Dorinda Cox (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I also rise to speak on the Aged Care (Accommodation Payment Security) Levy Amendment Bill 2025 and the Aged Care and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2025, also known as the ACOLA Bill. As the chair of the Senate Community Affairs Legislation Committee, on behalf of the Albanese Labor government I want to thank Minister Rae, in particular, for his carriage of these bills and I note the important work that was also covered by our former minister, Minister Wells. I also extend that to their ministerial officers and the pieces of work that they have done to assist in the important inquiry into these bills.

As we enter into a time when our population is ageing and the concept of juggling care becomes a reality, some people—in fact, most people—are actually not prepared for what that might look like and some need some guidance on how to ensure that our older Australians have everything that they need. As we juggle caring with the responsibilities we have for raising a family, working, studying full-time and being active in the community through volunteering, hobbies or sports, caring for our older parents and grandparents is becoming more prevalent, and, in some cases, more complex. When I think about the ability for us all to be able to provide quality care for our older Australians, I think about my mum and, as a grandmother, what she needs as she ages and continues to work part time in our community and help care for her grandchildren. But, more importantly, what is my role as her daughter to ensure that she has everything that she needs?

I want to also thank my constituents in Western Australia who shared with me their experiences with older people in the health and aged-care system. I want to say to them that the Albanese government is acting on delivering this reform and that I will continue to advocate strongly on their behalf here in the federal Senate for the urgent assistance that we need in Western Australia.

This must be an effort of both the federal and state governments to ensure that we restore the respect and dignity that was missing in action for decades under the previous coalition government, as has been highlighted in the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety, and, in fact, make sure that that is delivered upon. Senator Ananda-Rajah was very clear that we on this side of the chamber will not be lectured to by the coalition government, because the word 'neglect' was used during the royal commission. This royal commission was established in 2018 and it investigated the state of aged-care services in Australia. It focused on quality, safety and whether it in fact met the community's needs. The commission's final report, delivered in 2021, highlighted the systemic issues and made 148 recommendations for reform. These recommendations were aimed at improving safety, health, wellbeing and quality of life for those receiving government funded aged care.

These are important, and I want to highlight an important feature of that royal commission. For a long period of time, legislation has been focused on funding requirements for aged-care providers rather than the genuine care of older people. That is what the Albanese government is about to change through these bills. The approach that Minister Rae has outlined in his second reading speech is actually to fix that. It's to ensure that that very clear essence of what that royal commission was saying is actually delivered. Through the ACOLA Bill, we will continue to provide further support on our government's ambition to transform the experiences of older Australians who are receiving care.

I want to also recognise the tremendous contribution that our aged-care and home-care workers make. Having high-quality care means increasing provider accountability through the appropriate mechanisms of support to our workforce. It's a workforce that is sometimes not given the respect that it absolutely deserves. The aged-care and home-care workforce must be supported to provide professional care that encompasses dignity. I want to do a quick shout-out to the amazing aged-care workers who are members of the United Workers Union, who are doing some amazing work on behalf of the sector. We see you and support you always.

These bills are required to make the necessary amendments to the existing legislation and to support the commencement of the Aged Care Act. It actually passed both houses in 2024, but the commencement and the release of those home-care packages will be on 1 November this year. There are many, many technical amendments. I notice that I'm running short on time here, so I won't address all of them. But why this matters is that it enables an effective rollout of the rights based aged-care system that was recommended by the royal commission and includes the Support at Home program. It protects the rights and entitlements of existing care recipients through transitional provisions. It clarifies incorrect definitions, procedural mechanisms and regulatory powers critical to the Aged Care 2024 Act so that it functions as was intended. It ensures governments can respond flexibly and quickly to implementation issues, particularly via the temporary rulemaking powers. I know that that has seen some contention in the inquiry into these bills that was held but also in this place and there has been some politicking about that. None of that is without scrutiny and accountability. It can still be scrutinised and held to account around the decision-making.

As a government, we are focused on the delivery of quality care to older Australians. This includes that preparatory work done through proper consultation with the sector, through the Aged Care Transition Taskforce and the Aged Care Council of Elders. I want to acknowledge them, their work and their partnership to ensure that these reforms are actually delivered, and delivered in a timely and efficient way. That was relayed to us through the inquiry into these bills.

In this place you will hear, if you listen carefully, some people say that the sector didn't want the delay. They were the things that they chose to tell you during this debate. They were the things that were not part of what the representation was. We didn't get a whole sector into an inquiry. We got a couple of those representatives. They don't speak for the whole sector. They were the larger providers who said that they could absorb some of those packages. These related bills, through the community affairs committee, received 20 submissions. Only one recommendation was made at the conclusion of this inquiry. That conclusion was that the committee recommended that the Senate pass these bills without delay. That's pretty straightforward. This was echoed by the majority of the witnesses who gave evidence to the committee. If you weren't there on the day, you didn't hear it. It was clear that it should be without delay. That was the first thing they said.

The politicking has to stop. It is about what we are here to deliver for older Australians. Across this chamber, I hope that we can all agree on this single point: that aged-care reform is a priority, so that we can ensure our older Australians are supported, and that this reform must proceed without delay. That is exactly what the Albanese Labor government is doing, and it will deliver.