Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. I refer to his previous answer, where he questioned why Labor was raising the aged-care question in this parliament. Does the Prime Minister seriously not understand that it is legitimate for Labor to be asking questions in this parliament on behalf of the more than 450 families who are grieving lost loved ones who have been lost during the COVID-19 crisis?

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

I do acknowledge that. What I was implying—and maybe I can be more direct so that the Leader of the Opposition is not confused about my position. In my answer to the last question, I set out very clearly that at the last election the government took a policy to that election which set out some 10,000 additional home-care places to support people who are elderly in this country and to ensure that they get their care. Every single death in aged care, whether it has been through this COVID-19 crisis or at any time is of great grief to the families who are involved. I am not suggesting that there is one person in this place who does not grieve with those families and we extend our sympathies to each and every one of them. What I was simply noting was this: that in fact we took some $725 million in additional commitments in the aged-care sector to the last election, which included the additional 10,000 in-home-care places. That was followed up after the election in the plan we had taken—which the opposition actually agreed to, as to what was necessary for aged care. But we provided an additional $624 million in the midyear statement that followed it. In the recent July economic forecasting document there was a further $813 million.

Our government has been responding to those needs. Those opposite may seek to come into this place and politicise aged care in the way they have been doing now for some time, but the truth about the plans we have put in place is that they have supported those plans and they did not offer one cent or one extra place on one occasion, and that's what speaks for itself.