ROYAL COMMISSION INTO AGED CARE

Labor supports a Royal Commission into the abuse and the cover-ups in the aged care sector, but the Liberals can’t wait for the Royal Commission to finish before they start fixing the crisis. 

Labor has been saying for a long time that the aged care system is in a state of national crisis.

When Bill Shorten said this in the Parliament in May, the Government likened it to committing elder abuse. We are glad they are now listening and have changed their mind. 

There have been several inquiries into problems in the aged care sector, which the Government hasn’t acted on.

The quality standards and reporting system isn’t working. There aren’t enough aged care workers – and they aren’t given enough pay, respect or support.

The Royal Commission needs to examine the impact of the Liberals’ years of cuts. You don’t fix aged care by cutting it.

Billions of dollars have been cut from aged care in the last five years by the Liberals. Mr Morrison cut almost $2 billion in his first year as Treasurer. No wonder the system is in crisis. 

There are 108,000 people on the home care package waiting list, including 88,000 people with high needs – many living with dementia.  

We should judge ourselves as a nation by how we treat our elderly.

We can’t call ourselves a fair and generous country until we give elderly Australians the love, care and respect that they deserve.