Greg Hunt (Flinders, Liberal Party, Minister for Health) Share this | Hansard source

I want to thank the member; however, there is a very important point which he seems to be missing. We've invested over $850 million right across the aged-care system to expand and support that capacity. He refers to one subprogram within that, a $230 million program which was designed specifically to protect and support those who were dealing face to face and providing additional care at a time when around the world we were seeing those carers facing both a specific risk and a risk of losing their support in terms of staying on the job. So we were able to provide that retention bonus of up to $800 for each of the two current quarters—the June quarter and the September quarter. All workers across the aged-care system are supported by the $850 million package. The specific program was always intended, from day one, to support our nurses and our aged-care carers.

So that was what it was set out to do and it is doing that. What it means is that we are supporting Australian workers. And what was the result of that? I just mentioned in the previous answer that we have now cleared coronavirus from every aged-care facility in Australia.

Ms Collins interjecting—

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