Answers to Questions

Opened the debate

Kovacic argued that the government's claim of weekly package releases was factually incorrect, stating that zero new home-care places had been provided since 1 July. Kovacic highlighted that 87,597 older Australians were waiting for approved packages and 121,596 were awaiting assessment, totaling over 200,000 people on waiting lists. Kovacic contended that the current system was failing families, forcing some into residential care or causing distress while waiting for support. Kovacic asserted that the government had fundamentally failed in the rollout of these essential services.

Government response

Darmanin stated that the government was implementing once-in-a-generation reforms under the new Aged Care Act, with bipartisan support. Darmanin reported that the government allocated an average of more than 2,000 home-care packages weekly, with high-priority cases receiving support within one month. Darmanin explained that while assessment wait times remained long due to surging demand, the median wait time had reduced to 25 days. Darmanin emphasised that the Support at Home program would deliver over 107,000 packages in two years, supported by $15 billion in funding for worker pay increases.

Opposition response

Cadell criticised the government's renewable energy rollout as hypocritical, arguing that it imposed costs on regional communities while blocking alternative solutions like hydroelectricity or nuclear power. Cadell cited the Western Renewables Link project, noting its estimated cost had risen from $3.6 billion to potentially $11.2 billion. Cadell argued that the government ignored the impact on farmers, including compulsory acquisitions and insurance issues, and had voted against inquiries into the rollout process. Cadell advocated for water infrastructure investments to generate power instead of relying solely on transmission lines.