Dean Smith (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

That was a very, very interesting contribution from Senator Gallagher. What we heard was a catalogue of criticisms without any solutions. What is the definition of politics in this place? What is the definition of politicking in this Senate chamber? That definition is coming into this place with your criticisms and not offering up a plan.

This is Labor—not offering up a plan today and not offering up a plan yesterday. When Bill Shorten went to the last election and asked for support from the Australian people, guess what he said about aged care? Guess what he said about the funding of aged care? You're right—nothing. Nothing, nothing, nothing. Silence. Australians are right to ask: if Bill Shorten had been elected Prime Minister and this country had been confronted with a pandemic, what would aged-care funding look like? What would it look like? If you can't tell Australians, at an election, on the day you're giving your National Press Club speech, what aged-care funding will look like if you're elected, then Australians cannot trust you. I'm very confident that aged care would be in a significantly different place if Labor had won the last election.

Minister Colbeck has stewarded this country in aged-care policy through significant landmark reforms. I say that as someone who, through the community affairs committee process, has watched very, very closely the contributions he has made.

Let me identify one important contribution that Senator Gallagher and, I'm sure, other Labor senators choose to ignore. I would hope that, if Senator Siewert were still here, Senator Waters, she would draw attention to this very, very important and particular issue—that is, the work that Minister Colbeck has specifically done around strengthening regulations as they apply to physical and chemical constraints in aged-care homes. I hope that, if the Greens make a contribution and there's a future contribution by Labor, it will at least have the decency to recognise that this is a minister who has not only pursued reforms and fought to have them well funded at historically high levels. This is a minister who has been tackling other issues which are just as important in our aged-care system. Senator Waters, that's your challenge. I challenge you to at least recognise that, because Senator Siewert would have had the decency to do so. She would absolutely have had the decency to do that, because Senator Colbeck worked closely with Senator Siewert when she was in this place.

It is just unacceptable for Labor to continue to come into this place, arguing for reforms for aged care and arguing for funding for aged-care workers, and not even offer up a solution or a figure. Even the newspapers were forced to report that Anthony Albanese, in making a pledge for aged care, made a loose commitment that he would fund aged care. Guess what he didn't do? He did not put a figure on it. Is he saying that the future forward estimates increases in aged-care funding are guaranteed, or are they not guaranteed? When Labor were in government previously, they did change aged-care funding and they dialled it down. Labor doesn't talk about that. It doesn't want to talk about that. But its record is appalling.

Senator Gallagher made a very good point: these issues are complex. There's a matrix of issues. But guess where the devastation happened the most for families of people in aged care? In the state of Victoria. But, while drawing necessary attention to this, at least have the decency to identify that Premier Daniel Andrews's poor contact tracing, allowing community transmission in the community, led to all those aged-care deaths. If you don't believe me, go to the Senate estimates transcripts and look at what Commonwealth health officials had to say. These are the facts.

This is a minister who is diligent, who is committed, who is available and who has been pursuing reforms across the entire aged-care sector. The challenge is actually for Labor. As we approach the federal election, people will be interested to know what the alternative aged-care solution is. Thus far, Labor has said nothing and it's committed not one red cent. The challenge on aged care going forward is— (Time expired)