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 ‘Currently, unpaid carers who look after children, the ill, people with disability and the elderly are excluded from recognition in the Carer Recognition Act 2010 (the Act).’
‘This inquiry will examine the effectiveness of the Act in acknowledging and raising awareness of the important role of unpaid carers in Australian society, and will consider if legislative reform is needed’, Ms Murphy said.
‘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
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03 9781 2333
For background information
Committee Secretariat
02 6277 2358
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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.