Nita Green (Queensland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

Sometimes I think the Senate would serve to have a few more minutes from Senator Rennick, because the longer he goes, the worse it gets. By the end of five minutes, he's back on to blaming someone else. The Morrison government's MO is blaming somebody else for what is a Morrison government responsibility—aged care. That is what we are talking about today.

Firstly, I'll begin by doing something that Senator Rennick didn't and acknowledge how awful it must be for those families who are grieving—the 328 families who have lost loved ones—to see this debate turn into a blame game from people opposite. I also want to acknowledge the essential workers who are day in, day out working in aged care. I thank them for spending the time to speak to people like me, other senators and other members of parliament to explain to us exactly what is going on. If you didn't listen to those workers directly and if you listened to those opposite, you'd think everything is fine. But when you speak to these workers directly, they will tell you that this has been coming for a long time, that things are very desperate and that they are at their absolute wits' end, because they love the jobs they do and the residents they care for. But they are not being given the appropriate resources, and they haven't been given the appropriate resources from this government for an incredibly long time.

We know that the 328 families who are grieving deserve answers from Minister Colbeck and from the Prime Minister. So Labor's not going to apologise for asking questions about the deaths of 328 Australians. That is not disgraceful or despicable. Those questions need to be asked and they need to be answered. But, when we ask these questions, the minister isn't able to answer them. He doesn't have the figures, he doesn't have the detail or he rejects the premise of the question. That is not good enough for these families.

We know that the government didn't have a plan for aged care, yet there were many warning signs and opportunities which would have alerted this minister to the very serious consequences of his inaction. We know that Peter Rozen QC revealed in the royal commission that 'neither the Commonwealth Department of Health nor the aged-care regulator developed COVID-19 plans specifically for the aged care'. The very first case of COVID-19 at Newmarch House was reported on 11 April, and the government failed to act for weeks after more than 60 cases of COVID were reported among staff and residents and 16 lives were lost—in April. In April they had the warning sign that they needed that this would be devastating if it ever infected an aged-care facility, and yet after that they still did not develop a plan. The lack of urgency is staggering.

The Morrison government is responsible for aged care, but it failed to protect aged-care residents not only when it comes to this crisis but before this crisis started. On the minister's performance today, I just say the minister and those opposite refuse to accept the premise of questions that we're asking or even that we're asking those questions in the first place. Somehow even asking those questions is too much for this minister to take. This minister says that we are very fortunate, that we are in a much better position than other countries. The minister said, 'I'd rather be in Australia than anywhere else when it comes to aged care.' Well, ask the families of these 328 people who have died in aged care. Ask these workers if they would rather be somewhere else. That is a question that this minister needs to answer. (Time expired)

Question agreed to.