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

My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Aged Care and Seniors. The coalition has dragged Labor kicking and screaming today to deliver all of the 83,000 home-care packages that were promised by them during the election, including 40,000 of these places before the end of the year and 20,000 of those places right now. Labor didn't want to do this, but we're pleased, along with the Greens and Senator Pocock, that we have made this happen today on behalf of older Australians. Why did it take the government to the last minute for it to support this sensible position?

Jenny McAllister (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the National Disability Insurance Scheme) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The government is very pleased to have worked with the opposition and indeed with parliamentarians from across the parliament both on the first round of legislative reforms that will usher in the new aged-care arrangements from 1 November and on the bill that is before the parliament now. As Senator Ruston indicates, we have continued to engage in those positive and constructive negotiations with the opposition over this sitting period and we are grateful for their genuine desire to help us build a better aged-care system. We also, of course, now and always listen to older Australians. This is about them. Older Australians deserve our support. They deserve the very best aged-care system that our country can deliver. And that is what we are determined to bring into being.

We know that there is increasing demand on the aged-care system, and we will continue to see that as our population ages. To keep up with increased demand, the Albanese government is bringing forward the release of the 83,000 additional home-care places. We will make an extra 20,000 home-care packages available in the next eight weeks until the new Aged Care Act comes into effect. Once the new Support at Home program comes into place, we will provide support to a further 63,000 extra older Australians in its first eight months by 30 June 2026.

This is a responsible decision. It is a decision that will deliver more care faster to older Australians who need it most while maintaining the medium-term fiscal save that was a key pillar of our aged-care reforms last year.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Ruston, first supplementary?

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

The Minister for Aged Care and Seniors has repeatedly claimed that there were 'around 87,000 Australians waiting for a home-care package'. But this morning in the Senate, under pressure from me, you confirmed that there were 108,924 elderly Australians waiting for the care that they'd been assessed as needing as at 31 July 2025. Minister, for how long have you been holding this information?

Jenny McAllister (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the National Disability Insurance Scheme) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

As I answered in response to questions from Senator Ruston this morning, the government's preference is to provide information that has been quality assured. It's on that basis that the government has provided the numbers which were relevant in March. Senator Ruston asked me a very direct question about updated numbers this morning and I do need to provide a qualification in relation to those. That data has not been screened. It has not been quality assured. It may be subject to change. Our preference is always to provide information to the Senate that is accurate and relevant—

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

I rise on a point of order on direct relevance. I was just keen for the minister to go to the question. I was asking: how long has she known about the information that was provided this morning?

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The minister is being directly relevant to the question. Minister, have you finished?

Jenny McAllister (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the National Disability Insurance Scheme) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Yes.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Ruston, a second supplementary?

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

Minister, could you please explain why the Labor Party voted this morning in the chamber against the immediate release of 20,000 home-care packages?

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am informed that technically the minister should not be responding to unreported-as-yet proceedings from this morning, but I will invite the minister to contribute to the answer in whatever way she sees fits the portfolio.

Jenny McAllister (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the National Disability Insurance Scheme) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, President, for the guidance. Senator Ruston, I think the best way I can answer your question is this. From the very outset, we have sought to work with the opposition on the reform of the aged-care system, and there is good reason for that.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Ruston?

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

I would just like to draw to the chamber's attention that the minister is actually making statements that she does not know to be true—

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Ruston, that is a debating point. There is no point of order for this answer. I have explained the nature of your question. I have invited the minister to respond in her capacity as the portfolio minister.

Jenny McAllister (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the National Disability Insurance Scheme) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In answer to Senator Ruston's question, the point I seek to make is that it is a good thing if the government and the opposition can work together on significant reform. It's important because these are challenging reforms that matter to older Australians. It's important because implementing them well means providing certainty to providers and the workforce and means significant change that will endure over time. That is why we sought to work with the opposition on the original legislation and also on the legislation that is before the Senate at the moment.