Govt reaffirms Taskforce recommendation release has not been delayed 

Debate continues over the release of the Aged Care Taskforce’s final report, presented to Government in December 2023, with their recommendations yet to be officially announced but the Government says there have been no delays.

Some have criticised the delay, citing the December deadline and the subsequent silence as reasons for “hiding a secret tax on older Australians”. 

However, in a statement provided to hello leaders, a spokesperson for the Department of Health and Aged Care said there has been no change to their intended timeline for releasing the Taskforce’s final report. 

“There has been no delay to the release of the Taskforce recommendations. The Government received the report in late December 2023. The Government is considering the issues and recommendations of the report. The timing of the release of the Taskforce’s final report is a matter for Government,” their statement read. 

Key points

• The Aged Care Taskforce, chaired by Aged Care Minister Anika Wells, was created to review funding arrangements for aged care, with its recommendations intended to help develop a stronger system for consumers and providers
• Aged care’s financial burden on the Government is projected to increase drastically to $42 billion by 2026-27, almost double what it cost in 2021-22
• Their final report was due in December with many expecting a public release shortly after, however, there is now speculation it has been delayed until after the March 2 Dunkley by-election (Victoria), a marginal seat in Melbourne held by Labor
• While no official recommendations have been released, early insights reveal Taskforce members would like to see wealthier consumers pay more for their aged care services

The perceived delay in releasing the Taskforce’s recommendations has been a topic of discussion at recent Government sittings. Liberal Senator and opposition aged care spokeswoman Anne Ruston labelled the delay beyond the Dunkley by-election as suspicious.

“In the absence of her releasing the report immediately it can only be assumed she is hiding a secret tax on older Australians which will make it more difficult for older Australians to receive the care they deserve,” Senator Ruston said.

“The Coalition offered to work with the government on the important issue of aged care sustainability, but their unexplained determination to hide this report from the public suggests they don’t want to admit to their intentions ahead of the Dunkley by-election.”

Additionally, she voiced her concern over Tuesday’s announcement that the consultation period for the Exposure Draft of the new Aged Care Act has been extended by three weeks to March 8.

February 16 was the initial deadline for feedback, however, many within the sector had viewed the two-month period – which included Christmas and New Year – as a challenging timeframe to review the extensive document and provide detailed input. 

With no defined date for the public release of recommendations, it remains to be seen if the Taskforce’s work will be included in the upcoming May Federal Budget, something it had hoped to do.

Instead, it seems likely that the review, and the Government’s response to the review, will be released closer to the May Budget presentation. This may bode well for providers as there’s arguably no benefit to rushing in the recommendations, particularly if the new Aged Care Act has not been finalised or legislated.

However, with a Federal Election on the way in 2025 and no Liberal/National Coalition members involved in the Aged Care Taskforce, there is always the risk of further delays if politics takes a front seat over aged care stability.