Kristina Keneally (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

Senator Colbeck is not the minister for aged care. He is the minister for walking away. He walked away from this chamber when we were moving our motion the other day. He walked away from a media conference yesterday, refusing to answer questions from the media about the aged-care crisis. He is the minister who walks away from interviews, who walks away from this chamber. Quite frankly, the only place Minister Colbeck should be walking to is back to his office to clear his desk and resign. Too slow, too late: that is this government's response to the COVID-19 crisis in aged care.

When John Howard was Prime Minister, when there was one kerosene bath incident, what happened to Bronwyn Bishop, the Minister for Aged Care? She was gone. Right now we have evidence from the royal commission that Senator Colbeck has presided over—in fact, it's not just evidence; it is a report from the royal commission into aged care. This minister has presided over a system of what? Neglect. He has presided over a system of neglect—neglect that meant when we had an aged-care crisis hit with COVID-19 he had no plan. Don't take my word for it. Take Gladys Berejiklian's word for it—the Liberal Premier of New South Wales. Don't just take my word for it. Take the royal commission evidence that has made clear that in no way, shape or form was the aged-care system ready for a highly contagious virus that could devastate older Australians. One kerosene bath and the minister was gone under John Howard; 462 deaths, 876 active cases, workers who only have one glove, aged-care residents who have ants in open sores, who are malnourished, who are suffering physical abuse, who have maggots in their mouth—

Senator Payne interjecting—

I will take that interjection from Senator Payne. She said, 'How did that happen?' It is in the royal commission's report titled Neglect. It is clear that the cabinet ministers in this government have not even read the royal commission's report called Neglect.

Senator Cormann interjecting—

The minister didn't just have one clumsy moment, Senator Cormann. He couldn't even remember if he had briefed the cabinet on the royal commission's report called Neglect, so neglectful is he of his responsibilities. But we know that older Australians are being left behind, older Australians are being ignored and older Australians are being neglected by the Morrison government, specifically by this minister, Richard Colbeck.

I want to say to those people watching at home that, when you hear us talking about the word neglect, it is not a word the Labor Party invented. It is the title of the royal commission's report into aged care that was established by this government.

Day in and day out, we have seen the minister in this place really puffing himself up. He talked about the high watermark that Australia has achieved—unbelievable! He talked about how 'the system has performed exceptionally well'. Well, it's not exceptionally well if your family member is one of the 462 people who have died, if your family member is one of the over 800 active cases in aged care. How do you think it feels for the son or the daughter to hear the minister and this government gloating about how well it's all going out there, about what a high watermark Australian aged care is? Come on! When is this minister going to take some accountability? Where does the buck stop in this government? All we have heard today is: 'It's the New South Wales government's fault. It's the Victorian government's fault. It's the regulator's fault.' It's anybody's fault but his.

What we know about this minister for aged care is he follows the example set by his Prime Minister, Scott Morrison, who never accepts responsibility, who hates accountability and who is all about the photo-op and the announcement but never about the follow-through. Well, if there was one group of Australians who should have been able to rely on their government to look after them, it is the vulnerable and the precious senior citizens, our elderly who live in residential aged-care homes. They have been failed by this minister, and the Senate should censure this minister for failing to do his job.