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

Under our government we've been increasing funding for aged care by $1 billion a year. I invite members of the opposition to engage with the government in the response to the royal commission into aged care, which includes a response to those young Australians who find themselves in aged-care facilities, and to join with the government in progressing the reforms that are necessary to address the matters raised in the royal commission. This has been the practice of the Liberal and National parties. I remember when the previous government was in office and we worked with the aged-care minister at the time to take through some very difficult reforms. I invite the opposition to engage with the government as we continue to address the issues in the royal commission that are necessary.

The royal commission has made it clear that the issues that we are addressing deal with a generation of issues within the aged-care system that go back over many governments. I note the very sharp response from the Australian public to the partisan approach which has been exhibited by some—but, I note, not by all—from the opposition. When we came to government there were 60,000 in-home care places; there are 150,000 today. Since the 2018-19 budget, we have put 44,000 additional places into the in-home care aged-care system. On top of that, as the minister was just explaining, it isn't just a system of throwing more places into the system; the system has to be able to absorb them, with the training and the support to ensure that those places are delivered in a way that is safe and supportive of those Australians who need them.

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