Melissa McIntosh (Lindsay, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Women) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Aged Care and Seniors. When the government was asked in August about delays to the rollout of home-care packages, the minister said of the aged-care sector that 'they weren't ready'. However, as part of an aged-care Senate inquiry, every provider that appeared at that hearing, including UnitingCare's representative, said, 'We have capacity to take on people now.' Why is Labor blaming the hardworking sector for its own incompetence and failures?

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

I thank the member for her question. As I said, in the last parliament, the Minister for Communications passed the new Aged Care Act with the support of those opposite and with cooperation from across the parliament. The new Aged Care Act brings along with it the Support at Home program, to which the member's question relates.

While it's encouraging to hear that there are providers who are enthusiastic, at this point, about delivering additional packages, we want these reforms to be delivered in a way that minimises disruption for older people. This is a system-wide reform that changes the way that care is delivered. We're spending each and every day until 1 November making sure that this system works for older people.