Kristina Keneally (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Deputy 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. Yesterday the minister said, 'We have been extremely fortunate.' Does the minister really believe the 100 families who have lost loved ones in the last seven days accept that we have been extremely fortunate?

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

I don't think that the families who have lost loved ones would be feeling anything other than grief, and I understand that. They have suffered tragic losses—all 342 of them, now. They've all suffered a really tragic loss and, again, my condolences and the government's condolences to them. But, in a comparative sense, the Australian government's management of the COVID-19 outbreak has been relatively good. In fact, I would rather be here in Australia than anywhere else in the world right now. That is also reflected in the figures that we have with respect to the number of contractions of the virus in our residential aged-care system. While the Labor Party might like to hang on calculations that place Australia in a bad light, if you look at the aged-care stats on an international basis, we are doing relatively well.

The government takes no pleasure in the fact that these families have suffered this tragic loss. It is a tragic loss. I don't expect any of those families to feel anything but the loss that they have felt.

If you look at Australia's circumstances in a global sense and our management of COVID-19 compared to the rest of the world, I would rather be here in Australia than almost any other country in the world.

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

Senator Keneally, a supplementary question?

Kristina Keneally (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The minister just said he would rather be in Australia than any other country in the world and that the government has done reasonably well. The day before this man died at St Basil's a resident received a call telling them their father was comfortably sitting in his room isolated from a major coronavirus outbreak gripping the facility, when in reality their father was gravely unwell at the Northern Hospital Epping. Minister, why should this man and his grieving family accept that the government has done reasonably well?

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

Thanks, Senator Keneally, for the question. It is disappointing that the opposition seeks to reinterpret what I'm saying in one context and apply it to another context. I have done nothing but express my sympathies and the government's sympathies—

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting—

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

Order, senators on my left! Senator Colbeck, please resume your seat. Order on my left! If I can't hear the minister, I won't be able to deal with the inevitable points of order. Senator Colbeck.

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

Thank you, Mr President. It is disappointing that the opposition tries to take my comments out of context and apply them in a different circumstance, because that's not what I've said on any occasion. I have done nothing but express my sympathies for every family who has suffered a loss, because they're all suffering a family tragedy. So I take offence at the fact that Senator Keneally tries to use my words in a way that I have never uttered them. It is, in fact, quite outrageous that she— (Time expired)

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

Senator Keneally, a final supplementary question?

Kristina Keneally (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

A diabetic 75-year-old woman with COVID-19 was forced to go without breakfast and was left for hours in a urine-soaked bed due to a lack of staff. Does the minister really believe that the government has done reasonably well in addressing this aged-care crisis and the COVID-19 outbreak in residential aged-care homes?

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

Again, Senator Keneally deliberately misquotes and verbals me with respect to the words I've used and the context within which I've used them. I and the government have acknowledged that in some circumstances—and particularly at St Basil's, where we had 24 hours to restaff the entire facility, including management—things didn't go as we thought they should have done. We have acknowledged it and we've apologised for it. The families of these residents have suffered an absolute tragedy. I will not take Senator Keneally misusing what I've said and placing it completely out of context, because it's completely unreasonable for her to do that—

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

Order, Senator Colbeck! Senator Faruqi.