Jan McLucas (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Aged Care, Disabilities and Carers) Share this | Hansard source

I prefer the word ‘chair’; I am sorry. I moved this amendment in the interests of bipartisanship. This amendment simply puts the minister’s words into legislation. He said that every home will receive one unannounced spot check each year—and that is what this amendment does. I recognise that the sector has a view, but I also recognise that the people—the 166,000 residents of residential aged care and their families—also have a view. And I dare say that, if you asked any of those families what the minister meant when he said ‘one unannounced spot check each year’, they would tell you that they would expect that the facility that their grandmother, aunty or mother was in would be assessed against all 44 outcomes at least once a year, and that that visit would not be announced.

All I am seeking to do is to put the minister’s words into the legislation. I reject out of hand any allegation that I have tried to besmirch or belittle the reputation of the sector. It is quite the opposite. I recognise that we have excellent aged-care provision in most of the facilities that are in operation in this country. But, unfortunately, there are some facilities that are not excellent. I referred to one in my second reading debate speech today. To fail 30 of 44 outcomes is appalling. I reserve the right to be critical of a government that does not put into place a system that ensures that the community understands that and understands the process by which those residents are being cared for.

The delay—and I have made this point on a number of occasions—between the time when a facility is assessed and when that information is made available to resident families is, in my view, far too long. Yes, I recognise that there has always been improvement after someone has failed 30 of 44 outcomes. You would want to hope that there would be an improvement, to be frank. But there were no sanctions applied. I reserve my right to be critical of this government and the processes that it has in place to apparently retain confidence in aged care in Australia. I reject out of hand that I have besmirched or belittled our aged-care providers in Australia. I have not, as a group. But, if there are some that are not performing, it undermines the quality and the confidence that all of us have in the aged-care sector if we do not shine the light on them and do not turn around the practices that are occurring there.

I say to you, Mr Temporary Chairman, that the confidence in the sector will be ensured by recognition of those providers who provide quality care—and those providers who are providing quality care welcome it—and recognition that those that are not providing quality care are being dealt with. This amendment seeks to put into place what the minister has actually said, and I commend it to the chamber.

Question put:

That the amendments (Senator McLucas’s) be agreed to.