Sussan Ley (Farrer, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Women) Share this | Hansard source

The aged-care sector delivers fundamental support to older Australians and it is critical that we are also supporting the sector to deliver their services so that Australians have access to the best care possible as they age. The coalition will support this legislation to permanently establish the Inspector-General of Aged Care and the associated statutory office because it is through this establishment that reform, innovative ideas and problems can and should be explored and change embraced.

The establishment of an inspector-general follows recommendation 12 of the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety. It is important to note that it was the former coalition government who called for the royal commission, provided a detailed response to the royal commission's final report and committed almost $19 billion to support the aged-care sector and deliver respect, care and dignity to our older Australians.

The Inspector-General of Aged Care will monitor and investigate the Commonwealth's administration and regulation of the aged-care system and report their findings and recommendations to the parliament and to the public. This will instil greater accountability, transparency and understanding of the work that occurs across our aged-care sector. With an ageing population, we know the needs of older Australians continue to evolve in this country. That is why we must address some of the fundamental challenges that the aged-care sector is currently facing—so that we can better respond to and implement reforms to properly address those needs.

We know that the most prominent and urgent issue currently facing the sector right now is workforce. It is critical that in the upcoming budget the government outlines the implementation of a whole-of-care-sector workforce plan. This plan must be realistic and focus on both immediate and long-term solutions to ensure the prosperity of the aged-care system. We are yet to see such a plan from this minister. There are some immediate levers the government could pull, including reviewing visa processing times for care workers, and, most critically, supporting the sector to value and upskill enrolled nurses to become registered nurses and remain in the sector.

Just last week we saw Prime Minister Anthony Albanese break his headline promise to older Australians. During the election campaign, the Prime Minister promised that every aged-care home would have a nurse on site at all times by July this year. But now, the Albanese Labor government has finally conceded that the promise can't be delivered, because the workforce just isn't there. We on this side have been warning the government about this for months and months. We knew that their one-size-fits-all approach to aged care failed to consider the significant workforce challenges before the sector. These shortages are most critically felt by small, regional, rural and remote providers. But instead of listening, the Labor government has caused serious distress and uncertainty for aged-care providers and the older Australians they care for. And we are at a loss to understand if the government will respond to the pleas from the aged-care sector by amending and expanding the exemption criteria.

Of course, the coalition unequivocally supports older Australians receiving the best care possible, but bringing forward the royal commission's time lines and imposing rigid constraints on the aged-care sector is both reckless and damaging. The coalition hopes that by establishing an Inspector-General of Aged Care, the independent oversight this would provide would assist the government to better support the sector as a whole.

The coalition supports the independence of the inspector-general and endorses the separation of the inspector-general from the Department of Health and Aged Care, as well as other government bodies responsible for administering and regulating aged care. This is an important safeguard and guarantees the impartiality required to monitor, investigate and report on systemic issues across the aged-care sector.

I note the number of submissions from a range of stakeholders during the consultation on this legislation and I anticipate the Senate Community Affairs inquiry into the bills, which ensures that every provider, consumer and peak body has the ability to further participate in the legislative process. The royal commission recommended that the governance of the aged-care system be subject to such ongoing scrutiny and that is why it is so important the inspector-general is empowered to review these government agencies to oversee their performance and decisions.

As a country member of parliament, I am lucky enough to regularly drop in and witness the amazing dedication to care from both staff and management of our local residential facilities. What they do not need is an added burden in finding and employing nurses, carers and admin staff just to tick unnecessary boxes. The inspector-general will have an opportunity to readily identify the unique challenges that we face in rural aged care, to make recommendations and, I hope, find a government ready to quickly adapt to those needs.

When I travel to aged-care homes right across the country I am consistently told of the complexities of the current aged-care system, especially around the complaints mechanism. The coalition is pleased to see that within the explanatory memorandum of the legislation, the inspector-general will also focus their attention on reviewing existing complaints mechanisms. The inspector-general will also consider how complaints, both from consumers and providers, are currently handled and provide recommendations to ensure systems are continuously improving and operating fairly and effectively.

In summation, the coalition will support the establishment of an Inspector-General into Aged Care, just like we supported it when we responded to the royal commission's findings. It would be remiss not to note the wonderful work of the current interim inspector-general, Ian Yates, who has a critically important understanding of the current landscape of the aged-care sector. I commend my remarks on the bill to the House.

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