Carina Garland (Chisholm, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations. What policy approaches has the Albanese Labor government changed to better support our aged-care workforce?

Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thanks to the member for Chisholm for the question and for her commitment in improving aged care and improving working conditions for people. Both the former government and this government were presented with the same information by the royal commission. The royal commission finding was:

The evidence is clear that the quality of care and the quality of jobs in aged care are inextricably linked.

…   …   …

Australia's aged care system is understaffed and the workforce underpaid—

and goes on to say:

The sector has difficulty attracting and retaining well-skilled people due to: low wages …

Presented with that information, there were two different approaches as to how you deal with the aged-care workforce. It was clear that if you don't have enough staff you end up with residents who need more significant treatment. Per day in aged care costs $200 to $300. Per day in hospital costs $2,000. It wasn't just neglect of the aged-care residents but neglect of the workforce. Punished the workforce, punished the residents and cost the budget model. There were two approaches to handle this. The approach from those opposite was to just give a couple of one-off payments. They gave one-off payments of $800, which were not well administered. People don't go back to a workforce on a permanent basis because there's going to be a one-off payment. They want to know what's happening in pay rates overall. The Fair Work Commission's work value case was being held. Under the previous government, the decision was that it would not turn up and ask for a pay rise. Our decision was to go with a submission that said the Commonwealth supports a minimum wage increase for aged-care workers.

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Deakin.

Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Under them, they refused to tell the Fair Work Commission whether the government would actually fund any increase.

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The minister will pause. The member for Deakin has been continually interjecting after I gave a general warning which I said there'd be actions for. So the action now is that you will leave the chamber under 94(a).

The member for Deakin then left the chamber.

I'll just ask the minister to continue.

Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

They refused to say they'd fund a pay rise. We put in a submission that said, 'The Commonwealth will provide funding to support any increases to award wages.' What difference did that make? It meant a 15 per cent pay rise was awarded. It meant, for a level 4 direct-care employee, they now earn more than $5 an hour extra. That's nearly $200 extra a week. That's more than $10,000 extra a year. That's why we are now seeing people being able to be retained and returning to the workforce and choosing to be trained for the workforce.

It was the deputy leader, today the acting leader, who said, 'There are concerns out there today about the actual collapse of the aged-care system as we know it.' Well, what we have seen is: now there are nurses in nursing homes—98 per cent compliance. (Time expired)