Lisa Chesters (Bendigo, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

Today is Aged-Care Employee Day. It's a day where we stop to say, 'Thank you for working in aged care.' But we on this side of the House stand with the workers and say that 'thank you' is not enough—it is time for action. That is why I'm really proud to be part of a government that is bringing that forward and doing that. We have said that we will implement the recommendations of the aged-care royal commission, which is why so many aged-care workers are relieved that Labor is in government. Today we stand with you and say, 'Thank you for what you do.' We stand with you to turn those thankyous into action.

It is frustrating, today, that it has taken so long to see action and justice for these workers. I am still contacted on a weekly basis by workers who are relieved and desperate for change—relieved and desperate because they know that there are skill shortages in the sector, they know that there are worker shortages in the sector and they know that pay is one of the reasons why people are leaving the sector. Aged-care workers work hard, they love their residents and they care for their residents, but they simply aren't paid enough to pay their bills. That is why it is great to see the actions that our government is taking. We are working with these workers, and we want to see the Fair Work Commission increase their wages. People who work in aged care are special people and deserve our support.

See this speech in context