The Albanese Labor Government continues to shroud the future of the aged care sector in secrecy as more than two months have passed since the Government received their sustainability report.
Senate Estimates confirmed that the final report from their Aged Care Sustainability Taskforce was completed and provided to the Government before Christmas. However, despite being months behind on their deadline, Labor continues hiding the report from the Australian public.
The level of secrecy around the outcome of the Taskforce is astounding, with even the Government’s own acting Inspector General of Aged Care revealing that he has not received a briefing on the report despite requesting one.
Labor’s continued refusal to be transparent with the report has reaffirmed suspicions that it is concealing plans for financing the aged care sector until after the Dunkley by-election.
This deliberate delay creates additional stress for providers, who already have to grapple with serious financial pressures caused by an unaddressed workforce shortfall.
Over the last quarter, we have only seen an additional 44 nurses enter the aged care workforce, which means almost 6,000 additional nurses are needed before October 2024 to implement new mandated staffing requirements.
Shadow Minister for Health and Aged Care, Senator Anne Ruston, said that the Coalition understands the pressures aged care provider face under Labor.
“Estimates revealed that 30% of aged care providers are already failing to meet current care requirements, and we are seriously concerned that this will only get worse from October as the Government continues to sit on their hands.
“The fact that Labor has not managed to reduce the staffing shortfall by even 1% shows critical failings in their approach to the current challenges.
“The last thing that aged care providers need when they are trying to care for our older Australians is for the Government to inflict even greater uncertainty on them regarding their future financing and sustainability,” Shadow Minister Ruston said.
The Coalition is calling on the Albanese Labor Government to be transparent about their plans for the aged care sector by releasing the Taskforce’s report. Otherwise, we are left to ask – What are they hiding?