Jess Walsh (Victoria, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I, too, rise to speak in support of the Aged Care Bill 2024, which will deliver historic reforms to our aged-care systems—historic reforms that only a Labor government would deliver in office. This legislation is about ensuring that every older Australian receives the dignity, respect and care that they deserve. It's about valuing the generations of Australians that helped build our country, who worked so hard and who have contributed so much to our communities. It's about putting the care back into aged care.

Australians are living longer and healthier lives, and that's a great thing. And as they age, they want more control over how and where they live. That's why we have listened to older Australians, and they've told us one thing loud and clear: they want to spend more time living at home, connected to their families, to their friends and to their communities. A key feature of this bill is the Support at Home program, which will ensure that older Australians can remain independent and connected to their communities for longer, with tailored support that meets their individual needs and helps them live with dignity.

For so many older Australians, whether that's someone living in Melbourne, an elderly parent in Mornington or a grandparent in Warragul, this bill is about choice. These reforms are about choice—choice to remain in their own home, to stay connected to their community and to receive care that is respectful, compassionate and high quality. This bill also delivers a rights based aged-care system, a new regulatory framework and a stronger regulator, new quality standards and also fair co-contributions to make sure that our Australian aged-care system remains sustainable into the future.

This legislation is part of our broader agenda to put the 'care' back into aged care. Absolutely critical to that is valuing our essential aged-care workers. We see our aged-care workers and we value them. These workers, mostly women, are the absolute backbone of our aged-care system, providing not just essential care but also compassion and connection. For too long they've been undervalued and underpaid, and that's why we supported a 15 per cent pay rise for aged-care workers, with more to come next year. Our government is committed to ensuring aged-care workers are supported to stay in the jobs that they love and the jobs that we as a community need them to perform.

Reform like this is once-in-a-generation change, delivering the largest improvements to aged care in more than 30 years. Again, this is an agenda that only a Labor government would deliver. This bill is a culmination of years of advocacy and inquiry. It builds on the findings of the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety, which exposed the heartbreaking failures in the system but also provided a clear roadmap for reform, and our government listened. We consulted and we acted.

In conclusion, this reform is about the kind of nation that we want to be—one that respects our elders, one that values their carers and one that ensures dignity for all Australians. This legislation will make a difference for every family member who wants the best for their loved ones, for every aged-care worker who has dedicated their life to caring for others and, most importantly, for every older Australian, whether they are in their own home or in aged care.