Kerrynne Liddle (SA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Aged Care, Senator Gallagher. How many Australians have died from COVID in residential aged care since the 2022 election?

Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'm not sure I have figures since the election—

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting—

Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

No, I can give you—

Opposition senators interjecting—

No, I've got the answer—

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Minister Gallagher, I ask you to resume your seat. The minister was part-way through a sentence and then the chamber on my left, particularly, became so disorderly, I could not hear her response. I would ask you to listen in respectful silence.

Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

As I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted, as at 2 February, there have been 5,067 deaths nationally: 686 in 2020, 226 in 2021, 3,855 in 2022 and 300 in 2023. Now, given the seriousness of the issue that we are talking about, which is the passing of older Australians in aged-care facilities, I think your behaviour just then was disgusting. You ask a question like that and you behave like that. Absolutely disgusting. I had the information. The difference between me and what happened to Senator Colbeck is that I actually had the information. I'm aware of the numbers. I'm aware of what's happening in aged care. So have a laugh over there, by all means, and disrespect the thousands of people in aged care.

Opposition senators interjecting—

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Senator Cash, I have a senator on her feet. Senator Urquhart?

Anne Urquhart (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I would ask Senator McGrath to withdraw the statement—what he called Senator Gallagher.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator McGrath, I did not hear the comments that were made by you or any other senator, but I would ask you to reflect and, in the interest of the good spirit of the chamber, ask you to withdraw.

James McGrath (Queensland, Liberal National Party, Shadow Assistant Minister to the Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I withdraw everything that I called Senator Gallagher.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator McGrath, when I ask senators to withdraw, I ask them to do it respectfully. You did not do it respectfully. I ask you to do it respectfully.

James McGrath (Queensland, Liberal National Party, Shadow Assistant Minister to the Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The point of order taken by Senator Urquhart asked me to withdraw a comment. You said you didn't know which comment. You asked me to respectfully withdraw a comment. I said many things. I withdraw all of them to assist the smooth running of the chamber.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator McGrath, you did not withdraw respectfully.

James McGrath (Queensland, Liberal National Party, Shadow Assistant Minister to the Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I withdraw respectfully.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Liddle, were you on a point of order?

Honourable senators interjecting—

Order! Senators Wong and McGrath! I'm still waiting. Senator Liddle, your first supplementary question.

Kerrynne Liddle (SA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My point of order is on relevance. The question was specific to—

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I understand that Senator Gallagher has finished her response.

Kerrynne Liddle (SA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

That wasn't indicated.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'll lead you to your first supplementary question.

Kerrynne Liddle (SA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

r LIDDLE () (): Why did your government change the way aged-care deaths are reported on the exact same day that we saw more aged-care residents had died from COVID in eight months under your watch than in 2½ years under the coalition? What are you trying to hide?

Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Can I again just say that any death in relation to COVID-19 and, indeed, in residential aged care, is a tragedy. I think the behaviour of those opposite in the previous question reflects on them and speaks for itself.

Data on the number of deaths in residential aged care is reported directly from aged-care providers to the department. This is not an official dataset and is used for aged-care surveillance purposes. It is not directly comparable with published figures on the total number of COVID-19 deaths in Australia.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Minister, please resume your seat. Senator Ruston?

Anne Ruston (SA, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Health and Aged Care) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise on a point of order. I think the question was very specific—around why they changed the means of reporting and not actually asking for a reiteration of how that is reported.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I think the minister is being relevant, but I shall listen carefully. Minister, please continue.

Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I reject the assertion and the implication of the way the question is put. That's my answer to the question. I am explaining about how aged-care deaths in Australia are reported. If you're not interested in that, that's not my problem. You asked the question, I'm trying to answer it. The review and adjustment to COVID death reporting, including the timing to release the updated data, was a decision of the department. The Minister for Health was briefed in advance of the release— (Time expired)

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Liddle, a second supplementary question.

Kerrynne Liddle (SA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In February 2022, the now Prime Minister said that deaths in aged care were a measure of performance. We know that more aged-care residents have now died from COVID in eight months under the Albanese Labor government than in the entire first 2½ years of the pandemic. Given this tragic statistic, will the Prime Minister now admit that he has completely failed on this important measure of performance and step up to the job of protecting older Australians?

Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Well, we are doing everything we can to ensure that the mortality data—and I will correct the record, if I have to, but the mortality data that I've seen is decreasing compared to the first waves, when residents in aged care were completely unprotected because of the way you rolled out the vaccine rollout. When you rolled out the vaccine rollout, you didn't meet your own targets. You set yourself the targets. What we saw was people in residential aged care who were completely unprotected.

Honourable senators i nterjecting—

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Senator Wong?

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I can barely hear Senator Gallagher and she's just here.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I have asked all members in this place to refrain from commenting and arguing across the chamber and from calling out repeatedly. I would ask once again that you listen respectfully. Minister.

Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you. The difference between the approach now and the numbers of people with the different waves is that back in 2020 people were left completely unprotected—completely unprotected!—because of the bungle in the rollout. What we have now with omicron, is that the vast majority, in fact very high numbers, of people in residential aged care are protected through the vaccination program.