Senate debates

Thursday, 14 November 2019

Questions without Notice

Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety

2:16 pm

Photo of Richard ColbeckRichard Colbeck (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Aged Care and Senior Australians) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Keneally for her question, and she's right: the words that were in the royal commissioner's report, I think, do diminish all Australians, because what was found in that report showed that there was a poor attitude to people who are aged in this country. The report also said that something of the order of 50 per cent of Australians in residential aged care don't get visitors. It demonstrated a broad attitude of Australians to senior Australians, and the royal commission's report quite rightly indicated that that attitude had to change. The royal commission's report, as I've said in this place before, put the government on notice, put the opposition on notice, put the industry and the entire Australian community on notice that these attitudes need to change.

As I said on the afternoon of releasing the report, the government would carefully consider the matters that were raised, particularly the three items that were considered priorities. They are: the issue of restraint, the issue of home care packages, and the issue—

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