Brian Mitchell (Lyons, Australian Labor Party) | Hansard source

I thank the member for Clark for bringing this private member's motion before the Chamber. I'm pleased to say I have no Southern Cross Care facilities in my electorate of Lyons, and I echo many of the sentiments that the member for Clark has expressed. The executive management of Southern Cross Care really does leave something to be desired, but like him I give my full support to the very hardworking staff of that organisation, who are putting up with all sorts of terrible instances of mismanagement and suppression of wages and conditions under the management of Southern Cross Care. So I thank the member for Clark for bringing this on.

I'll take any opportunity available to speak to the Albanese government's plan to improve aged care for all older Australians and those working within the sector, and it would be remiss of me to speak on this motion without making mention of the brilliant community based aged-care homes across my electorate, from Tandara in Sheffield to Kanangra and Grenoch in Deloraine, Toosey in Longford, Medea Park in St Helens, Corumbene Care in New Norfolk and Uniting AgeWell in Sorell, to name a few. These aged-care homes show what it really means to be a top-class facility. I should also mention, of course, Wellington Views out in Brighton. Not one of the aged-care facilities in Lyons was criticised or targeted for poor performance in the aged-care royal commission. Instead, they represent what aged care is all about and how it should be done. It is testament to the dedication of workers and managers and the committee members who make up the boards.

I must say, for what it's worth, that from my perspective, when I see these voluntary committees and these centres at work around them, I think the non-profit sector is where we really need to be focusing in terms of aged care, but I'll let the minister sort that out. From my perspective, as a local member who deals with aged-care centres all the time, the non-profit sector delivers a better standard of care across the board.

This government is committed to fighting for the welfare and dignity of our older Australians. We firmly believe they deserve better than the broken aged-care system they endured during nine years of shameful neglect under the former Liberal government. It's not often that you get a royal commission report titled Neglect, but that's exactly what happened. It is time for real reform, and our government is addressing the critical issues plaguing the sector. At the 2022 federal election, Labor presented a plan to tackle the crisis. It lays out a clear direction to reform the aged-care sector, informed by the recommendations of the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety. We embrace the spirit and intent of the commission and view it as the blueprint for our ambitious reforms.

Now, since the election, our government has addressed 69 recommendations. We are doing the work the Liberals neglected to do. In the first sitting week of the new parliament, we introduced two amendment bills to progress reform of the aged-care system for older Australians. It was the first bill passed under our government. That's the importance we attached and continue to attach to the care of older Australians.

Furthermore, in the May 2023 budget we established an Aged Care Taskforce to review funding arrangements and develop options for a fair and equitable system. This task force will continue to consider the royal commission's recommendations, ensuring no stone is left unturned in our pursuit of a better future for older Australians.

As a crucial step towards increased accountability and transparency, our government is actively working to establish an Inspector-General of Aged Care. This independent body will provide oversight, target systemic issues and make recommendations directly to government. The inspector-general bill is currently before the Senate and expected to pass in the second half of 2023. Once appointed, the inspector-general will provide regular reports on the progress on implementing the recommendations of the royal commission, ensuring that we can stay on track for meaningful change.

To enhance the quality of care and complaints management in the aged-care system, we are expanding the powers and resources of the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission. The commissioner has the authority to impose sanctions on providers exhibiting significant non-compliance, and the commission can investigate suspected or reported compliance issues to ensure high standards of care. In the 2023-24 budget, we allocated funding for urgent matters raised in the preliminary report of the capability review, including support for the final report and additional resources for the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission.

So it's at the top of our agenda, Deputy Speaker Wilkie. We care about aged care. It was a central plank of our election. We are putting the resources into it. We're putting the time into it. Your motion is a very good motion, and I'm pleased to speak on behalf of the government.

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