Labor leader Anthony Albanese’s $2.5 billion pledge to improve the treatment of older Australians in aged care has been broadly welcomed to address systemic concerns.
But Prime Minister Scott Morrison - despite calling the idea admirable - has questioned where the staff would come from to deliver Labor’s plan, accusing it of lacking key details.
Under the response, every aged care facility would be required to have a registered nurse on-site at all times, hire more carers, set higher meal standards and fully fund a boost for higher wages for workers through an appeal to the Fair Work Commission.
Mr Albanese told reporters on Friday his plan would ensure the sector is supported to provide care for elderly Australians.
“You can’t do it overnight - that’s true,” he told reporters.
“What you can do though is make sure that you focus on it. We need hope for this industry that things won’t just stay the same as they are now.”
Opposition leader Anthony Albanese attends a press conference in Sydney the day after his budget reply speech. Source: AAP / FLAVIO BRANCALEONE/AAPIMAGE
There have been a total of 923 COVID-19-related deaths reported in 2022 alone.
Labor’s policy announcements are based on recommendations from the royal commission into the sector, which it claims the government has failed to fully act on.
The plan would include mandating that every resident in an aged care facility receives a minimum of 215 minutes of care per day, as recommended by the royal commission.
Tougher regulation would also aim to ensure money is being passed on to improve the care of residents, not go to the profits of providers.
Mr Morrison fronted a press conference on Friday responding to the centrepiece issue of the Opposition's budget reply speech.
He questioned where the staff would come from to deliver the promises, given the significant strain it faces across the country.
“Aged care is a very complex and challenging area of policy. The issues in aged care require careful thinking and deliberation and decisions,” Mr Morrison told reporters.
“Even the leader of the Labor Party Anthony Albanese - he said nurses are hard to find - so it hasn't gotten any easier. They are not just going to turn up.”
Prime Minister Scott Morrison (centre) and Member for Lindsay Melissa McIntosh (right) meet residents on the street following a visit to the home in Jamisontown, Sydney. Source: AAP / DEAN LEWINS/AAPIMAGE
Marina Webb, who works in residential care, is among those who travelled with the union to Canberra to advocate for improved conditions.
“We were promised all the things that we were promised and desperately were seeking,” he said.
“We have hope now and this is what we are going home with some precious words to say to our colleagues.”
Aged care worker Marina Webb.
“It’s part of the major crisis that we are facing in the sector because we’ve had so many workers have to leave because they cannot simply afford to continue in this job,” she said.
“The wages are going to be critical and increasing wages is going to be critical to retain and recruit age care workers to this workforce.”
Former Liberal premier and CEO of aged care provider Hammondcare Mike Baird has also backed Labor’s response as “significant”, saying it gave recognition to the tough times faced by the sector.
“What we're seeing, in summary, is we will see more care workers, we’ll see more nurses and finally recognition that our care workers have deep value,” he told ABC Radio.
“We want to do everything we can to support our workers by supporting them they’re providing the best possible care to elderly Australians.”
Peak body the Australian Aged Care Collaboration (AACC) has also welcomed Labor’s commitment to work with the sector to secure improvement.
But it said the critical issue will be adequately resourcing these changes and ensuring that the additional nurses and care workers that will be needed are available.
The AACC said with staff leaving the sector and providers in deficit, the need for action was urgent.
Mr Morrison has pointed to $17.7 billion in funding delivered to the sector at the last budget as evidence of its own response in the sector.
The cash splash followed the handing down of last year’s aged care royal commission report outlining damning findings of failures in the sector.
Mr Morrison also said additional investment had been made in this year’s budget, taking the investment past $19 billion.
A key pledge in Mr Albanese’s plan is fully funding the outcome of an appeal to boost wages for workers through the Fair Work Commission.
The Health Services Union (HSU) has launched a case in the Fair Work Commission seeking pay rises for aged care workers of 25 per cent, or at least $5 more an hour.
HSU national president, Gerard Hayes said until the commitment was made to pay aged care workers a decent wage, the sector’s crisis would “only get worse”.
Mr Morrison on Friday said it would also back the Fair Work Commission’s case.
“Of course, we will have to ensure, working with the industry that the Fair Work Commission decisions are honoured,” he said.
The case in the Fair Work Commission has been going on since 2020. It is due to have hearings later this year, with a final decision due after that.
