A CANBERRA Liberals government will introduce a Grandparents Day, will deliver an action plan to protect older Canberrans from elder abuse and will give funding support for a variety of programs to improve the physical and emotional wellbeing of older Canberrans. 

These uncosted promises come after the party pledged it will explore a purpose-built neighbourhood for people living with dementia, build a hydrotherapy pool in Canberra’s south and improve transport access for older Canberrans with additional priority seating and better parking near senior centres

And, by freezing rates for four years, the Canberra Liberals say this will return $1500 to older Canberrans who overwhelmingly live on a fixed income and cannot afford to continue to keep paying more and more in annual rates increases.

“By lowering the cost of car rego and expanding gap-free bulk-billing services across Canberra, we will further reduce cost pressures on older Canberrans,” says a Canberra Liberals spokesperson.

“We will [also] deliver ‘prehabilitation’ services such as hip and knee osteoporosis programs to support Canberrans on elective surgery waiting lists.”

As for Grandparents Day, Liberal spokeswoman for seniors Nicole Lawder says Canberra families and the community are greatly enriched by the contribution of grandparents and this is a small initiative to honour and celebrate their important role in peoples’ lives.