Aged care: Albanese lashes PM for retaining Colbeck

Anthony Albanese has ripped into Scott Morrison, saying he ‘doesn’t believe in accountability and doesn’t believe in taking responsibility’.

The prime minister’s refusal to sack Aged Care Minister Richard Colbeck shows the government has given up on accountability, Anthony Albanese says.

Senator Colbeck was retained in Tuesday’s virtual cabinet swearing-in, despite a difficult two years that saw 685 residents die in nursing homes during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The reshuffle sidelined Mr Colbeck by promoting aged care to cabinet under Health Minister Greg Hunt, but the Prime Minister insisted the move was not a demotion.

It comes after a damning independent report into deadly outbreaks at two Melbourne nursing homes was released on Monday.

Forty-four people were killed at St Basil’s nursing home, while 36 died at Epping Gardens.

The report found the two centres were not prepared for the outbreak and had inadequate infection control procedures. A surge workforce dispatched to help was also insufficiently trained, the report said.

The aged care royal commission has lashed the response to the St Basil’s outbreak, which killed 44 residents. Picture: Darrian Traynor/Getty Images

The Labor leader said Senator Colbeck keeping his role showed the federal government had given up on accountability.

“It is beyond belief that not a single aged care home has been sanctioned, in spite of the tragedies that have occurred across the board,” he told reporters on Tuesday.

“The idea that Richard Colbeck has maintained his position, with Greg Hunt overseeing as he always was as the senior minister, is quite frankly beyond belief.

“I don’t know what you’ve got to do to lose your job under this government, but it’s very clear that Richard Colbeck is a symbol of the fact that Scott Morrison doesn’t believe in accountability and doesn’t believe in taking responsibility either himself, or any of his ministers.”

Anthony Albanese says Richard Colbeck retaining his role shows the government has given up on accountability. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Wayne Taylor

The aged care royal commission also found in October the federal government had no devoted plan to deal with the virus in aged care facilities, and lashed at times “deplorable” infection control protocols.

The government responded by dispatching infection control officers to all aged care centres, to teach best practice to workers in the sector.

It also injected an extra $1b into aged care in this month’s Mid-Year Economic and Fiscal Outlook, primarily consisting of home care packages.

Mr Albanese also said it was “beyond belief” no Victorian aged care centre had been sanctioned during the state’s deadly second wave.

The Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission can impose sanctions, its harshest disciplinary action, on aged care centres but opted against doing so.

Richard Colbeck has retained his role as Aged Care Minister. Picture: Sean Davey

The aged care royal commission estimated on Monday that up to 40 per cent of residents faced some form of elder abuse.

A spokesperson for Senator Colbeck said the government had worked swiftly to implement a Serious Incident Response Scheme (SIRS) to combat elder abuse, including $23m throughout 2020-21.

“Any abuse of a care recipient is unacceptable and that is why the government committed to implement a SIRS for residential aged care in the 2019-20 budget,” he said.

“The government is committed to improving the system and has taken the necessary steps over time to work towards getting this complex area of reform right.

“These issues occur in a complex environment with person to person relationships, and in many cases, residents with reduced cognitive capability.”