Question Time AU

Topic

Aged Care

Residential aged care, home care and older Australians.

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Question Time Q&As
81
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78

Recent Question Time Questions

Summaries in reported speech - not a transcript.

  • Aged Care

    House of Representatives · Wednesday 16 September 2026 · Monique Ryan Ind

    The member asked if it would be better to tax oil or gas, cut the diesel fuel rebate, or reconsider AUKUS spending rather than looking for savings in pensioners' pockets.

    Answered by Anthony Albanese

  • Private Health Insurance

    House of Representatives · Tuesday 15 September 2026 · Darren Chester Nationals

    The member asked why the government was making life harder for age pensioners by cutting their private health insurance rebate during a cost-of-living crisis.

    Answered by Mark Butler

  • Aged Care

    House of Representatives · Monday 14 September 2026 · Rebekha Sharkie Centre Alliance

    The member asked when the government would concede it was failing in aged care, citing high numbers of patients in hospitals, low bed additions, and long wait times for Support at Home packages.

    Answered by Sam Rae

  • Private Health Insurance

    Senate · Monday 14 September 2026 · Anne Ruston Liberal

    The senator asked if it was compassionate to expect pensioners to sacrifice holidays and meals to pay for the policy, given that $1.6 billion of the $3 billion savings came from pensioners. She also asked if the minister...

    Answered by Jenny McAllister

  • Private Health Insurance

    House of Representatives · Monday 14 September 2026 · Andrew Wallace LNP

    The member asked why the government would not review its stance on the private health insurance rebate, citing the financial impact on older Australians.

    Answered by Mark Butler

  • Pensions and Benefits

    House of Representatives · Thursday 10 September 2026 · David Smith ALP

    The member asked the Minister for Social Services how the government was supporting older Australians in retirement and what impact alternative approaches would have.

    Answered by Tanya Plibersek

  • Aged Care

    Senate · Tuesday 18 August 2026 · Richard Colbeck Liberal

    The senator asked how the government could justify the algorithm's decision to deny additional support to a deteriorating 96-year-old. He asked if the government believed this was the best outcome and why it rejected a b...

    Answered by Penny Wong

  • Aged Care

    House of Representatives · Tuesday 18 August 2026 · Allegra Spender Ind

    The member asked if the government would create a compulsory automated-decision-making system with people checking it, as the robodebt royal commission advised, to boost confidence in the aged care assessment tool.

    Answered by Sam Rae

  • Aged-Care Workforce

    House of Representatives · Wednesday 12 August 2026 · Carina Garland ALP

    The member asked how pay rises were delivering change for aged-care workers and older Australians, and why this change was necessary.

    Answered by Sam Rae

  • Private Health Insurance

    House of Representatives · Wednesday 12 August 2026 · Anne Webster Nationals

    The member asked why the Prime Minister was imposing a tax on private health insurance that she claimed would increase premiums by 21 per cent and out-of-pocket costs significantly.

    Answered by Mark Butler

  • Medical Workforce

    Senate · Tuesday 11 August 2026 · Marielle Smith ALP

    The senator asked how the government is strengthening the future health workforce and easing financial pressure on students. She also sought details on how the government is backing aged-care workers to earn more.

    Answered by Jenny McAllister

  • Aged Care

    House of Representatives · Thursday 2 July 2026 · Cameron Caldwell LNP

    The member asked whether the government would support the coalition's bill to ensure human oversight of all aged care decisions, citing the tragic case of Mr Austin whose application was reviewed by an AI tool.

    Answered by Sam Rae

  • Aged Care

    Senate · Thursday 2 July 2026 · Wendy Askew Liberal

    The member asked how many older Australians had died waiting for assessed care in the past 12 months and questioned whether the government was waiting for people to die before providing support.

    Answered by Jenny McAllister

  • Aged Care

    House of Representatives · Thursday 2 July 2026 · Angus Taylor Liberal

    The member asked why the government would not support the coalition's bill for human oversight, citing long wait times and the Senate's passage of the bill.

    Answered by Anthony Albanese; Sam Rae

  • Private Health Insurance

    House of Representatives · Thursday 2 July 2026 · Pat Conaghan Nationals

    The member asked how many older Australians would be worse off due to the cut in the private health insurance rebate.

    Answered by Mark Butler

  • Budget

    Senate · Tuesday 30 June 2026 · Anne Ruston Liberal

    The member asked how many pensioners would lose the private health insurance additional rebate under the government's tax changes. She further asked how pensioners on fixed incomes could absorb estimated cost increases o...

