Tony Zappia (Makin, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Sadly, over 450 elderly Australians have now died in aged care. Distressingly, many would have died alone, without family or loved ones by their side in their last hours of life. Their only comfort would have come from the compassionate care and company of aged-care workers who, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, have sacrificed themselves and their families and who, under trying conditions, have done an extraordinary job. To those aged-care workers we say thank you. They deserve our thanks.

But saying thank you is simply not enough. What they need is safer workplaces, fairer pay, better work conditions, better training and equipment and more staff. The aged-care sector is in crisis. Elderly Australians are dying, and too many others suffer terribly. Too often we hear the stories of that suffering and too often we hear of the cases of them dying. After seven years in office, it is time that the Morrison government stopped procrastinating, stopped delaying and stopped hiding behind a royal commission and fixed the problems that have been made clear time and again. Our elderly deserve better and they don't have time on their side.