Aged care royal commission: ‘Chance to make up for years of neglect’

The ALP says the aged-care royal commission report provides a “pathway forward” for reforming a sector “besieged by neglect”.

aged-care spokeswoman Clare O’Neil.

Labor says the aged-care royal commission report provides a “pathway forward” for reforming a sector “besieged by neglect” and has cautioned the government against using the split between the commissioners as an excuse not to take action.

Opposition aged-care spokeswoman Clare O’Neil on Monday said she held deep concerns Scott Morrison would not act on the 148 recommendations handed down by the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety.

“This royal commission final report does provide us a pathway forward,” she said. “I am just very concerned the Morison government is going to do what it’s done so many other times — put this on the shelf and make it look like they’re doing something but not actually changing anything.”

She said she hoped the fact the commission was split about how to ensure universal entitlements for Australians would not discourage the government from taking action. “I would be so angry if the government used that as some … excuse not to engage in proper reform and that would be just continuing their record.

“You’ve (the government) got a chance to make amends for eight years of funding cuts and neglect.

“We really want to see the government take that chance.”

Greens leader Adam Bandt and party colleague Rachel Siewert, said the report showed privatisation had failed older Australians. “The 1997 Howard reforms have led to decades of disaster for aged care,” Mr Bandt said. “Aged care should not be run for the profits of big corporations. It should be run to make sure we’re looking after older Australians, giving them the quality of life they deserve.”

Senator Siewert said the government’s initial response had been the “absolute bare minimum”. “They didn’t mention the need for additional homecare packages to clear the waiting list or commit significant funding to deliver reform,” she said.

Independent MP Andrew Wilkie said Australians could “no longer look away and say we didn’t know” about systemic issues as the findings had laid bare the fact the sector was being underfunded to the “point of ruin”. “Remedying this will take big bucks, a hell of a lot more than the $452m announced today, which … is less than what the government and opposition waved through last week for redevelopment of the Australian War Memorial,” he said.

Independent senator Rex Patrick said “a profound shift is ­required, including in the minds of government ministers who fail to deal with massive blowouts in portfolios such as Defence while they scrimp and save in other ­portfolios.”