Aged Care and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2025, Aged Care (Accommodation Payment Security) Levy Amendment Bill 2025; Second Reading

Joyce emphasised the importance of aged care for regional communities, noting that small town facilities often have no alternatives for residents. Joyce highlighted a specific case in Denman where a community facility faced a $3.51 million carbon offset cost to expand on its own land, arguing this diverted funds from building care units. Joyce urged the government to use ministerial discretion to waive such costs to keep regional facilities open. Joyce warned that closing these facilities would force vulnerable people back into family care or onto the streets, as palliative care beds in nearby towns were full.

Sharkie supported the bill but expressed concern over the new time-limited rule-making power, arguing it allowed the minister to override rights without parliamentary consideration. Sharkie raised issues regarding the automation of care assessments, citing the Robodebt scandal as a cautionary example for older Australians. Sharkie criticised the delay in delivering 83,000 home-care packages, noting that thousands of people had died or entered residential care while waiting. Sharkie highlighted constituent cases where price hikes for personal care would create funding shortfalls, effectively reducing the level of care received despite 'no worse off' guarantees.

Haines supported the bill, particularly the removal of caps on cleaning and gardening services, but scrutinised the delegated legislation powers. Haines accepted the rule-making power due to safeguards and its limited two-year duration, urging broad consultation during the transition. Haines highlighted the severe impact of waitlists on older Australians in regional Victoria, where travel costs and workforce shortages limit service availability. Haines criticised the government for not funding 20,000 interim home-care packages as requested by the crossbench and advocates, noting that delays risked the health and independence of vulnerable residents.

McCormack argued that the requirement for 24/7 registered nurses placed unsustainable financial pressure on small rural aged-care facilities, leading to closures. McCormack explained that covering one position required multiple staff members, which small providers could not afford, forcing residents to relocate to larger regional hubs. McCormack noted that aged-care workers were leaving the sector for higher-paying jobs in the National Disability Insurance Scheme. McCormack supported the bill but sought committee scrutiny due to the large number of amendments and lack of consultation with community-run providers.