Delaying aged-care bill ‘just not an option’, says industry

The aged-care industry is warning parliament is ‘basically out of time’ to pass critical reforms during this term and has urged parliament not to wait until October to introduce its bill.

Aged Care Minister Anika Wells says it was ‘disappointing’ the opposition was yet to agree to a deal that would secure the future of quality aged care. Picture: NewsWire / Sarah Marshall

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The aged-care industry is warning parliament is “basically out of time” to pass critical reforms this term and is urging Labor and the Coalition to immediately come to a bipartisan agreement, as the Coalition remains unwilling to support the legislation because of several “surprise provisions” discovered in the proposed laws.

After months of negotiations with the Coalition – which led to major concessions such as the removal of criminal penalties for providers who breached new standards – Labor was quietly optimistic of gaining the opposition’s support and introducing the bill this week.

However, there was no discussion of the bill in the Coalition’s partyroom meeting on Tuesday morning, which the opposition said was in part due to the government’s unwillingness to table the legislation in parliament first.

A Coalition spokeswoman said the opposition had received the 550-page bill, intended to implement changes that will make the sector financially sustainable, only a week ago and urged that it be made publicly available for all of parliament to consider before her party gave its support.

“The Coalition remains in good-faith discussions with the government on their aged-care legislation, but there remain significant details that the government has not confirmed,” the spokeswoman said.

“We are seeking clarification from the government on the details that will be contained in so-far-unseen subordinate regulation and on surprise new provisions.

“This is the kind of detail that older Australians and their families deserve to know.”

One of the “surprise new provisions” that raised alarm relates to the “worker voice” measure, which the opposition is concerned will give unions more rights to be onsite at aged-care centres.

Coalition backbenchers have also raised concerns over other key elements of the bill, such as the increase of co-contributions for accommodation and daily living costs for wealthier elderly Australians, and how this will be calculated.

With no tick-off from the opposition on Tuesday, the bill will not receive bipartisan support until mid-October at the earliest, when the party room next meets.

Aged and Community Care Providers Association chief executive Tom Symondson said the delay was risking the sector “as we know it”.

“We’re basically out of time on aged-care reform in this term of parliament,” he said. “Our message for elected politicians is simple. Get this done now. The time for politics is well and truly over. Older Australians deserve better.”

Council on the Ageing chief executive Patricia Sparrow said the Aged Care Act needed “to be introduced quickly so it can be fully and publicly scrutinised by the community and parliament to ensure that all of its elements are fair, transparent, easy to understand and equitable for all older Australians”.

“We also need to see the details to ensure any fees and charges are affordable for individuals, with a strong safety net and consumer protections so no one gets left behind,” she said.

Aged Care Minister Anika Wells said it was “disappointing” the opposition was yet to agree to a deal that would secure the future of quality aged care.

“The government has been negotiating in good faith for months. We have given genuine consideration to every issue raised, answered every question, and provided the opposition with an unprecedented level of information,” she said.

“Older Australians deserve the certainty that high-quality aged care will be there for them, in their community or in their home, aged-care providers deserve the certainty that they will be able to secure the investment they need to grow and remain viable. Every week that passes without a bipartisan deal is another week of uncertainty for people and providers.”

Labor has maintained it will not introduce the bill until the Coalition assures its support, because the legislation is “too important” to be politicised.

However, Mr Symondson urged for the bill to be introduced this week

“Introducing the Act when parliament resumes in October is just not an option, as there is no time left for a Senate inquiry and other parliamentary processes before the next election,” he said.

“Without reform now, aged care as we know it may not exist in this country in the very near future and generations of older Australians will be the ones to suffer.”