    Answered by Jenny McAllister

  • Aged Care

    Senate · Tuesday 30 June 2026 · Kerrynne Liddle Liberal

    The member asked how many more older Australians would die waiting for care. She further asked how the system could assess a man with severe disabilities as needing only entry-level help, and how the government could cla...

    Answered by Jenny McAllister

  • Aged Care

    House of Representatives · Tuesday 30 June 2026 · Anne Stanley ALP

    The member asked for details on the government's progress in rebuilding the aged care workforce and the necessity of these actions.

    Answered by Sam Rae

  • Aged Care

    House of Representatives · Tuesday 30 June 2026 · Darren Chester Nationals

    The member asked for the number of older Australians who had died while waiting for home care packages since 2022.

    Answered by Sam Rae

  • Wages and Salaries

    Senate · Wednesday 24 June 2026 · Jana Stewart ALP

    The senator asked how the government's position on boosting wages was helping workers in the health sector. She also asked about strategies to attract more workers to the healthcare industry given an ageing population.

    Answered by Murray Watt

  • Aged Care: Motor Neurone Disease

    House of Representatives · Tuesday 23 June 2026 · Monique Ryan Ind

    The member asked how the Minister could justify the integrated assessment tool to Australians like her constituent Graham Crossan, who needs 24-hour care but was denied the highest level of support.

    Answered by Sam Rae

  • Aged Care

    House of Representatives · Wednesday 3 June 2026 · Darren Chester Nationals

    The member asked if the minister took responsibility for the 4,800 eligible older Australians who died waiting for home care in the past year.

    Answered by Sam Rae

  • Aged Care

    House of Representatives · Tuesday 2 June 2026 · Rebekha Sharkie Centre Alliance

    The member asked what it takes for a dying person to receive support at home, citing a case of a constituent waiting for a package.

    Answered by Sam Rae

  • Aged Care

    Senate · Thursday 14 May 2026 · David Pocock Ind

    The member asked how many people were currently waiting for a Support at Home package and how many were waiting for an assessment. He further asked how many new Support at Home packages were funded in the budget, given t...

    Answered by Jenny McAllister

  • Private Health Insurance

    House of Representatives · Thursday 14 May 2026 · Rebekha Sharkie Centre Alliance

    The member asked why the government was treating older Australians badly by ending the rebate, which could increase premiums by up to $1,600 for couples, forcing them to choose between food and health insurance.

    Answered by Mark Butler

  • Budget

    House of Representatives · Wednesday 13 May 2026 · Emma Comer ALP

    The member asked how the budget was building Australia's future through historic investment in aged care.

    Answered by Sam Rae

  • Aged Care

    House of Representatives · Tuesday 12 May 2026 · Helen Haines Ind

    The member asked whether the long wait times for home support services were acceptable and how the government intended to fix them, citing specific constituents.

    Answered by Sam Rae

  • Albanese Government: Automated Decision-Making

    House of Representatives · Wednesday 1 April 2026 · Kate Chaney Ind

    The member asked when a compulsory legal system for automated decision-making in government could be expected.

    Answered by Michelle Rowland

  • Fuel

    House of Representatives · Monday 30 March 2026 · Mary Aldred Liberal

    The member asked why the Prime Minister was always the last to lead, citing an increase in aged care workers not taking shifts due to the fuel crisis.

    Answered by Anthony Albanese

  • Aged Care

    House of Representatives · Monday 30 March 2026 · Rebekha Sharkie Centre Alliance

    The member asked if the minister believed completing just two reviews over a seven-week period was acceptable.

    Answered by Sam Rae

  • Fuel

    House of Representatives · Wednesday 25 March 2026 · Kevin Hogan Nationals

    The member asked what the minister's plan was to ensure rising fuel costs did not result in the loss of essential community transport services for vulnerable people.

    Answered by Sam Rae

  • Aged Care

    House of Representatives · Monday 23 March 2026 · David Smith ALP

    The member asked how the government was implementing significant aged-care reforms to address past neglect.

    Answered by Sam Rae

  • Aged Care

    House of Representatives · Thursday 12 March 2026 · Dai Le Ind

    The member asked whether the Minister would urgently review transition cases and set maximum wait times for home care packages to prevent seniors from being left without support during reforms.

    Answered by Sam Rae

  • Aged Care

    House of Representatives · Thursday 5 March 2026 · Luke Gosling ALP

    The member asked how the government was delivering for aged-care workers and residents, why this was necessary, and how it differed from other approaches.

