Mike Freelander (Macarthur, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise today to speak on the aged-care crisis, which has developed under the Abbott-Turnbull-Morrison governments, and specifically to speak on this coalition government's cuts to aged care. The reality is that the Liberal Party's latest Prime Minister, Mr Morrison, is to blame for the shocking state of aged care in this country. He, after all, has been the architect of the savage cuts which have rocked this crucial sector.

The people will not forget that as Treasurer Scott Morrison was responsible for ripping $1.2 billion from the care of older Australians in his very first budget. His track record speaks for itself. The sight of him on television announcing a royal commission just made me feel they were complete crocodile tears from Mr Morrison.

It comes as no surprise to me that after five years in which the Prime Minister, and his out of touch Liberal government, have cut almost $2 billion out of our aged-care system, that the system is definitely in crisis, which is what we've been saying. We've been saying it all along. With such savage cuts the government should have been able to predict a reduction in quality. You can't fix aged care by cutting from it, yet the Prime Minister, when he was Treasurer, signed off on a $1.2 billion cut to aged care in the 2016 budget. He should do the right thing now, fund it properly and own up to his own mistakes. This is a tragedy unfolding and we must do better.