2024 Australian Elder Abuse Conference

The Hon Mark Dreyfus KC MP
Speech

Pre-recorded Address
 

Good morning everyone.

It is my great privilege to address the eighth Australian Elder Abuse Conference this morning.
I would like to begin by acknowledging the traditional owners of the lands in Adelaide, where many of you are gathered in person – the Kaurna people, and extend that respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in attendance.

The theme of this year’s conference, ‘Turn Up the Volume’, calls on all of us to take an emphatic stance against the abuse of older people.

I have no doubt this national conference will amplify the call for an Australia free from elder abuse.

Acknowledgements

It is wonderful to have so many distinguished guests present at this event, many of whom you will hear from throughout the conference. In particular, I acknowledge:

  • the Governor of South Australia, Her Excellency, the Honourable Frances Adamson AC
  • South Australian Minister for Human Services, and Minister for Seniors and Ageing Well, the Honourable Nat Cook MP
  • Age Discrimination Commissioner, Robert Fitzgerald AM
  • Conference ambassador and former Age Discrimination Commissioner, the Honourable Dr Kay Patterson AO
    Keynote speakers, Jane Caro and Tracey Curro.
  • Robert Taylor, a senior Kaurna, Ngarrindjeri and Narungga man who will be welcoming you all to country today.

I would also like to extend my sincere thanks to the event organisers and co-hosts, Elder Abuse Action Australia and Aged Rights Advocacy Service. Without your unrelenting advocacy for older people, a conference of this calibre would not be possible.

In particular, I would like to acknowledge Elder Abuse Action Australia Co chairs, Sue Leitch and Diedre Timms, and Aged Rights Advocacy Service Chair, and Chair of the Council of Elders, Anne Burgess.

The Abuse Of Older People In Australia

Abuse of older people is a shameful and often hidden form of cruelty and mistreatment.

In addition to physical abuse, elder abuse can involve psychological or emotional abuse, financial abuse, sexual abuse or neglect.

It is ugly.

It is unacceptable.

And it must be eliminated.

It can be caused by deliberate or unintentional acts, be subtle or patterned, and may manifest as coercive control.

As you are aware, in 2021 Australia's first National Elder Abuse Prevalence Study found that approximately one in six older Australians had experienced some form of abuse in the previous 12 months, yet most of these harmed, approximately six in ten, did not seek help or advice.

This likely underestimates the extent of the abuse as the Study did not capture people with cognitive decline or those in residential aged care.

These are deeply troubling statistics.

If an older person does not feel that they can reach out for help, then we have failed them.

This is precisely why the insights, learning and collaboration that will take place during this national conference is so vital.

We know that Australia’s population is an ageing one, which brings even greater urgency to this issue.

The Australian Government is committed to ensuring that, as well as enjoying longer, fulfilling lives, older people can live free from abuse.

Work Continues On Successor National Plan

This project has been marked by strong collaboration across a wide range of Commonwealth, state and territory agencies, and is occurring under the oversight of the Standing Council of Attorneys-General.

The development of the new national plan is being informed by the independent evaluation of the first National Plan, undertaken by the Australian Institute of Family Studies, as well as a national community and sector consultation process led by Elder Abuse Action Australia in late 2023.

Through these processes, the Government was able to hear from older people across Australia, including those with lived experience of abuse.

We have heard:

  • The plan should be underpinned by a human rights approach and be relevant to the full diversity of our older population; and
  • The plan should have a long-term outlook that focuses not just on responding to abuse, but preventing it from occurring. This requires addressing the reasons for the abuse and increasing our understanding and awareness of this issue across the whole community.

These are complex objectives but we must continue to work together to make tangible progress towards these goals.

I look forward to releasing a consultation draft of the new plan once approved by the Standing Council of Attorneys-General.

Upcoming Elder Abuse Research Projects

As with all matters of social and justice policy, we must be led by the evidence. The key to effectively combatting elder abuse will lie in better understanding it.

I am pleased to advise the Australian Government is supporting a number of new research projects including a two-year, dedicated elder abuse perpetrator research stream to be conducted by the Australian Institute of Criminology.

A goal of this research will be understanding the profiles, behaviours and motivations of those who commit elder abuse.

My department has also commissioned the Australian Institute of Family Studies, which undertook the original prevalence study, to conduct focussed studies on the abuse of older First Nations people, and older LGBTQIA+ people.

Monash University will separately conduct research on the abuse of older people in rural, regional and remote areas.

Outcomes from these studies will provide the evidence we need to pursue dedicated prevention and intervention efforts for these priority population groups under the second National Plan.

National Elder Abuse Awareness Campaign

The Australian Government is also investing in raising awareness about elder abuse, and ensuring older people understand the available pathways if they are at risk of, or experiencing, abuse.

Today, I am pleased to announce the launch of a National Abuse of Older People Awareness campaign.

The campaign is the result of extensive research and focus group testing, and will include television advertisements, online video content, digital screen placements in medical centres, and new information resources for the community.

You will hear more from the Attorney-General’s Department this afternoon about the campaign’s development, and its intended reach and impact.

I look forward to seeing the campaign promoted and discussed in the sector and in the community.

Conclusion

Everyone here today is working to combat elder abuse and achieving real change in our community.

I am deeply appreciative of your contribution to two days of dialogue, deliberation and learning.

It is time to turn up the volume, and commit to preventing, responding to, and ultimately ending the abuse of older people. Thank you.

[ENDS]