Opposition still seeks to tweak new Aged Care Act

The Federal Opposition party is likely to push for a series of amendments to the Aged Care Bill before it’s passed in parliament with the Shadow Minister for Health and Aged Care Anne Ruston emphasising the importance of not rushing a Bill that requires necessary change.

Senator Ruston has recently been involved in nine public community hearings across Australia regarding the Bill. 

She appeared at the ACCPA (Aged & Community Care Providers Association) National Conference in Adelaide on Friday morning — fresh from a hearing in Darwin on Thursday — sharing that the Opposition is working on its next phase of amendment recommendations. 

“Whilst I want to deliver as much certainty as I possibly can today, there is still much work to be done with the Aged Care Bill if we want to make sure it delivers the desired outcomes and the best possible Bill,” Senator Ruston said.

“We did [honour our commitment to support the Bill] after months of negotiation where we fought hard to advocate on behalf of you in this room, for changes you asked for in relation to the exposure draft of the Aged Care Bill.”

The Senator also spoke about the fatigue providers have faced due to the ongoing reform process and system changes, plus the anticipated fatigue when new requirements linked to the new Aged Care Act come into effect. 

This includes the additional workload that will come from grandfathering current aged care participants on the existing fees model, meaning their fee structure will run concurrently with the incoming means-tested co-contribution fee structure.

While the Opposition has claimed victories in several key areas, including the reduction of proposed lifetime contribution caps and the removal of the worker’s voice, it still wants to address several areas of concern.

“We still retain our right to amend the Bill. We need everybody to understand the problems we’re trying to solve and we need all stakeholders to agree to be part of the solution and I’m not sure we are quite there yet,” she added.

The Senator could not provide detailed insights into what requests the Opposition will make following the release of the Senate Committee’s final report on October 31. However, she talked about the strong themes that have come out of the inquiry process. 

This includes ‘unseen rules’ that are causing providers to feel uncertain about what is expected of them, unachievable timeframes for transitioning to the new Act and the absence of the right to care. 

Other notable concerns surround potential contradictions between state and territory supporter provisions, protective disclosure and whistleblower provisions, key definitions in the Bill and the lack of consultation surrounding service lists. 

“Everybody that I’ve spoken to understands that policy changes of this magnitude require clarity and they require a vision to transition because the devil is always in the detail,” Senator Ruston added.

“They also understand the need for a thorough implementation plan to ensure systems are better, staff are trained and older Australians understand the new system and that’s before we get to the cost of these changes.

“But, with all that said, I can assure you that we are working night and day, so we can get this Bill passed as soon as possible, so we can provide everybody with certainty.”

Tony Jones, event MC and panel facilitator, alluded to it likely occurring in March and briefly grilled Senator Ruston on whether an election could derail plans to pass the Bill and implement the Aged Care Act. 

“We’d like to see this Bill through as soon as possible but we need to make sure we make it as good as possible,” she responded.

“We don’t need to be in a situation where amendments are made after the Bill is passed.

“I would like to see this Bill through this year but that’s a matter for the Senate. But, I have an obligation, as the person who has the power to make the changes, that I do my very best to make sure I get as many changes that you have asked me to put into the new Bill so it is as good as it possibly can be.

“We need to make sure provider concerns are considered as part of the debate process of this Bill and I’m committed to do that to make sure that Australians get their new Aged Care Act.”