Daniel Mulino (Fraser, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Aged Care. After a decade of missed opportunity, what is the Albanese Labor government doing to deliver the care that older Australians deserve and to support the skilled and dedicated aged-care workers who care for them?

Anika Wells (Lilley, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Aged Care) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Fraser for his question. I know he has been very engaged with our reform process and ensuring that the aged-care workers in his electorate are set up for their future. This answer begins with thanking those amazing aged-care workers for everything that they have done and everything that they continue to do for older Australians. This government and the members on this side of the chamber deeply value you and your work.

But thanks is not enough. Working in aged care is difficult, complex and emotionally demanding. It is skilled work. The aged-care workforce deserves to be recognised for that through their pay. On 1 July that is exactly what happened, when 250,000 dedicated aged-care workers received a much-needed and much-deserved 15 per cent increase above the award as a pay rise. This is in recognition of their incredible work. But it's also important cost-of-living relief, helping to ease the pressure on families and family budgets. This pay rise means a $3.40 per hour increase for the lowest-paid direct care workers. For those personal care workers with years and decades of experience, it finally pushes them above the $30 per hour threshold for the very first time. For a registered nurse it means up to an additional $10,000 per year in their pay, which is a life-changing pay rise for aged-care workers and for their families. Helen, who's an AIN and has been a nursing assistant for more than 18 years, tells us this pay rise has meant that she can finally afford the hearing aid that she needs. This pay rise will also help change the lives of those that they care for. It will help us recruit and retain the workforce that we need to provide the high-quality care that all older Australians deserve.

I think I can speak for every MP on this side of the chamber when I say that we couldn't be more proud to have been the government to deliver this increase for the aged-care workforce of $11.3 billion, which is over 10 times what the previous coalition government spent on their workforce pillar. Those opposite ignored aged-care workers through their wasted decade in government, and the workforce will not forget their shocking neglect in a hurry. This government is not afraid to stand up for our aged-care workers. We are delivering for them, we are delivering for the older Australians that they care for and we are laying the foundations for a better future for aged care in this country.