‘There have been missteps’ in aged care: Minister

Labor leader Anthony Albanese has ramped up his attack on government over aged care, after the minister responsible made a tough admission.

Labor leader Anthony Albanese has called for the federal Aged Care Minister Richard Colbeck to be sacked, as he ramped up his attack on government shortfalls in the sector.

Mr Albanese presented an eight-point plan outlining changes needed to fix the ailing industry in a speech to the National Press Club on Thursday.

“It has been a calamity years in the making on the government’s watch and it has been recognised in their own ranks,” Mr Albanese said.

“He has lost his responsibility and now Senator Colbeck should lose his ministerial title.”

Minimum staffing levels in residential aged care and a reduction in the home care package wait times for 103,000 older Australians were top of Mr Albanese’s list of reforms.

Increased transparency and accountability of funding to support higher quality care, along with independent measurements and public reporting were also proposed.

Mr Albanese said residential aged care facilities must also have adequate personal protective equipment, better training for staff, including infection control and an improved surge workforce strategy.

Anthony Albanese has alleged $1.7 billion in cuts to the aged care sector resulted in neglect and substandard care. Picture: Sean Davey

He also called for additional resources for the aged care royal commission so it can inquire specifically into COVID-19 across the sector while not impacting or delaying the handing down of the final report.

However, taking the same position as the Morrison Government, Mr Albanese failed to commit to any changes until commissioners hand down their final report in 2021.

Mr Albanese said the industry needed “very strong regulation” and structural reform.

“We will come up with a more comprehensive long-term plan for aged care,” he said.

“I’m not about to put dollar attachments. We’ll do that in the lead-up to the election of any commitments we make.”

Mr Albanese said Labor would take a smaller agenda to the next election but it would not be “less ambitious”.

He also raised concerns about a growing push to scrap a superannuation increase, which he said will hurt seniors of the future, and then condemn the decision not to increase the aged care pension in September.

Labor has previously called for the $1500 JobKeeper payment rate not to taper after September 27.

But Mr Albanese would not say when the rate should fall, adding “it needs to be based upon the circumstances at the time”.

Aged Care Minister Richard Colbeck says the care and welfare of senior Australians has been, and remains, the highest priority for the Australian Government. Picture: Sam Mooy/Getty

Earlier on Thursday, Aged Care Minister Richard Colbeck addressed the Senate where he again apologised for not having information last week about deaths in aged care and admitted that “there have been missteps”.

“I have been working every day with the (aged) care sector, providers, staff and families to ensure that these people in care, those who first cared for us, received the highest level of protection,” Senator Colbeck said.

“For this, I am accountable.”

Senator Colbeck said 97 per cent of aged care facilities in Australia had no COVID-19 infected residents, setting “a high watermark”, compared to the UK, which was battling coronavirus in 56 per cent of its facilities.

The upper house erupted when Senator Colbeck said: “This has never been about politics; the operation of the national cabinet demonstrates that.

“Labor can have their gotcha moments.”

Senior Labor senator Penny Wong condemned Senator Colbeck for walking out of the chamber at the end of his address saying more than 360 Australians in nursing homes had died from COVID-19.

“He just turned his back on his accountability and responsibility in this parliament, and did not have … the honour and principle to stay and listen,” she said.

“Senator Colbeck was warned, he knew aged care was in crisis already before COVID hit.”

A new University of Queensland research paper released by the Aged Care Royal Commission estimates it would cost $621 million extra a year to improve all homes to the best quality level measured in the system, if all operated efficiently.