Scott Morrison (Cook, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

Once again, the reason that I am seeking to establish, and will be establishing, a royal commission into the aged-care sector is so that we can have a serious discussion about what is needed in the aged-care sector based on facts. Based on actual facts, not based on the lies of the Labor Party and not based on the agendas of others. All of these things can be put aside and we can focus on the needs of senior Australians in their most urgent time of vulnerability and need.

Once again, the Labor Party has raised the issue of decisions taken in the 2016 budget. In the 2012 budget, exactly the same decision was taken by the Labor Party in relation to the Aged Care Funding Instrument to ensure that the proper assessments were being made and that overestimations of demand were not being built into future budgets. There was a variation of $1.6 billion by the Labor Party in the 2012 budget.

Mr Speaker, I am not making any claims about that. I understand how the ACFI model works. I've put budgets together—three very good budgets, in fact, which are reducing the deficit, bringing the budget back into balance and funding essential services, particularly for aged care, which is increasing by a billion dollars and more every single year under our government. Now, the Labor Party might want to engage in these tactics here in this chamber, but all they are telling senior Australians is that they are more interested in politics than in looking after aged care.

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