Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Aged Care and Senior Australians, Senator Colbeck. On 12 April Minister Colbeck declared that he had planned for 'worst-case scenarios'. Given that 335 older Australians in aged care have now tragically died from COVID-19, does the minister believe that Australia is now beyond the worst-case scenario?

Richard Colbeck (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Aged Care and Senior Australians) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thanks, Senator Wong, for the question. In the context of residential aged care nationally, we are in a relatively good position given that over 80 per cent of the facilities in this country haven't contracted a case of COVID-19. We've been very fortunate.

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting—

Richard Colbeck (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Aged Care and Senior Australians) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Well, Senator, thank you for the interjection. But, as I've said a number of times, every death from COVID-19 in an aged-care facility, every death from COVID-19, is an absolute tragedy—every death. I again offer my condolences to all of them. But this government has, since January, worked extremely closely with the sector to provide it with advice and resources to assist it to manage the COVID-19 outbreak. Have we got it right all the time? No, we haven't, and I've acknowledged that. But we continue, as we learn about this virus which didn't exist before November last year, to learn more about the way it spreads, and we learn more about the measures we need to take. We continue to implement those, and we are still learning. We are still talking to the AHPPC about what more we might do. We are still discussing at national cabinet level what more we might do so we can continue to provide quality care and protect senior Australians who are in residential aged care and home care from the scourge of this terrible virus which, when it gets into that aged cohort, has absolutely devastating results. That's what we will continue to do. We will continue to invest, we continue to learn and we will continue to work closely with the sector, as we've done right through the pandemic.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Wong, a supplementary question?

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On 7 July this minister declared that his aged-care system had 'responded incredibly well'. Given that 335 Australians have now tragically died from COVID-19 in aged care, does he still believe that the Morrison government has responded 'incredibly well'?

Richard Colbeck (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Aged Care and Senior Australians) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I said that the aged-care sector had responded incredibly well, which is what was in the initial part of Senator Wong's question. And we've worked very closely and we've worked very hard, taking the advice of the medical professionals in the AHPPC to provide advice to the sector—and the subcommittees of the AHPPC, the CDNA, who've provided guidance, updated now on three occasions, to the sector. I think the sector has done well. We've been extremely fortunate in this country that the front line of our defences—closing our borders early, including to China, and setting up our national COVID-19 health response—has been largely effective. We didn't expect that the systems in Victoria would fall down in the way that they did, but as that's occurred we've continued to respond and to build our response. (Time expired)

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Wong, a final supplementary question?

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Today the minister has dismissed concerns about his performance, saying that we're doing better than almost any other country and that Australia is in a relatively good position. Isn't this just yet another example of the very arrogance and hubris in the Morrison government when it comes to aged care that the royal commission referred to?

Richard Colbeck (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Aged Care and Senior Australians) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I completely reject the premise of the question from Senator Wong. She can try and verbal me and try and put words in my mouth, but I don't have to accept it. We have continued to work closely—

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

They're your words.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Senator Cormann, on a point of order?

Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Vice-President of the Executive Council) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Interjections are always disorderly. The leader of the opposition should be aware of this. This is an issue that deserves to be treated appropriately, and I ask you to call Senator Wong to order.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Interjections are always disorderly.

Senator Wong interjecting—

I would add that regardless of the matters being discussed. Senator Cormann?

Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Vice-President of the Executive Council) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Wong is interjecting even on the President. That is even more disorderly. Senator Wong interjected as you were speaking.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We haven't been here for a while. It's not the best way to start a couple of weeks. I ask people to restrain their urge to interject, as it's always disorderly. Senator Colbeck to continue.

Richard Colbeck (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Aged Care and Senior Australians) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In rejecting the premise of Senator Wong's question, I commit this government to continuing to work with the sector, continuing to learn about the virus, continuing to take the health advice from the health professionals within the AHPPC and its subcommittees and the CDNA and continuing to invest where it is needed to ensure that senior Australians in residential aged care continue to be protected from the virus. We work with state governments on the public health response to ensure that we reduce as much as possible the community transmission that is the source of infections.