    Answered by Sam Rae

  • Health Care

    House of Representatives · Wednesday 11 February 2026 · Fiona Phillips ALP

    The member asked how changes to bulk-billing were delivering better health outcomes for older Australians and why this was necessary.

    Answered by Sam Rae

  • Aged Care

    House of Representatives · Tuesday 10 February 2026 · Libby Coker ALP

    The member asked how the government was delivering real reform in aged care and why these reforms were necessary.

    Answered by Sam Rae

  • Aged Care

    House of Representatives · Monday 9 February 2026 · Monique Ryan Ind

    The member asked if the reforms were 'robo aged care' given reports of 120,000 Australians waiting for automated assessments.

    Answered by Sam Rae

  • Aged Care

    Senate · Thursday 5 February 2026 · Anne Ruston Liberal

    The member asked if the government would take responsibility for the aged care crisis leaving thousands stranded in hospitals. She further asked if the minister accepted that excessive wait times caused by rationing care...

    Answered by Jenny McAllister

  • Aged Care

    House of Representatives · Wednesday 4 February 2026 · Luke Gosling ALP

    The member asked how the government was delivering well-paid jobs for aged-care workers and improving care for older Australians.

    Answered by Sam Rae

  • Aged Care

    House of Representatives · Tuesday 20 January 2026 · Rebekha Sharkie Centre Alliance

    The member asked when the government would act to take responsibility for elderly people in hospitals who needed aged care.

    Answered by Mark Butler

  • Health Care

    House of Representatives · Thursday 27 November 2025 · Dan Repacholi ALP

    The member asked what the government had done to repair the aged-care workforce and why this was necessary.

    Answered by Sam Rae

  • Hospitals

    Senate · Monday 24 November 2025 · Anne Ruston Liberal

    The member asked which specific hospital services the Prime Minister believed states should cut and which patients would miss out on care as a result. She followed up by asking why the government was requesting states to...

    Answered by Penny Wong

  • Aged Care

    House of Representatives · Thursday 6 November 2025 · Joanne Ryan ALP

    The member asked how the aged care reforms were delivering care for older Australians that was safer, fairer, and more dignified, and why these reforms were critical.

    Answered by Sam Rae

  • Aged Care

    Senate · Tuesday 4 November 2025 · David Pocock Ind

    The member asked what could be done for families unable to secure aged care placements. He also asked if residential facilities would be required to accept difficult cases under the new act and whether means testing for ...

    Answered by Jenny McAllister

  • Aged Care

    House of Representatives · Thursday 30 October 2025 · Rebekha Sharkie Centre Alliance

    The member asked if the minister would look at bringing forward price capping for aged care services.

    Answered by Sam Rae

  • Aged Care

    House of Representatives · Thursday 9 October 2025 · Justine Elliot ALP

    The member asked how the government is reforming the aged care system to improve quality and why reform was necessary.

    Answered by Sam Rae

  • Aged Care

    House of Representatives · Thursday 4 September 2025 · Fiona Phillips ALP

    The member asked how the government's generational reforms were rebuilding the aged-care system and delivering better care.

    Answered by Sam Rae

  • Aged Care

    Senate · Wednesday 3 September 2025 · Anne Ruston Liberal

    The member asked why the government delayed supporting the release of these home-care places until the last minute, despite the Coalition's efforts to secure the commitment.

    Answered by Jenny McAllister

  • Aged Care

    House of Representatives · Wednesday 3 September 2025 · Sussan Ley Liberal

    The member asked whether the minister was aware that the Prime Minister had deliberately excluded him from negotiations regarding aged care reforms. She queried why elderly Australians should trust the government if the ...

    Answered by Sam Rae

  • Minister for Aged Care and Seniors

    House of Representatives · Wednesday 3 September 2025 · Sussan Ley Liberal

    The member asked when the minister or his office became aware of the increased waitlist figure of nearly 109,000 people. She questioned why this updated number had not been provided to the House.

    Answered by Sam Rae

  • Aged Care

    House of Representatives · Wednesday 3 September 2025 · Shayne Neumann ALP

    The member asked how the government was implementing major changes to aged care following ten years of funding reductions and lack of attention.

    Answered by Mark Butler

  • Aged Care

    House of Representatives · Tuesday 2 September 2025 · Sussan Ley Liberal

    The member asked whether the delay in rolling out home-care packages was a decision made by the minister, the Minister for Health and Ageing, or endorsed by the cabinet.

    Answered by Sam Rae

  • Aged Care

    Senate · Tuesday 2 September 2025 · Leah Blyth Liberal

    The senator asked whether the minister would apologise to older Australians in the Yorke Peninsula for failing to support their community. She also inquired about commitments to release new home-care packages and progres...

