Michelle Ananda-Rajah (Victoria, Australian Labor Party) | Hansard source

I accept that those opposite feel that an emergency motion is required. I don't accept that at all because I have been part of the process trying to delve into the issues raised by the coalition and the Greens political party with respect to this act and the integrated assessment tool. We know that the parliament is working through these issues in a hearing, and the minister is also working through these issues. This is why I don't believe it requires an urgency motion.

We know that the care of Australians is an issue close to the heart of families all around this country. Does it require an urgency motion to elevate it? It has already been elevated in the national consciousness and in the national debate over many, many months since the rollout of the new Aged Care Act in November last year. We know that the rollout, while it is generational reform, has had some issues, and they have been brought to light by families and by members of parliament, the coalition and the Greens political party. Does it warrant an urgency motion? I don't believe it does because we are working methodically through these issues in the background. When those issues are done in a careful, consultive way, I'm confident that we will have resolution of this and do not require taking this further in this chamber through an urgency motion. I don't see how it's going to, in any way, advance improvement to the fundamental problems that have been raised by families, cited by those in the coalition and the Greens and aired in the ABC Four Corners report last night.

I do believe that the only way to resolve these problems is to do it in a consultive, careful, methodical way, which is how we are approaching this problem. That's why I am not in support of this urgency motion; I do not believe it is required.