Alison Byrnes (Cunningham, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

The aged-care system in Australia is in desperate need of repair. For almost 10 years, those opposite wasted opportunities to fix our aged-care crisis, and now, as always, it is up to a Labor government to deliver the big reforms needed to ensure our ageing Australians are looked after. The Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety brought to light some of the worst atrocities older Australians have faced. The findings reflected failures of public policy—failures that hurt real people seeking care in our communities. For years, older Australians have been calling on the government to act, to help them, to ensure they receive the care that they need—care that they deserve after building modern Australia, a country we are so lucky to call home.

With the Aged Care Amendment (Implementing Care Reform) Bill 2022, Labor has begun the necessary work to fix our aged-care system. This reform makes three urgent changes to restore security, dignity, quality and humanity to aged care.

The first of these changes brings registered nurses on site 24 hours a day, seven days a week, in residential care and specified kinds of flexible care from 1 July 2023. This is such an important reform because it will save thousands of unnecessary trips to hospital. This will help to ease the pressure on our strained hospitals, which are providing incredible service in extremely difficult times. It will also reduce unnecessary stress on both the patients and the aged-care workers looking after them.

Aged-care workers are so important to our society. They look after our elderly, helping them with day-to-day tasks like shopping, bathing and preparing meals, and assisting with mobility and countless other tasks. They also provide social interaction—human connection that is vital to good health. But, as is the case in so many female dominated industries, these workers are overworked and underpaid.

Labor knows this, and this is why we have supported a significant, meaningful pay rise for aged-care workers. We have written to the Fair Work Commission in support of a pay increase for aged-care workers, because it is only Labor that has the will to look out for working Australians.

During the election campaign, I visited an elderly gentleman in one of our aged-care homes in the Illawarra. He loved where he lived, but he was worried about the staff and their workload. As the member for Mayo has indicated, we have heard reports of staff being allocated six minutes to help elderly residents get out of bed, help them shower, help them with medication, help them with their breakfast and help them with a cup of tea. There is no way I could do that in six minutes. We have committed to fund the Fair Work Commission's decision because, unlike those opposite, we know that, if you want to attract and retain aged-care workers, you need to pay them more. It is fair and it is right. Quality aged care is worth the investment.

The second change implemented in this reform places a cap on administration and management fees for people receiving home-care packages and removes exit amounts entirely. This is good for older Australians, and it is good for the aged-care providers who are trying to do the right thing. As the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety heard, up to 50 per cent of some home-care packages was consumed by administration and management costs. This change will ensure that more of the money spent on care goes directly into care. It is what consumers expect and what good providers are already doing.

Lastly, we are increasing transparency and accountability in the aged-care sector. The bill will require the secretary of the department to publish information online about residential aged-care services, including provider expenditure breakdowns. This will help older Australians and their families make better informed decisions about their care. This will create healthier competition amongst providers as it rewards good practice and increases transparency. This bill will change lives for the better by repairing a sector that has been crying out for help for far too long.

For too long, older Australians were neglected by the previous government. For too long, the workers who care for older Australians were left behind and forgotten. For too long, those opposite buried their heads in the sand as Australians suffered. But this bill brings positive change to a system in crisis and will start the healing process for the aged-care sector and for so many Australians let down by the previous government. Labor is listening. We are listening to older Australians and their families. We are listening to workers and their representatives. We are listening to the peak bodies and the smaller providers, and we are taking action to develop effective and evidence based policy.

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