Fiona Martin (Reid, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

The findings of the interim report into Australia's aged-care system demonstrated that aged care in this country needs significant change to ensure our older Australians receive the best possible care in their most vulnerable years. In fact, it was the Prime Minister who made the decision to call the royal commission as one of his first actions in this role, and I commend him for his leadership. Labor didn't do it, and now they're trying to politicise it just to score some cheap political points. Disgraceful!

The findings of the interim report were damning and deeply upsetting to Australian families who have loved ones supported in the aged-care sector. I'm pleased that on Monday our government announced $537 million for urgent action in response to the interim report. We are investing $496.3 million for an additional 10,000 home care packages for those with the highest need in order to reduce wait times and to connect people to care sooner. The first of these additional home care packages will be available from 1 December this year. We are providing additional funding to reduce the misuse of chemical restraints. We are investing $4.7 million to support the implementation of the Younger People in Residential Aged Care Action Plan to remove young people with disabilities from residential aged care and we are setting ambitious targets to stop new younger people entering aged care by the end of 2022. It's important to highlight that these measures are not the end of the discussion on how our country's aged-care sector can be reformed. Instead, they are responses to three key findings of the royal commission requiring immediate action.

As a government, we are making record investments across aged care. Under Labor, $13.3 billion in 2012-13 was spent. Under our Morrison government, $21.7 billion has been spent in 2019-20. Last financial year there were 1.3 million Australians receiving support through the aged-care system, from basic home supports up to residential aged care. We've rolled out reforms to ensure a greater standard of aged care is enforced. This includes the establishment of the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission to ensure that standards of care are improved.

This financial year will see the delivery of a total of 150,000 home care packages, up from 60,000 available in 2012-13. Every year under this government the number of home care packages has gone up, the number of residential care places has gone up and aged-care funding has gone up. Labor, at the election, provided no additional funding in their costings for home care places or any additional funding for aged-care quality workforce or residential aged care. Reforming the aged-care sector is this government's priority. It is the Morrison government who are leading the way for reform. We are doing it, not those opposite. We are delivering $537 million worth of funding to respond to the interim report, and there will be further responses when the final report from the royal commission into aged care is released.

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