Senate debates

Monday, 17 September 2018

Questions without Notice

Aged Care

2:07 pm

Photo of Mathias CormannMathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Vice-President of the Executive Council) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Smith for his question. We're supporting senior Australians by making sure they're provided with access to care which supports their dignity and recognises the contribution that they have made to Australian society. Yesterday, the Prime Minister along with the Minister for Health and the Minister for Senior Australians and Aged Care, announced the establishment of a royal commission into the aged care sector. This is an important initiative. We know that our aged care sector providers provide some of the best care in the world and we are looked at as a leader in the field, to the point that aged care is now an important export industry for Australia. But we need to make sure that everyone is up to scratch.

The royal commission into the aged care sector will primarily look at the quality of care provided in residential aged care and in-home aged care for senior Australians. We will also look at younger Australians living with disabilities in residential aged care environments. Australians rightly expect high standards for the safety and quality of aged care services, and the Morrison government shares these expectations.

This royal commission will be about proactively determining what we need to do in the future to ensure these expectations can be met. There are thousands of extraordinary operators—facilities, care providers, nursing and other clinical staff, volunteers, cleaners, cooks, and therapists—working hard to improve the lives of senior Australians every day. But the best teams will always want to do better, and we need to be honest about the performance of the sector as a whole. At the royal commission, we'll look at the aged care sector as a whole without bias or prejudice. It will make findings on the evidence and as a government, as a parliament, it will be our job to act on these findings in the interests of all Australians. The terms of reference will be determined through consultation with the community, including residents and their families and aged care providers.

Comments

No comments