Hollie Hughes (NSW, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to speak on the matter of urgency regarding aged care raised by Senator Keneally. The vulnerability of elderly Australians to COVID-19 is an emotional and tragic issue not lost on this government. Members from all sides of politics have shared stories with each other about the tragedy of COVID-19 deaths in Australian nursing homes. The extreme vulnerability of our elderly and infirm to this insidious virus has been evident both here in Australia and in other countries around the world where COVID-19 battles are raging. No-one has yet executed the perfect solution. Ideally, we wouldn't lose a single life. Sadly, that's not been the case. We've witnessed multiple deaths at state-run nursing homes in Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria, with one death recorded in Tasmania. Whilst it angers me that Labor continue to politicise this horrendous situation, it does not surprise—even when their own party has worked, and sometimes failed, to eliminate the tragedies of multiple deaths in aged-care facilities in their states. These tragedies include the pain of families cut off from their loved ones. I haven't seen my own mother for close to six months, and, while she really hasn't recognised me for the past few years, it was a treat to have her remember me recently during a FaceTime call arranged by her residential home. In fact, I've barely seen my father for six months either, as the village where he lives—independently, but close to my mother—has been shut off to outside visitors. But it's for my father that I ache, at the thought that, although married to my mother for more than half a century, he is forbidden to walk down the corridor and hold her hand to ease her confusion. My heart aches for other families, desperate to see their loved ones as time runs out.

Now's not the time for finger-pointing and cheap political point-scoring. Now's the time for action and improvement. That's why, since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, we've provided $1 billion to support seniors in aged care. Of that money, a quarter of a billion dollars has been provided to residential aged-care providers for costs associated with COVID-19, and another half a billion dollars has been provided to assist with important measures, including $234 million provided for direct care. That money is for staff retention, both in residential care and for those working to provide home-based aged care. $78 million has been provided to ensure the continuity of the aged-care workforce through a temporary increase to the residential care subsidy. We have injected $26.9 million to boost the residential care and home care viability supplement and the residential care homeless supplement. We have provided $92 million to support home care and CHSP providers, and $12.3 million has been given to boost the My Aged Care service. And we haven't forgotten the workers, with unlimited assistance for those workers at COVID-19 affected facilities, that includes extra staff that have been brought on. We've provided $101 million solely for preparedness measures to aged-care providers to manage and prevent outbreaks, through infection control training for their workforce including the extra workers that have been brought on to help throughout the pandemic. The federal government has been writing the states many cheques. It's the one thing we can do, and we haven't shirked our responsibility on that front.

Additionally, we've provided close to $60 million for meal delivery services like Meals on Wheels to support senior Australians in need of food or groceries. We've provided an additional $10 million for the Community Visitors Scheme to ensure, where regulations permit, that some Australians in aged care are not isolated due to visiting restrictions like border closures. We've even provided $9 million to support Indigenous elders living in urban areas to deal with the impact of isolation, and for transport to medical appointments. That money may also be utilised for welfare checks, and even food, where necessary. In Victoria, where local health officials have struggled to manage the death rate, we've now taken further measures with another $9 million provided to support a coordinated response between the Commonwealth and the Victorian government.

We've extended the aged-care COVID-19 preparedness measure, with $81 million provided for additional aged-care workers and increased training. There's $8.4 million for supplementary payments to include quarantine costs and interstate staff, and $1.5 million has been provided to ensure appropriate and regular communications from Healthdirect to the families and loved ones of aged-care residents impacted by COVID-19.

Public health officials have provided their best advice, as have we. Sadly, that advice hasn't always been a success. But, of course, with 92 per cent of aged-care facilities COVID-free, we keep working. Right now in the aged-care area we're comparing favourably with other countries. But we're not infallible. We made the best decisions, made on the best advice daily. An additional $12½ million has been provided for grief and trauma support services to assist aged-care residents and their families who've experienced a COVID-19 outbreak. That increase means that the government has provided more than $100 million for these services, yet we're not just reacting; we are planning for the future.

There's $9 million for the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission to continue its vital work supporting aged-care providers across the country to prepare for and respond to COVID-19 outbreaks. Then there's the funding to help aged-care workers in hot spots. Whether they be aged-care or residential care workers, this funding supports their needs for self-isolation and, where necessary, alternative accommodation. The federal government has responded with additional funding for additional PPE from the National Medical Stockpile, providing Victorian aged-care providers with five million more face masks and half a million face shields. As part of this strategy the commission will commence unannounced visits to monitor infection control and infection equipment protocols.

Our government has made some very tough decisions—decisions that have impacted so many. We've instituted strong and often painful restrictions on visitation at aged-care homes. We've provided emergency leave for aged-care residents whose loving families want to look after them. We've temporarily removed restrictions on international students working in aged care. And we've provided additional flexibility to home-care providers for personal monitoring services. These measures all complement the $1.1 billion we've spent on face masks and other protective measures Australia-wide. We're tackling isolation and loneliness in older Australians, with close to $5 million for FriendLine, a national telephone support for older Australians, to expand the phone support services until 2024. There's $1 million for digital devices, such as mobile phones and laptops, for at-risk seniors. There's also been the establishment of an Older Persons COVID-19 Support Line.

And don't forget that there's other funding that impacts aged care, with $100 million for a new COVID-19 telehealth consultation Medicare item. There's $25 million for home medicine services, $5 million to fast-track the rollout of electronic prescribing across Australia and $50.7 million for the expansion of a national triage phone line.

But are we infallible? No. Our Prime Minister has said so today. He tasked the royal commission into aged care to examine our response even as we act. Senator Keneally can thump the table and try to insist that we have no plan. I've just outlined our plan—and it's been outlined before. She's insulted healthcare workers and suggested that they failed in their infection control measures. In fact, most of them have succeeded, with 92 per cent of aged-care homes COVID-free. Her theatre to try to evoke emotions of a lonely death in aged-care facilities is nothing short of embarrassing—let alone insulting to the hardworking staff. Many of our own staff, our health workers and health bureaucrats have suffered these very real situations.

And whilst it's encouraging to think that Senator Keneally has been moved by stories that she's heard in the media, the government's far from being unaware or uncaring or even directly involved in this. We are working closely with our state counterparts to save lives. We're making decisions based on the best health advice that we can rely on. Perhaps the Labor Party should rethink the politicisation of this challenging issue. Their criticisms are unhelpful and capture their own state party members.