Julie Collins (Franklin, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Ageing and Seniors) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. When 16,000 older Australians died in one year while waiting to receive the home care package for which they'd already been approved, why did the Prime Minister announce only 10,000 new home care places today, and why did the Prime Minister today put back only half of the $1.2 billion his own budget papers confirm he cut from aged care?

Scott Morrison (Cook, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Under our government we've been increasing funding for aged care by $1 billion a year. I invite members of the opposition to engage with the government in the response to the royal commission into aged care, which includes a response to those young Australians who find themselves in aged-care facilities, and to join with the government in progressing the reforms that are necessary to address the matters raised in the royal commission. This has been the practice of the Liberal and National parties. I remember when the previous government was in office and we worked with the aged-care minister at the time to take through some very difficult reforms. I invite the opposition to engage with the government as we continue to address the issues in the royal commission that are necessary.

The royal commission has made it clear that the issues that we are addressing deal with a generation of issues within the aged-care system that go back over many governments. I note the very sharp response from the Australian public to the partisan approach which has been exhibited by some—but, I note, not by all—from the opposition. When we came to government there were 60,000 in-home care places; there are 150,000 today. Since the 2018-19 budget, we have put 44,000 additional places into the in-home care aged-care system. On top of that, as the minister was just explaining, it isn't just a system of throwing more places into the system; the system has to be able to absorb them, with the training and the support to ensure that those places are delivered in a way that is safe and supportive of those Australians who need them.

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

Scott Morrison (Cook, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I hear the jeers from those opposite, and I would caution them again. I invite them to work with the government to ensure that all Australians get the support in aged care that they need. That's why we called the royal commission. We're prepared to address the issues that come out of the royal commission into aged care. I invite the opposition to join with us in a bipartisan way to ensure we can deliver the support that they need and they deserve, and to not play partisan politics.