Jess Walsh (Victoria, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

Last Thursday the Minister for Aged Care and Senior Australians, Senator Colbeck, turned his back on this chamber, and it wasn't just us he turned his back on. He turned his back on the aged-care residents he has failed to protect. He turned his back on their families, their children and their grandchildren. He turned his back on the aged-care workers, who are understaffed and overworked in this crisis. He turned his back on all of those who count on him to do his job and do it well. He turned his back on his accountability not only to this parliament but to the Australian people. He turned his back when he needed to front up. He needed to front up to the crisis in aged care. He needed to front up to the families, front up to the workers, front up to the community—front up and take responsibility, not walk away.

All of last week we saw Minister Colbeck repeatedly dismiss concerns about the crisis in aged care and declare to this chamber just how well he's dealing with it, but that is not real life. In the real world, aged care is in deep crisis. Four hundred and fifty-seven aged-care residents have now lost their lives to this pandemic, to this virus, and many of these residents would not have had the chance to say goodbye to their friends, to say goodbye to their families, to see their loved ones one final time before their death. Many would not have been able to spend their final moments with their spouses, their children or their grandchildren. This crisis is heartbreaking. It is an absolute tragedy. Yet the minister has the audacity to tell this chamber that he is doing a great job, that his performance is a high-water mark. This is the same minister who isn't even across the basic detail of his portfolio.

Senator Van interjecting—