Stirling Griff (SA, Centre Alliance) Share this | Hansard source

I move:

That the Senate—

(a) notes that:

(i) the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety (the Royal Commission) commenced on 18 January 2019, and started hearing evidence from witnesses in Adelaide this week,

(ii) part of the Royal Commission's task is to examine substandard care and the causes of any systematic failures that have affected the quality or safety of aged care services,

(iii) the Royal Commission will also examine existing policy, regulations and practices in order to consider reform and change to deliver better outcomes for those receiving aged care in Australia now and into the future,

(iv) the Honourable Richard Tracey AM RFD QC stated that the Royal Commission was a "once in a lifetime opportunity" and cautioned the aged care sector against instructing staff not to talk to the Royal Commission or to withhold information,

(v) aged care providers approved under the Commonwealth Aged Care Act 1997 were asked to provide information to the Royal Commission, with the largest 100 providers invited to make written submissions by 7 January 2019, and the remaining 1,882 approved aged care providers to provide their written submissions by 8 February 2019, and

(vi) at the commencement of the Royal Commission, fewer than half of the 1,982 approved providers had responded to the Royal Commission's invitation for submissions;

(b) urges every approved aged care provider who has not yet put forward a submission to the Royal Commission to do so, as a matter of urgency;

(c) further notes that, under section 6M of the Royal Commissions Act 1902, it is a criminal offence for a person to punish, disadvantage or otherwise injure a person who has appeared as a witness or produced a document or given information or a statement pursuant to a summons requirement or notice issued by the Royal Commission; and

(d) denounces any attempt by aged care providers to stop current or former employees from participating freely in the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety.

Question agreed to.