Rex Patrick (SA, Centre Alliance) Share this | Hansard source

Aged care has been stressed since well before the pandemic. That is the fault of government, not necessarily the exclusive fault of the current minister, who has only been in the job for just over a year. I think we should recognise that, to be fair. The pandemic came along and there could, properly, be some excuse for an imperfect response. Certainly, that is the case for the first wave. However, the government knew that there was the possibility of a second wave. Yet, on the evidence that's been provided to COVID committees and, indeed, to the chamber, no plan was put in place to deal with a second wave, to deal with what could come as a result of a second wave. We now have a total of just over 350 elderly Australians that have passed because of the pandemic.

I have a Navy background. When a ship runs aground, the captain is relieved of command, and admirals make sure captains are relieved of command so that other ships don't run aground. Sadly, the aged-care ship has run aground.

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