Carol Brown (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I stand to talk on the Aged Care and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2025. I thank Senator Ananda-Rajah for her comprehensive contribution to the debate today. This bill is another important step in our reform of aged care. It builds on the Aged Care Act 2024, which replaces the old 1997 law and puts the rights and dignity of older Australians at the centre of care. The royal commission called for a new aged care act, and we have delivered it. This new act begins on 1 November this year, after a short deferral announced in June by the minister, to give providers, workers and government time to prepare systems to support a smooth changeover. Two bills are before the parliament to make that happen: the Aged Care and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2025 and the Aged Care (Accommodation Payment Security) Levy Amendment Bill 2025. Together they make the technical, transitional and consequential changes needed for the new framework to operate as intended.

What does the main amendment bill do? It improves the way fees and services are managed and makes sure people are not left behind in the transition. It allows providers to charge for missed appointments and cancellations, applies the no-worse-off principle for subsidy calculations and transfers unspent funds from the old to the new system, so people keep the benefit of the support they have not used. It ensures interim packages are available under Support at Home so nobody falls through the cracks as the new arrangements are phased in. It also removes caps on cleaning and gardening hours, requires a review of the Aged Care Quality Standards every five years, and allows the regulator to use compliance data to inform star ratings, so families have clearer information.

The bill confirms that Services Australia and the Department of Veterans' Affairs can carry out means testing and subsidy work, so older people receive fair and accurate co-contribution decisions. And, to deal with any unforeseen issues during the transition, it contains a time-limited Henry VIII power, so that the minister can make rules to keep the system working while parliament considers any permanent legislative fixes. The companion bill, the Aged Care (Accommodation Payment Security) Levy Amendment Bill 2025, keeps the accommodation payment security scheme in place under the new law, protecting residents' accommodation payments and giving families confidence that their money is safe.

Support at Home remains central to our plan to help people live independently for longer. The aim is timely, tailored and transparent in-home support, with interim packages to help people move across without losing services. We will continue working with older people, families, workers and providers to make sure the changeover is practical and fair.

These reforms sit alongside the improvements already made. There is now a registered nurse on site in residential aged care, on average, 99 per cent of the time. Older Australians are receiving an extra 6.8 million minutes of care every day. We have backed in pay rises through the Fair Work Commission process, with $17.7 billion invested in wages for the aged-care workforce and further increases due on 1 October this year and 1 August next year. For older Tasmanians and their families, this is about real outcomes: quicker, cleaner, clearer access to the support you need at home; better information on provider performance; a regulator with the tools to enforce standards; and a system that carries your information, entitlements and unspent funds with you as you transition.

What stays the same matters, too. My Aged Care remains the front door. If you're already receiving care you will not need a new assessment, unless your needs have changed. The statement of rights will apply across the system so that people know what they can expect, whether at home, in residential care or in a specialist program.

Older Australians built this country. They deserve care that is safe, respectful and reliable.

These bills ensure the new rights based system starts well on 1 November. They protect people during transition, strengthen accountability and keep the focus on quality. This is another practical step in putting the care back into aged care and in giving families the confidence that the system will be there for them when they need it. I commend the bills to the Senate.