Objectives: To make my life easier
Background: My parents are in their 90s. They have failing health, but insist on being as independent as they can be. Although they are self funded retirees, they need to have interactions with Centrelink because funding for home care is via Centrelink, and when they need to go into a nursing home (probably within a year, as dad has been waiting more than 2 years for a level 4 home care package, and mum is deteriorating), things will become even more difficult. It took several months to get mum to fill out the Centrelink income assessment form, as it required her to tell them her assets rather than her income. She wasted a lot of people's time by sending them her tax return (to show what her income was), refusing to complete the form correctly, and writing to the minister, and other assorted people about how obscure it all was. I live a long way away, and it took a lot of my time too. Since then, she has been refunded money (again an experience where she spent much time contacting the wrong people), and had the amount she needs to pay changed three times in a few months. I strongly suspect that she needs to fill out all the forms again soon.
1. Institute 100% estate tax (as per bloop bloop above) for all people over 90, or who need to go into Aged Care, or onto a level 4 (highest level) home care package. Don't leave anything to be fought over by their children (who should be in their 60s) - this might make for fewer family feuds.
2. Remove all tax and payments for aged care for all the people in 1.
3. Provide enough home care packages for those who need them.
4. Provide enough respite care for those who need it (my parents theoretically have 6 weeks of respite care available to each of them each per year, but no providers in the area have any available when it's required, because they are full of permanent residents), especially during days of total fire ban or extreme weather.