Anne Stanley (Werriwa, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to make my contribution on the Aged Care Bill 2024. This bill, once enacted, will replace the Aged Care Act 1997 and the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission Act. The existing framework regulating aged care is being significantly altered. The bill is split into eight chapters that will enact distinct elements of the new regulatory framework for the provision of aged-care services. The bill is in response to the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety and to the Aged Care Taskforce, which was established in 2023. The taskforce considered how to sustainably fund aged care into the future. This bill responds directly to recommendations 1 to 3 of the royal commission and fully or partially addresses 58 recommendations in total.

The Aged Care Bill is a landmark, once-in-a-generation reform that will shape the way government supports people to live independently and with dignity as they age in years to come. Given the significant nature of the reforms, the government conducted extensive consultation with a wide range of stakeholders, including older Australians and their families; state and territory governments; unions; the aged-care sector; consumer advocates; service providers; and the public generally. The Department of Health and Aged Care conducted an extensive 12-week consultation on an exposure draft of the bill between December 2023 and March 2024. This was in addition to the extensive consultation that was undertaken by the royal commission. The taskforce undertook consultation in relation to contribution arrangements and accommodation payments. Thousands of people were directly engaged in the reforms through webinars, surveys, discussion papers and focus groups. This included 320 submissions and 800 surveys. The government has ensured that consultation was undertaken relating to all aspects of the new regulatory model and the Support at Home program.

The bill implements a number of commitments that the Albanese government took to the last election. These include mandatory aged-care food standards, stronger investigative powers for the regulator, new civil penalties, new whistleblower protections, worker registration, a new compensation pathway, and a statutory duty of care for registered providers of aged care. It builds on the work done by the Albanese Labor government to improve the quality of aged care and increase the wages of aged-care workers, particularly the requirement for aged-care facilities to have a registered nurse on site 24/7. Since the royal commission report was tabled in parliament in 2021, the Albanese Labor government has addressed 94 of its recommendations. Our government is implementing a rights based aged-care system alongside a new program to support older people to live independently and remain in their homes for as long as possible.

There will be a new regulatory framework and a stronger, more powerful regulator. This is absolutely necessary given the shocking failures uncovered at the royal commission. High-quality services, safe and compassionate care and fairer contributions are at the centre of the Albanese government reforms to aged care. This is in stark contrast to the former government's approach to aged care, which was summed up with a single word: neglect. To achieve this, the bill includes a statement of rights for older people and imposes a positive duty among aged-care services to uphold these rights. It creates a framework within which aged-care services, including residential care and the new Support at Home program, should be delivered by aged-care service providers. Additionally, there will be a single point of entry into the aged-care system. Eligibility requirements will be clearly designed and involve a fair, culturally safe assessment process for people seeking assistance. Funding arrangements will be reformed. This will include mechanisms to fund aged-care services, including aged-care related grant programs. The system of fair contributions will be established for those who can afford to contribute to the cost of their care. Not only is this fairer but it will ensure the aged-care system remains sustainable into the future.

The new funding arrangements set out in this bill will cost $900 million over the forward estimates yet are projected to save $12.6 billion over the medium term. A new complaints commissioner will be established to make sure that older people, aged-care workers, families and others have clear pathways to raise concerns about the quality of the care that is provided. This will also include strict whistleblower protections.

After nearly a decade of neglect, funding cuts and general dysfunction under the former government, our government through this bill continues the reconstruction of aged care in Australia. These reforms, as I and many others have mentioned, are a landmark, a once-in-a-generation reform that will improve the quality of aged-care services provided to older Australians. It builds on the work that has already been done by the Albanese Labor government in increasing the wages of aged-care workers and implementing the requirement for aged-care facilities to have a registered nurse on site. I commend the bill to the House.

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