Santo Santoro (Queensland, Liberal Party, Minister for Ageing) Share this | Hansard source

should she ever, Mr Temporary Chairman, become Minister for Ageing.

The advice that I can give you again is that spot checks will range over all 44 outcomes. That is the advice that I can give Senator McLucas, Mr Temporary Chairman. The range of outcomes that will be looked into as a result of spot checks will in fact be determined by the independent agency, and often as a result of specific advice that is received. In terms of why it is not made compulsory to check against all 44 outcomes, I have in my substantive remarks mentioned to Senator McLucas—and everybody in the aged-care sector would have to agree—that a full audit against all 44 outcomes not only is very disruptive and often unnecessary, depending on what the agency is looking for specifically, but also will cost the sector $21 million a year.

If Senator McLucas wants to advocate that to the sector, I would strongly suggest that she hurries out after this debate, if she has the conviction. Mr Temporary Chairman, through you I would ask Senator McLucas, if she has the conviction of her outrage that she is expressing, for her to quickly put out a media release—and we will give you a hand if you like. I will give you a hand to write it; I will give Senator McLucas, Mr Temporary Chairman, a hand to write it and to distribute it to the sector. And I would like Senator McLucas to come back into this chamber at some stage and inform us honestly of what the reaction from the sector is.

So Senator McLucas can seek to verbal me; she can seek to verbal the government. But I am just not going to cop that because, since it has come to power, this government has done more to bring the aged-care sector into the 21st century than any other government in the history of Australia. Since I have been minister I have had to respond to the difficult issue of limited cases of physical and sexual abuse within the aged-care sector, and I have sought to respond as openly and as transparently as possible. Through my efforts, and the efforts of the sector, the government has committed over $110 million to a package of reforms that will help to better guarantee the safety of elderly and frail residents within the aged-care sector of our country. That should be given more recognition by the opposition including Senator McLucas, who regularly comes into this place and seeks to besmirch and belittle the reputation of the sector.

We can keep on going like this all night—and I am happy to if you wish—but, strongly through you, Mr Temporary Chairman, I simply suggest to Senator McLucas that she develops some goodwill towards the good that the government is doing. If we have to have a debate, it should be on the basis of an honest appraisal of that. That has always been my appeal to Senator McLucas, Mr Temporary Chairman. You will gather, Mr Temporary Chairman, that I feel very strongly about this. That is because very rarely has the opposition come into this place and given credit to a government that has done so much for the aged-care sector in the last 10 years, particularly during the difficult nine months that I have been minister.

I do not know how to appeal for bipartisanship in this area, but I have given good explanations to Senator McLucas in relation to an amendment that has absolutely nothing to do with the substantive amendment that we have before us today and which the government will be addressing via substantial legislation, which will be introduced into this place in a short period of time. What I seek from Senator McLucas is goodwill and an honest and realistic appraisal of the good work that this government has done. We can argue around the edges. That is stuff of day-to-day politics, and I can accept a bit of political argy-bargy. But I do not think that the sort of misrepresentation that is going on in this chamber, including during this debate, Mr Temporary Chairman, is befitting of sensible politics or sensible policy making and implementation.