Deborah O'Neill (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question without notice is to the Minister for Aged Care and Senior Australians, Senator Colbeck. Victorian Liberal MP Russell Broadbent said that the government ignored his pleas about the vulnerability of the aged-care sector, describing it as 'disaster waiting to happen'. Why did you ignore Mr Broadbent's warning?

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

I thank the senator for her question. Mr Broadbent has a perspective on how he believes the aged-care sector should be structured, and I respect his perspective. He talks about the changes that were made in the late nineties and the opportunity for different forms of providers to come into the aged-care sector. I respect Mr Broadbent's perspective on that, but governments since that period of time, since the late nineties, have continued on a path that we see now, where we have a range of provider types. We have government providers through the states, we have providers that are community based, we have for-profit providers and we have not-for-profit providers. That is the current structure of the aged-care sector in this country. I will point out the fact that we wanted a forensic inspection of the entire aged-care sector, which is why the Prime Minister called a royal commission, which is currently underway. We look forward to the recommendations of the royal commission with respect to the structure of the sector—

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

A point of order, Senator O'Neill?

Deborah O'Neill (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The question was very specific. It was about Mr Broadbent's claim that it was a disaster waiting to happen. That was a very significant warning. Why did you ignore Mr Broadbent's warning?

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

With respect to the minister, he doesn't have to address a quotation when there's a question like 'Why?' at the end of it. I think he has done that and he is continuing to be directly relevant.

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

Thank you, Mr President. As I said, we acknowledged that there were issues with the aged-care sector in this country, which is why the Prime Minister called for the royal commission, and issues such as the structure of the sector will be matters that the royal commission can report on. We look forward to seeing that report when it's brought down on 26 February next year. I have said—and the government has said—that we will respond to that report once the commission has completed its work in February next year. We look forward to its report.

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

Senator O'Neill, a supplementary question?

Deborah O'Neill (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Broadbent also said that he sounded warnings about the Morrison government's aged-care system but was 'ignored completely'. If a member of the Morrison government's own party was ignored completely, what hope do older Australians who are suffering in the Morrison government's broken aged-care system have of being heard by this government?

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

As I said, I respect the views of my friend and colleague Mr Broadbent, but the fact is that we've actually called a royal commission to look at the concerns and the issues within the aged-care sector and the opportunity exists for any of Mr Broadbent's concerns to be addressed as a part of that process—an opportunity which, I note, has been taken up by others among my colleagues. Senator Fierravanti-Wells has made a submission to the royal commission, appropriately, because she had some concerns that she wanted to raise with the royal commission and have addressed. The opportunity exists for any Australian to make a submission to the royal commission. I don't concede that the government has ignored or dismissed Mr Broadbent's concerns, because we are now conducting a royal commission to take a forensic look at the entire aged-care sector and provide us with recommendations so that we can then act to improve the delivery of aged care in this country.

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

Senator O'Neill, a final supplementary question?

Deborah O'Neill (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Broadbent was so disgusted that his warnings about the Morrison government's aged-care system continued to be ignored that he resigned in protest from two parliamentary positions. How many of the 335 older Australians who have died might be alive if the Morrison government had not ignored Mr Broadbent's warnings?

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

I think it's really unfortunate that the opposition seeks to make the correlation it does with respect to COVID-19 and other discussions that are being undertaken. I think it's very, very unfortunate that it seeks to make these sorts of correlations. I take very seriously the views that Mr Broadbent has expressed and, as I've just said in the first two answers to questions from the senator, I believe the government is taking those things into account by conducting a royal commission. We are conducting a royal commission. Every single one of the deaths that has occurred in this country as a result of COVID-19 is an absolute tragedy, but I don't seek to make the correlations that the Labor Party is trying to make, quite unfortunately, for political purposes.