Sam Rae (Hawke, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Aged Care and Seniors) Share this | Hansard source

I want to acknowledge the constructive engagement of colleagues across the parliament, including Senator Ruston, whose contributions have helped ensure that these changes will endure for generations. Since yesterday's announcement, the sector has responded very enthusiastically. UnitingCare says:

Older Australians deserve care that is timely, person-centred, and respectful of their rights. Today's announcement brings us a step closer to that vision.

OPAN says:

This is good news especially in advance of the new Aged Care Act commencing on 1 November.

National Seniors Australia say:

… older Australians waiting for care, and their families, will welcome today's news …

But the new Aged Care Act is not the beginning of our reforms. We've already mandated 24/7 registered nursing, delivering more care minutes for older Australians. We've put a registered nurse on site in aged care more than 99 per cent of the time, delivering more direct care for over 250,000 older people in aged-care homes. We've delivered more than 6.8 million additional minutes of care every single day, compared to under the last government, and invested $17.7 billion to increase the wages of aged-care workers. Every older Australian should be able to live with dignity and independence, supported by the care they need. That's what our reforms are designed to deliver, and the passage of this legislation is the latest milestone in our relentless pursuit of aged-care transformation.

See this speech in context