Ged Kearney (Cooper, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Health and Ageing) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister: Why did the government end its program to stop aged-care staff working across multiple facilities in November last year before a single Australian had been vaccinated?

Greg Hunt (Flinders, Liberal Party, Minister for Health and Aged Care) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'm actually pleased to receive this question and, in particular, to address the advice of the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee. It considered the single-site worker program was considered by the principal medical expert panel of Australia on 9 November and was tabled in the national cabinet on 13 November 2020. If I may, I will turn exactly to the words within the Updated National COVID-19 Aged Care Plan, adopted by the AHPPC and tabled at the national cabinet on single-site workforce arrangements.

Single site workforce arrangements are a useful tool in mitigating the risk of COVID-19 being unintentionally transmitted across aged care facilities.

It is acknowledged that:

• Single site arrangements are complex and should not be required where there is a low risk of COVID-19

• It is important that the sector and government are prepared to implement single site arrangements quickly, where required, and

• The design of single site arrangements needs to consider employment relations and workforce protections, workforce capacity, and coverage in terms of sectors …

That was the nationally agreed aged-care plan that was adopted by AHPPC and tabled. The actions that were taken were precisely in line. The same single-site workforce arrangements were triggered by the Commonwealth Chief Medical Officer on Thursday of last week when he declared a Commonwealth hotspot, precisely in line with the agreement across all states and territories.

I would note that the Health Services Union took an aged-care provider to the Fair Work Commission in March last year and was successful in that case against an aged-care provider which had themselves wanted to implement a single-worker policy. So it was not supported by the union. I would also note in relation to that that one of the other things which has been—

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Members on my left.

Greg Hunt (Flinders, Liberal Party, Minister for Health and Aged Care) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I would add two things to earlier answers. Of course, there are 50 roving pop-up clinics which are being delivered directly into facilities this week. The Victorian model is different to the New South Wales model. So not one or two but 15 roving models are being delivered directly, as in reach, for aged-care workers in facilities as well as for residents. In addition, a question was raised by the member for Isaacs. I believe he is referring to the facility Grand Villa Mentone. That is not a Commonwealth residential aged-care facility. It is due to be done by the Victorian government.