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

I wish to thank Senator McLucas for quoting, although Mr President is quite correct in his ruling that it is not a relevant point of order. That quote that she has just read from has in no way substantiated the major point in her question that I refused to impose a sanction. Ageing 101 should tell Senator McLucas, if she cares to read the textbook, that in fact it is the accreditation agency that conducts the inspections and then, always with the best interests of the people who are aged and frail within a facility, will make the decision.

So what Senator McLucas is again doing is seeking to verbal me and verbal the government and, through you, Mr President, seeking to again scare the living daylights out of the elderly, aged and frail within our facilities. She is trying to create an impression that the aged-care sector, which every night looks after over 160,000 aged and frail Australians, is somehow in a crisis. I have always said in this place and outside that no system is perfect.