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

I move:

That the requested amendments be made.

We're delivering once-in-a-generation reforms to aged care that give older Australians more choice, dignity and safe, high-quality care. We've continued to listen to older Australians, the workers who care for them and our aged-care providers, and we're stepping up to deliver more home-care support now and under the new Aged Care Act from 1 November. We've engaged in positive, constructive negotiations with the opposition over this sitting period, and we're grateful for their genuine desire to help us build a better aged-care system.

The existing Home Care Packages Program has almost doubled in size in recent years, growing to around 300,000 people compared to 155,000 people just five years ago. The new Support at Home program will help even more older Australians stay at home for longer, with a higher level of care available to support people to stay close to family and community in the comfort of their own homes. This is a responsible decision that will deliver more care, faster, to the older Australians who need it most while maintaining the medium-term fiscal save that was a key pillar of our aged-care reforms last year.

To keep up with the increased demand, the Albanese government is fast tracking the release of more home-care packages. We'll make an extra 20,000 home-care packages available in the next eight weeks until the new Aged Care Act comes into effect. Once the new Support at Home program comes into place, we'll provide support to a further 63,000 older Australians in the first eight months, by 30 June 2026.

This Labor government is committed to ensuring that older Australians get the care they need and the care that they deserve. The bipartisan passage of the Aged Care and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2025 is the latest milestone in our generational aged-care reforms.

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