Anika Wells (Lilley, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Aged Care) Share this | Hansard source

In just six months, the Albanese government has directly addressed 37 of 148 recommendations to improve aged care, compared to nine in 15 months. We have passed two pieces of reform legislation, and we have delivered a much needed funding boost for residential aged-care homes. We have increased funding by around $1 billion this financial year to fund workers to spend more time with their residents and to ensure a registered nurse is on site 24/7. In just six months, the Albanese government has strengthened provider and governance reporting requirements, bringing in greater transparency and accountability. In just six months, we've made it mandatory for providers to report how much money they are spending on food for each resident, with providers that are spending less than $10 a day being referred to the commission. One of our first acts in government was to make a submission to the Fair Work Commission to get aged-care workers a pay rise. On 4 November, just two weeks shy of our six-month anniversary, the Fair Work Commission made a welcome interim decision for an increase to wages of 15 per cent for aged-care workers involved in direct care. Older Australians—our parents, grandparents, friends and relatives—deserve an aged-care system that delivers high-quality and safe care, and on this side of the House we have been working very hard in six months to achieve it.

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