Jess Walsh (Victoria, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Aged Care and Senior Australians, Senator Colbeck. Yesterday the minister said, 'We are in a relatively good position.' What percentage of all COVID-19 deaths in Australia relate to people in residential aged care?

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

The proportion of deaths in aged care as a proportion of the total deaths sits at about 70 per cent in Australia. That's not the exact number, but it's about 70 per cent, and it's about 0.17 per cent of the aged-care beds in Australia. The reason I made the relativity comment in the question I answered yesterday was that in the UK that relative number of deaths in residential aged care compared to the population is 5.3 per cent, which is over 30 times as bad as in Australia. It's worse than Australia by a factor of over 30 times. I don't say that to downplay any of the deaths that have occurred in Australia in residential aged care.

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting—

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

In fact, the interjections are quite offensive. I'm not trying to do anything but state some actual facts with respect to this. The Labor Party might like to play politics with this. They might like to talk Australia's efforts down—that's fine—but, can I say, the public health response in Australia—

Opposition senators interjecting—

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

Senator Watt! Senator Cormann on a point of order? Senator Watt: remember my rule about counting to 10 after your name has been called.

Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Vice-President of the Executive Council) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Interjections are always disorderly, and I believe they're even more disorderly in the current environment where we are seeking to maintain a COVID-safe workplace.

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On the point of order, I would respond to the Leader of the Government in the Senate by saying that this is about the minister's accountability for his incompetence in the portfolio, which has caused deaths.

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

That's not an appropriate way to address a point of order. I don't believe it was unparliamentary, but it was completely out of order to use a point of order for that. It is not up to me to rule which interjections are disorderly or not; they are always disorderly. Interjections are not a method for holding a minister accountable—questions and answers are. I ask senators to respect that and to hear the minister in silence.

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

Senator Walsh asked about the comparability. In Australia we've had outbreaks in 200 residential aged-care facilities, very unfortunately. That's 7.7 per cent of the 2,706 residential aged-care facilities in Australia. In the UK, of the 9,081 care homes, 56 per cent have had an outbreak. (Time expired)

Jess Walsh (Victoria, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Does the minister accept the evidence to the aged-care royal commission that the percentage of deaths in Australia that relate to people in residential aged care 'makes Australia the country with one of the highest rates in the world of residential aged-care deaths as a proportion of deaths from COVID-19'—yes or no?

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

What I don't do is accept it as a reasonable measure. It is a fact. As it was—

Opposition Senator:

An opposition senator interjecting—

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

I'll take the interjection. It was actually evidence given to the royal commission; it wasn't the royal commission saying that. As I said, the fatalities as a proportion of the aged-care beds in Australia amount to about 0.1 per cent—0.17 per cent—of the aged-care beds in this country. In the UK, it's 5.3, which is over 30 times worse than Australia. While every single death in this pandemic is a tragedy, in seven out of eight states we don't have a case in residential aged care. Unfortunately, in Victoria, where we have uncontrolled community spread, the virus has inevitably got into residential aged care. That is what happens. (Time expired)

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

Senator Walsh, a final supplementary question?

Jess Walsh (Victoria, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

A woman who sadly lost her father from COVID-19 at St Basil's described the moment she learned her father had died as the worst call of her life. Yesterday the minister said we had been 'in a very good position'. Does the minister expect this woman and her grieving family to agree?

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

Thanks, Senator Walsh, for the question. Actually, no, I don't, because this family has been tragically impacted by the deadly nature of COVID-19. I give her and her family my heartfelt condolences. I have spoken to many of these families myself. I have spent time talking to them in community meetings, but I've also spoken to a number of them individually when they've wanted to have a conversation about what's occurred. We've set up an investigation into what happened at St Basil's, appropriately I think, so that we can understand the epidemiology of that event and we can understand what happened with respect to the delays in the Commonwealth being notified of the event and what impact that delay in notification had. I understand perfectly that this family would be completely and utterly devastated by the loss of their loved one— (Time expired)