Catryna Bilyk (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Aged Care and Senior Australians, Senator Colbeck. Today the aged-care royal commissioners, the Hon. Tony Pagone QC and Ms Lynelle Briggs AO, said: 'Had the Australian government acted upon previous reviews of aged care, the persistent problems in aged care would have been known much earlier and the suffering of many people could have been avoided.' How many of the 335 aged-care recipients who have died from COVID-19 would be alive if the minister had acted upon previous reviews?

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

I wouldn't like to speculate on that as a figure. One of the reasons we called the royal commission is that successive governments—and I think this has been also stated by the commissioners—have not acted as they perhaps could have done with respect to aged care. There is clearly work that needs to be done. So I don't seek to draw a correlation with those many reports into the aged-care sector that were done before I came to the portfolio. I don't seek to draw that correlation. I again offer my condolences to every single one of the families who lost a loved one through COVID-19.

But I don't seek to draw that correlation. The royal commission has. I acknowledge that. But I don't seek to do that. What I do say is that, from the outset of this pandemic, this government, firstly through its public health response through the national health COVID-19 response plan and through its engagement with the aged-care sector, has worked continuously to provide advice to the sector on how they can mitigate the entry of COVID-19 into aged-care facilities and, if it does get into an aged-care facility, how to protect residents within facilities—and also the resources to do that. We will continue to do that. We have learnt a lot about this virus over the last 12 months. We will continue to learn, because there is still more to learn. (Time expired)

Catryna Bilyk (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

A supplementary question: counsel assisting the aged-care royal commission said that: 'neither the Commonwealth Department of Health nor the aged-care regulator developed a COVID-19 plan specifically for the aged-care sector.' How many of the 335 aged-care residents who have died from COVID-19 would be alive if the minister had planned to protect them?

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

I reject the premise of Senator Bilyk's question.

Hon. Senators:

Honourable senators interjecting—

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order!

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

We have worked closely with the aged-care sector as we've learnt more about the virus, and we've continued to provide advice to the sector and the resources that they've required, without limit, as the pandemic has progressed. And we will continue to do that. The AHPPC continues to provide advice. The CDNA continues to provide advice. We have acted on the advice of the health professionals all the way through this pandemic and allocated the resources that go with it. We've allocated over $1 billion to the aged-care sector to support them and assist them to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic, which is racking the world.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Bilyk, a final supplementary question?

Catryna Bilyk (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Three hundred and thirty-five aged-care residents have died from COVID-19. How many more aged-care residents have to die before the Prime Minister accepts full responsibility for keeping them safe?

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

And every single one of those 335 deaths is an absolute tragedy. Every single one of those deaths is a tragedy. Again, my condolences to all of their families.

We are dealing here with a global pandemic where we have, in this country, through our whole-of-government response, through the COVID-19 health pandemic plan, done exceptionally well. But, of course, nobody is immune from the virus. None of us are immune from the virus, and until we get—if we get—a vaccine, we will continue to be susceptible. And we will continue to do, as we have done all through the pandemic, everything that we possibly can to support this sector— (Time expired)