Anne Ruston (SA, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Health and Aged Care) Share this | Hansard source

by leave—I move amendments (1) and (2) on sheet 3416 revised together:

(1) Schedule 1, page 14 (after line 18), after item 54, insert:

54A At the end of section 91

Add:

(6) In making a determination under subsection (1) for the 2025-26 financial year, the Minister must ensure that the method makes available:

(a) a number of places equal to, or greater than, the guaranteed (tranche 1) number, for allocation to individuals for the service group home support by the end of 31 December 2025; and

(b) at least an additional 43,000 places, for allocation to individuals for the service group home support by the end of 30 June 2026.

Note: This guarantees at least 83,000 services (whether home care packages or home support places) for recipients.

(7) Nothing in subsection (6) limits the Minister's powers under any of paragraphs (1)(b) to (d) in respect of the places mentioned in that subsection.

(8) In this section:

guaranteed (tranche 1) number means the number worked out as follows:

(a) 40,000; less

(b) the following:

(i) if the difference between the number of home care packages immediately before the commencement of the Aged Care Act 2024 and the number of home care packages immediately before the transition time is greater than or equal to 40,000—40,000;

(ii) if the difference between the number of home care packages immediately before the commencement of the Aged Care Act 2024 and the number of home care packages immediately before the transition time is greater than zero but less than 40,000—that difference;

(iii) otherwise—zero.

number of home care packages, at a time, means the number of home care packages under the Australian Government framework known as the National Priority System that were available and released to recipients at that time in accordance with determinations under subsection 23B-1(1) of the Aged Care Act 1997.

transition time means the beginning of the day after the Aged Care and Other Legislation Amendment Act 2025 receives the Royal Assent.

(2) Schedule 1, page 15 (after line 9), after item 58, insert:

58A At the end of section 92

Add:

(5) The System Governor's power to allocate places to an individual under subsection (1) must be exercised in the 2025-26 financial year so that:

(a) a number of places equal to, or greater than, the guaranteed (tranche 1) number (within the meaning of section 91) are allocated to individuals for the service group home support by the end of 31 December 2025; and

(b) at least an additional 43,000 places are allocated to individuals for the service group home support by the end of 30 June 2026.

Note: This ensures the 83,000 services (whether home care packages or home support places) guaranteed by subsection 91(6) are released.

(6) If the System Governor fails to comply with paragraph (5)(a) or (b), the System Governor must give the Minister a written statement that sets out the reasons for the failure.

(7) The System Governor must do so within 14 days of:

(a) for a failure to comply with paragraph (5)(a)—31 December 2025; or

(b) for a failure to comply with paragraph (5)(b)—30 June 2026.

(8) The Minister must cause a copy of the statement to be tabled in each House of the Parliament within 15 sitting days of that House after the statement is given to the Minister

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Statement pursuant to the order of the Senate of 26 June 2000

Amendments (1) and (2)

Amendments (1) and (2) are framed as requests because they amend the bill provide for the release of a minimum number of home support places in accordance with the Commonwealth aged care system.

This will increase the amount of expenditure under the appropriation in section 598 of the Aged Care Act 2024.

Statement by the Clerk of the Senate pursuant to the order of the Senate of 26 June 2000

Amendments (1) and (2)

If the effect of the amendments is to increase expenditure under the standing appropriation in section 598 of the Aged Care Act 2024 then it is in accordance with the precedents of the Senate that the amendments be moved as requests.

In moving these amendments, the opposition is seeking to make sure that the government holds true to its commitment that it made to older Australians during the election campaign that 83,000 packages will be released to provide care for older Australians that are currently waiting for the care they've been assessed as needing. We saw earlier this morning an amendment pass this chamber which has forced the government into releasing 20,000 home-care packages immediately. What these amendments seek to do now is force the government to commit to releasing an additional 20,000 Support at Home packages between 1 November and 31 December, and ensure that the remaining 43,000 packages that were promised by this government during the election campaign are released before 30 June 2026.

Before I seek for the question to be put, I am keen to ask the minister: when is the government intending to seek royal assent to these bills?