic because anyone in the audience ancient enough to be offended has probably fallen asleep, anyway. But you won't hear similar one-liners from politicians. Old age is a touchy subject because one of the longest-running jokes in Australia - our shameful neglect of the elderly - just happens to be their responsibility.

"It is a sad and shocking system that diminishes Australia as a nation," said the Royal Commission into Aged Care a little over a year ago. Its findings read like a Stephen King novel. A third of those accessing residential aged care had experienced substandard care. Almost one in five may have been assaulted. Forty per cent had experienced neglect or emotional abuse. Use of chemical and physical restraints was widespread and some of the slop served up for dinner would make a dog cringe.

Labor's decision to campaign heavily on improving aged care - Anthony Albanese was in Brisbane yesterday expanding on his promise last week to inject an extra $2.5 billion into the sector - will resonate with millions of Australians now trying to cope with ageing family members. It also plays on the collective guilt in the national conscience because it is not just Liberal and Labor governments that have treated our elderly with such callous indifference for decades.

All of us have looked away, too.

By late yesterday the focus of the election campaign had swung away from the elderly and returned to the juveniles who think they run the country, or plan to. Scott Morrison may not have announced the official polling date - he is widely expected to do so later this week - but the air was crackling with more than the usual sledging, carping and smearing.

Labor's plan to crack down on tax avoidance by multinational companies prompted claims from the government that the opposition was also planning to increase taxes on average Australians if it won the election. "The government wants to re-prosecute the last election campaigns because they have no ideas for the future," responded Labor's shadow Treasurer, Jim Chalmers.

The biggest issue for the government, however, remained the repeated and ever-increasing attacks on the character of the prime minister, who was in Tasmania and probably wishing he could stay there after a week which had seen him travelling the country making a series of multi-billion-dollar announcements.

Last week retiring Liberal senator Concetta Fierravanti-Wells told parliament that Morrison was "a bully who has no moral compass" who had ruthlessly operated behind the scenes to denigrate an opponent because of his Lebanese heritage during a preselection battle for the seat of Cook in 2007.

Further detailed claims were made over the weekend, including one by Michael Towke, the candidate Morrison was alleged to have undermined, who said he had been told that Morrison had warned officials that he (Towke) "might be a Muslim" and that "a candidate of Lebanese heritage could not hold the seat of Cook."

"I could not reject this more fundamentally, more soundly," Morrison said yesterday. You expect mudslinging in an election campaign. But when the muck is being flung from within your own party? That's when you know you might have a problem. Just ask Bill Shorten.

HAVE YOUR SAY: What do you consider to be the most important issues in the election campaign? Have you had experiences with Australia's aged care system - and how do you rate it? And do you believe Scott Morrison has a credibility problem? Send us your views: echidna@theechidna.com.au

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IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Retiring Nationals MP and staunch anti-vaxxer George Christensen announced he had tested positive to COVID-19 yesterday and was treating his symptoms with a combination of Panadol, Lemsip, aspirin, vitamins and "a couple of antivirals." He told his Facebook followers to "watch the haters now hope for something horrible to happen to me."

THEY SAID IT: "Vote for the man who promises least; he'll be the least disappointing." Bernard Baruch, former adviser to President Franklin Roosevelt.

YOU SAID IT: "All politician wages should be frozen and the money given to aged care pensioners who are too old to work and are living on the bread line." - Yvonne.

"I want a comprehensive vision for a future, better Australia that includes better living standards for all Australians, a better health system, strategies to retrain workers in declining industries and a better education system. " - Christine.

"I'm totally fed up with the lies, lies, lies. Whatever happened to integrity and truth? Please, can we have the TRUTH?" - Carol.

"It's quite simple. Take the $2.3 billion earmarked for the climate scam and spend it on hospitals, education, security and aged care. All any government needs to do is look after the majority - not the minority." - Andrew.

"I'd like to see some true independents contesting against sitting and would-be duds from both major parties. We need a few more Andrew Wilkies." - Stuart.

"We need credible independents as an alternative to the major parties and candidates prepared to list their promises and allow tracking (Key Performance Indicators). Unfortunately neither has a snowflake's chance in hell." - Mike.