Perin Davey (NSW, National Party) Share this | Hansard source

I find the wording of this motion quite intriguing, 'the decision of the minister to turn his back on accountability and responsibility'. But what decision is that? Is it his decision to respond to the aged care royal commission interim report within 25 days of it being handed over? Is it his decision to work with the AHPPC and the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commissioner to develop and communicate guidelines and responses to the COVID pandemic in aged-care facilities?

Since the royal commission interim report this minister has decided to invest nearly $500 million for additional home-care packages, because we know, as a government, that home care leads to better outcomes for both our senior Australians and the budget. That is why our government has seen the number of people on home-care packages almost triple since coming in. This minister also took the active decision, as a result of the interim report, to invest $25½ million to improve medication management programs, so we don't over medicate and we get better health outcomes. To support this, we've invested $10 million for additional dementia training and support for aged-care workers and providers, so we take better care of our most treasured Australians.

This minister has also decided to invest nearly $5 million to help get young people out of aged care. This is an issue that has been kicked around for ages but this minister decided to act. This minister established the Young People in Residential Aged Care Action Plan and this minister has seen a reduction in the number of young people in aged-care facilities. Our government, under this minister, has not turned its back on aged care, not before COVID and not since.

The Australian Health Sector Emergency Response Plan for Novel Coronavirus was developed and published on 18 February and activated nine days later. In March we announced funding to assess infection control training for aged-care workers, we set up an aged care rapid response unit in the Department of Health and the AHPPC released recommendations for aged-care facilities. We initiated support for the aged-care workforce, including the retention bonus and the surge workforce, and that is working. I thank all of our surge workforce partners, including our dedicated Defence Force personnel who are assisting to provide this emergency relief service.

If any of this is evidence of the minister turning his back on his responsibilities then Labor have a very different view of what responsibility means than I do. His responsibility, as minister, is to the aged-care sector and the people who live in residential facilities, the people on home-care packages and the workforce that supports them. But that is not the real problem here. No, Labor aren't offended by him seeming to turn his back on his responsibility. Labor are purely offended by symbolism. As Senator Bilyk said in her contribution to this debate, they are offended that the minister, after providing the explanation he was requested to provide to the Senate, left to do his job, to deal with the crisis that is ongoing in our aged-care facilities. Yes, he didn't sit here and listen to Labor grandstand and politicise the tragic circumstances that families are still suffering. He left to deal with the issue at hand, to ensure that his department's responsibilities and his responsibilities are delivered and met. The minister did not turn his back. He left to confront the problem. And Labor should be ashamed of saying that that was the wrong thing to do.