Matt O'Sullivan (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

Thank you very much, Madam Deputy President. I, too, rise to speak on this matter of public urgency brought before the chamber by Senator Lines—yourself. Frankly, all this motion does is play politics with the issue. There is absolutely no substance behind it—none whatsoever. What we saw in this chamber today in question time, and also yesterday, was nothing but a disgrace by those opposite. That same attitude is reflected in the wording of this motion. You're playing politics with people's lives. There is nothing that you will not seek to gain mileage out of.

So let's look at the facts. When Labor left office, total aged-care spending was $13.3 billion. This year, it's $22.6 billion, increasing to $25.4 billion by 2022-23. This is an increase of $1 billion a year. I repeat: an increase of $1 billion a year. Even your mates over at the ABC have fact-checked these claims and have in fact disproven them. In addition to this, there is something quite amazing about your claims. When we went to the election last year, you took a suite of measures to the Australian people which would have resulted in $387 billion in new taxes. Yet even though you had a plan to increase taxes, you had no plan for aged care—plans for $387 billion in new taxes, yet nothing for the aged-care system in this nation, which you continue to deride. You had no plan for home care places, no plan for the aged-care workforce, no plan for residential aged care, yet you come into this chamber and pretend to claim the high ground. You have suddenly realised that we have an aged-care system in this country. And what have you done since the election? You have kept quiet on aged care, and you still have no plan and you still have no commitment.

It is this government who have increased funding for aged care, it is this government who have come to the table with a plan for aged care and it is this government who have admitted that we can and should do better. That is why this government, the Morrison government, have initiated the royal commission into aged care, and that is why we have responded to the findings as soon as issues have been identified. We haven't waited; we've responded as soon as those issues have been identified. And each and every year under this government home care packages have increased and residential care places have increased; the total funding is up. When you left office there were 60,308 home care packages, but this will increase by 170 per cent, to 164,135 places by 2022-23. Corresponding funding will also increase, by 258 per cent, over the same period. The number of people in the National Prioritisation System for Home Care Packages has also decreased, by 20 per cent, over the previous 12-month reporting period.

You also speak about the aged-care workforce. Well, our commitment to this area has been clear. Work continues to progress through the Aged Care Workforce Industry Council, and we'll continue to progress reforms and invest in the critical skills that our aged-care sector needs. Where is the commitment of those opposite? In every area, in every portfolio, you have dithered, you have failed. Your record is equally dismal across each and every area. The interim report of the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety was highly critical of the inaction of successive governments towards the aged-care industry. We acknowledge that, and we are actioning as quickly as we can the recommendations that have been made already. Labor has remained silent on any commitment to aged care since the election, providing no additional funding and showing that it's a total hypocrisy. Our commitment is unwavering, and it's time you actually came to the table with a plan. It's time you actually worked with us for the benefit of all older Australians.