Topics: Aged care homes, 24/7 nurses, arrival of the Indian PM
NATALIE BARR: A war of words has erupted in Federal Parliament over who's to blame for Australia's aged care crisis. The opposition says the Government's 24/7 mandatory nurses in homes requirement is to blame.
But aged care Minister, Anika Wells hit back saying Labor is left cleaning up all the mess from the Coalition. It comes after it was revealed at least 23 aged care homes had closed nationwide since September last year.
For more on the crisis let's bring in Home Affairs Minister Clare O'Neil and Liberal Senator Jane Hume. Good morning to you. Clare, 23 aged care homes closed, that's just since September last year. That's not very long. How confident are you that adopting this 24/7 nursing requirement is the right way to go and the timeframe is right?
CLARE O'NEIL: Yeah, thanks Nat. So we arrived in Government a year ago off the back of almost a decade of utterly shameful neglect of elderly Australians in the care of their Government, and you said in the front there, you know, "Who's to blame"? You don't need to ask the politicians about that. We've got a Royal Commission telling us that the former Government subjected elderly Australians to shocking neglect.
We saw widespread malnutrition in aged care homes; we saw elderly Australians being drugged because their behaviour couldn't be properly managed; we saw people falling out of bed in the middle of the night unable to get care and lying on the floor in pain, and that all happened under the former Government's watch, because they cut funding and they treated this sector disgracefully.
Now we have come into Government with an ambitious agenda to do something very basic, and that is look after our elderly Australians with the dignity that they deserve. Now, part of that is making sure that we have a nurse in every nursing home, the most basic thing that you would think would already have been provided in this country a long time ago.
So what I would like to see from the opposition is, instead of trying to stand in our way, a little bit of contrition for how they contributed to this situation where we had people's grandparents, people who raised us in this country, being treated in such a disgraceful way.
We're not going to apologise for fixing up the mess of the former Government; we are going to forge forward and make sure that we give these people proper dignity and care.
NATALIE BARR: Exactly. We understand that. A lot of us remember Albo holding up the coin and saying, "This is basically what people are eating off in aged care homes." And I think we all agree that this sector needs cleaning up.
But Jane, is this Government doing the clean‑up too fast?
JANE HUME: Look, I think Clare is propagating the problem here. I mean let's face it, you're right Clare, this is our grandparents, these elderly Australians deserve our respect. They're being forced out of their homes; they're being sent away from their communities, away from their families, and this is happening under your watch because of your decisions.
We have been saying for months and months that by expediting the findings of that review and forcing a nurse into aged care homes earlier than the aged care Royal Commission recommended, you're actually forcing these homes out of business, and it's the elderly Australians that suffer from that.
The most important thing that the Government can do now is plan for those workforce shortages that those aged care homes are experiencing and make sure that they have exemptions for homes that can't meet the requirements that you set, that you brought forward, that they cannot meet now, and that's why they're closing.
NATALIE BARR: Yeah, Clare ‑‑
CLARE O'NEIL: We will do that, Jane but we agree with ‑‑
NATALIE BARR: Hang on, Clare.
CLARE O'NEIL: ‑‑ of responsibility for how the power we got here.
NATALIE BARR: Yeah.
CLARE O'NEIL: We now need a bit of responsibility and shame and contrition from the former Government for what you did to this sector, and how you treated elderly people.
JANE HUME: Actually this was your policy when you were the Shadow Minister, Clare, and now the homes are shutting.
CLARE O'NEIL: Yeah, and it's a really good policy, and you are saying that we should not have a nurse in every nursing home?
NATALIE BARR: We agree we need the nurses, but, I think, Clare ‑‑
CLARE O'NEIL: Of course we should.
JANE HUME: We're not saying you should rush it.
NATALIE BARR: If I could just get in ‑‑
JANE HUME: You're rushing it.
NATALIE BARR: ‑‑ the Royal Commission I think recommended the nurses, but it's a year earlier. Are you rushing it? Are you bringing the nurses in too early, and therefore, in the time that it's taking to get the nurses in, nursing homes can't hold on because of the cost.
CLARE O'NEIL: Yeah. So really respectful of the use here, but what we are saying is that we've got a bold ambition to properly care for elderly people. We're going to do that as quickly as we can, because every year that we wait ‑‑
JANE HUME: Your bold ambition ‑‑
CLARE O'NEIL: ‑‑ every month, every day that we wait ‑‑
JANE HUME: ‑‑ is sending people broke.
CLARE O'NEIL: ‑‑ every day that we wait, it's being mistreated.
JANE HUME: It's pushing people out of homes.
CLARE O'NEIL: And Jane, when you from opposition are saying we created this ungodly mess, we neglected elderly people in our country, but knew you're fixing it too quickly, I just don't accept that.
JANE HUME: You politicised something, and now the consequences ‑‑
CLARE O'NEIL: It is really important ‑‑
JANE HUME: And now the consequences ‑‑
CLARE O'NEIL: I don't want the grandparents of my constituents ‑‑
JANE HUME: ‑‑ for older Australians.
CLARE O'NEIL: Not being cared for because the opposition isn't willing to be bold.
NATALIE BARR: Okay. Okay. Look, I think you've both had your say, and you know, people can make up their own minds, because this affects every family in Australia.
CLARE O'NEIL: It does.
NATALIE BARR: And if it doesn't right now, it soon will, and then you'll know what everyone's talking about. We have had some magic scenes in Australia in the last 24 hours. Look at this reception. 20,000 people are here to see the rockstar of Sydney, and India of course, in the last 24 hours. Prime Minister Modi, everyone yelling, "Modi, Modi, Modi." It was mania in Sydney last night.
Clare, this is something that, you know, every politician would love this kind of reception, I guess a reaction that you guys would love, but an important relationship that Australia needs.
CLARE O'NEIL: Yeah, exactly. It's such an important relationship for us, Nat, and can I say, namaste to all of our Indian Australians who are watching, and I know there's so many Indian Australians who are thrilled that Modi is here with us, he's a great personal friend of our Prime Minister, and it is such an important thing for our country going forward. So it's wonderful to have him here. I'm not sure if I'll ever be in a stadium like this, but good on Narendra Modi, I'm not sure what's going on there, but he's obviously hugely popular, and we're pleased about that.
NATALIE BARR: He is. Jane, nearly three‑quarters of a million Indians in Australia. If they weren't there, they were watching, weren't they?
JANE HUME: They certainly were, and you can see the delight on their faces. But look, obviously, while this is quite a big celebrity visit, it's also got national strategic importance, you know, and Modi is obviously a member of the Quad, as is Australia, as well as Japan and the US. That's a really important national security and economic ties that have been developed over many, many years, and I think that that will play out this week, but while he's here, I think we should enjoy the celebrity factor as well.
NATALIE BARR: Yeah, it really was incredible, wasn't it; Albo basking in it, and wearing his orange tie in tribute. Thank you very much. We'll talk to you next week.
