Richard Colbeck (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Senior Australians and Aged Care Services) Share this | Hansard source

I believe it's important for me to make a contribution as part of this debate, because I thought it's important that I express the commitment that I have always had through this portfolio since I was appointed to it at the beginning of this parliamentary term. This is a difficult portfolio, and that difficulty has been exacerbated by COVID-19. As has been acknowledged through the debate, I came to the portfolio with a royal commission which exposed a whole range of issues that needed to be addressed in aged care. That is my commitment: to address those issues in aged care. It's been made all the more difficult by the circumstances of COVID.

I would just like to quickly address a couple of things. There's been a lot of comment made about the booster rollout. The booster rollout is well ahead of what it was originally programmed to do. While Labor were having their holidays over Christmas, we received advice on Christmas Eve that the period between second and third shots should be brought forward. This government, over Christmas, while Labor was on holidays, worked to bring forward the booster shots for residential aged-care facilities in this country, and they have all now been achieved. Every facility in the country has been visited.

These are the things that keep me and my departmental officials awake at night to make sure we do everything we possibly can in support of residents in residential aged care. I've had the opportunity to work in facilities as a contractor before coming to this place. I've seen the way that the industry has changed, but I also understand that there is further reform required.

This government has put in place the most comprehensive response in history to any royal commission: $17.7 billion; a five-pillar, five-year reform program for this industry. That $17.7 billion post MYEFO is now in excess of $18 billion. This government's commitment cannot be questioned, and the criticism from the other side would actually mean something if they had a plan. They have no plan. They have no response to the royal commission, almost a year since it was handed down.