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. It has been reported that taxpayers have paid more than half a million dollars, or the equivalent of $56,000 a month, to the liquidators of a 40-bed aged-care facility in Murchison, Victoria, to keep the facility open. Minister, how many residents have benefited from this funding of the liquidators of this facility since February this year?

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

The facility at Murchison is actually not open. This government is supporting the administrator to maintain the administration of that facility pending an agreement for another provider to purchase the facility. This government understands that provision of aged care, particularly in regional Australia, is important so that locals can actually access that resource.

Because of COVID and the impacts of COVID on the aged-care sector, and wanting to ensure that a new provider coming in can actually rebuild that business, we have been making payments, as the opposition indicate—I have to say, I think it's a bit unreasonable to average it across the entire period and make that a monthly number, because there was an initial up-front payment to support the facility, through its administration, and so that's quite dishonest of the Labor Party. We are supporting the administrator to maintain that administration, pending the purchase and sale of the facility to another provider, and taking into account the impacts of COVID-19 on the aged-care sector as a part of that process.

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

Minister, since the aged-care royal commission was established, Australians have heard shocking stories of ants crawling through wounds, residents left in dirty nappies and providers begging for more staff. Minister, why did you choose to give this $564,000 grant to a liquidator to run an empty 40-bed aged-care facility rather than investing this money in an aged-care facility that is actually open and with residents who need help?

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

Well, again, Senator Keneally should have listened to my primary answer, before she asked her secondary question. The facility is not open, it's not being run; it's being maintained, in administration, on a care-and-maintenance basis while COVID-19 runs.

We have not denied any aged-care provider support during the COVID-19 outbreak. In fact, we've invested more than $1.6 billion in the aged-care sector during COVID-19—$1.6 billion is what we have invested. We continue to support this sector, to ensure that it can provide all of the things that Senator Keneally talked about, and that's what we will continue to do. We have proactively worked with this sector. We have continued to invest in this sector. We have put $1.6 billion into the aged-care sector just for COVID-19. (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

Minister, you lead an aged-care system where there are 100 reports of assault and sexual assault every week, where more than 1,000 assaults go unreported every week, and with more than 2,000 complaints reported in just three months. Minister, why are you determined to waste half a million dollars on an empty aged-care facility instead of funding the most basic services to help older Australians who deserve better?

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

This government understands the importance of residential aged care in regional Australia, and the importance of regional Australians close by having the capacity to access it. It's an important part of a local community, and so when that facility is taken over it will be a major employer in that town. We, in this government, are looking to see the growth of jobs after the COVID-19 pandemic. It will be an important facility in that local community.

We continue to reform the aged-care sector to make it better. That's why we called the royal commission, to ensure that we have a forensic review of the entire aged-care sector and to ensure that we can actually make it better. That's why we'll continue with the reforms that we have been undertaking while the royal commission continues. That's what we will continue to do. We will continue to act in everybody's interests, not just sectoral interests like the Labor Party.