Opposition leader Anthony Albanese used his budget reply speech to take the Liberal Government to task for rejecting many of the royal commission's recommendations in last week's budget.
 
Scott Morrison's government delivered its hotly anticipated response to the royal commission with a $17.7bn package that included money for home care packages, $10 extra per resident per day and a new star rating system to better help families and older australians choose which provider is best for them.
 
However, Albanese said that the budget ignored key reforms that would have a massive impact on the sector.
 
"The Prime Minister must now explain why he has rejected so many of those important recommendations," he said.
 
"Like the recommendation to require a nurse on duty in nursing homes at all times.
"Or support for increasing the appallingly low wages of hard-working aged care staff.
"Or why he’s opted for fewer hours of care than the Royal Commission recommended, and delivered them much later.
"Or why the Government is congratulating itself for funding new homecare places, when it isn’t even enough to clear the current waiting list."
 
Albanese said that a Labor government would strive to stop older people growing old "alone, deprived of proper care and dignity".
 
He said that his government would ensure that every dollar spent in aged care would go to employing a guaranteed minimum level of nurses, assistants and carers and the daily needs of residents, and not into "the pockets of the more unscrupulous providers".
 
"We also support the Fair Work Commission moving quickly to meaningfully lift the wages of aged care workers.
 
"And we will ensure that dementia care management is core business given that up to 2 in every 3 aged care residents is affected."
 
Credit Connor Burke Aged Care Insite 17 May 2021