Federal Budget 2022: Anthony Albanese delivers budget reply speech

Anthony Albanese has put aged care top of his budget reply speech. See what else he pledged.

Anthony Albanese has unveiled Labor’s plan to “put the care back into aged care”, with nurses on site around the clock, healthy meals for residents and a pay rise for workers.

But the Labor leader refused to say how much he believed nursing home staff should be paid, as he unveiled the opposition’s $2.5bn policy to help fix a system at “breaking point”.

Mr Albanese said if he was elected in May, his government would “support the workers’ call for better pay” at the Fair Work Commission.

The Health Services Union — which is seeking a 25 per cent pay rise — last week threatened to campaign against the opposition if it was not satisfied with Labor’s long-awaited plan.

In his budget reply speech on Thursday night, Mr Albanese also promised:

AGED care homes would be required to have a registered nurse on site 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

RESIDENTS would have to receive at least 215 minutes of care a day to help them shower, dress and eat.

MANDATORY standards for “tasty and nutritious meals” to help residents who are “literally starving”.

STRICT rules forcing providers to report how they spend their funding.

Anthony Albanese fires back at Prime Minister Scott Morrison during Question Time in the House of Representatives in Parliament House Canberra. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gary Ramage

Mr Albanese said Australians had been “chilled by stories of unforgivable neglect”.

“If we want to change aged care in this country for the better, then we need to start by changing the government,” he said.

Aged care peak bodies have been demanding extra cash to implement 24-hour coverage, saying that while more than 80 per cent of facilities already have registered nurses working overnight, some facilities have difficulty finding suitable staff.

Under the government’s royal commission response, a new funding model will kick in on October 1 requiring nurses to be on site for 16 hours a day and for residents to receive at least 200 minutes of daily care.

Mr Albanese used his speech to reinforce Labor’s plan to lift wages and drive down costs including universal childcare, cheaper energy and fee-free TAFE places.

“This agenda isn’t radical. My team and I are promising renewal, not revolution,” he said.

“A renewal of the best of Australia’s values: fairness, decency, supporting aspiration, looking out for each other, rewarding hard work.”

Mr Albanese is expected to unveil a major Medicare package — revealed by the Herald Sun on Thursday — to kick off the election campaign in coming days.

Before his address, Scott Morrison accused Labor of being a “tired old opposition with no economic plan” and called on the Opposition Leader to detail an alternative budget.

“They’ve put up the white flag on the (government’s) budget … because they know this is the economic plan Australians need that delivers real relief for real problems right now,” the Prime Minister said.