    Answered by Jenny McAllister

  • Aged Care

    House of Representatives · Tuesday 2 September 2025 · Zoe McKenzie Liberal

    The member asked if the minister believed Australians like her constituent were responsible for the delay in delivering 83,000 home-care packages.

    Answered by Sam Rae

  • Aged Care

    House of Representatives · Tuesday 2 September 2025 · Sussan Ley Liberal

    The member asked how many elderly Australians had died waiting for a home-care package since the minister was sworn in on 13 May.

    Answered by Sam Rae

  • Aged Care

    House of Representatives · Tuesday 2 September 2025 · Angie Bell LNP

    The member asked how many older Australians had passed away while awaiting a home-care package from 13 May.

    Answered by Sam Rae

  • Aged Care

    House of Representatives · Tuesday 2 September 2025 · Phillip Thompson LNP

    The member asked when the minister would apologise to families of vulnerable elderly people who died waiting for care.

    Answered by Sam Rae

  • Aged Care

    House of Representatives · Tuesday 2 September 2025 · Simon Kennedy Liberal

    The member asked the minister to confirm if the statistic linking long wait times to higher death rates was true.

    Answered by Sam Rae

  • Medicare, Aged Care

    House of Representatives · Tuesday 2 September 2025 · Sam Lim ALP

    The member asked why it was important to strengthen Medicare and invest in aged care after years of cuts.

    Answered by Mark Butler

  • Aged Care

    House of Representatives · Monday 1 September 2025 · Sussan Ley Liberal

    The member asked how many of the promised 83,000 home-care packages had been delivered to date.

    Answered by Sam Rae

  • Aged Care

    Senate · Monday 1 September 2025 · Anne Ruston Liberal

    The member asked how many Australians assessed as needing home-care packages were currently waiting on the national priority list. She highlighted the discrepancy between official figures and expert estimates, noting the...

    Answered by Jenny McAllister

  • Aged Care

    House of Representatives · Monday 1 September 2025 · Sussan Ley Liberal

    The member asked if the minister would apologise to elderly Australians and their families for the alleged betrayal regarding the delay in package delivery.

    Answered by Sam Rae

  • Aged Care

    Senate · Monday 1 September 2025 · Wendy Askew Liberal

    The member asked if the minister would apologise to the constituent and others who lost loved ones while waiting for assessed care. She cited specific delays and the tragic outcome of a patient with Parkinson's disease.

    Answered by Jenny McAllister

  • Aged Care

    House of Representatives · Monday 1 September 2025 · Helen Haines Ind

    The member asked if the government would release 20,000 new home-care places immediately to prevent waitlists from growing.

    Answered by Sam Rae

  • Aged Care

    House of Representatives · Monday 1 September 2025 · Tom Venning Liberal

    The member asked if the minister would expedite the delivery of this specific man's package as an immediate priority.

    Answered by Sam Rae

  • Aged Care

    House of Representatives · Monday 1 September 2025 · Llew O'Brien Nationals

    The member asked if the minister would apologise to the families of those who died and how many more would die waiting for the rollout to commence.

    Answered by Sam Rae

  • Aged Care

    House of Representatives · Monday 1 September 2025 · Melissa McIntosh Liberal

    The member asked why the government was blaming the sector for delays when providers claimed they were ready.

    Answered by Sam Rae

  • Aged Care

    House of Representatives · Monday 1 September 2025 · Alex Hawke Liberal

    The member asked why the government had misled Australians by promising a 1 July start date if the legislation did not allow for it.

    Answered by Sam Rae

  • Aged Care

    House of Representatives · Monday 1 September 2025 · Anne Webster Nationals

    The member asked if the minister could identify a single provider or elderly person who personally requested the delay.

    Answered by Sam Rae

  • Aged Care

    House of Representatives · Monday 1 September 2025 · Rebekha Sharkie Centre Alliance

    The member asked if the government was deliberately slowing assessments to hide the reality of 200,000 people waiting up to two years.

    Answered by Sam Rae

  • Aged Care

    House of Representatives · Tuesday 26 August 2025 · Rebekha Sharkie Centre Alliance

    The member asked the Minister for Aged Care to justify delaying additional home-care packages from July to November, given the growing waitlist and deaths among those waiting.

    Answered by Sam Rae

  • Aged Care

    Senate · Thursday 31 July 2025 · Leah Blyth Liberal

    The senator asked how many people were on the waiting list and why 83,000 promised packages had been withheld.

    Answered by Jenny McAllister

  • Aged Care

    House of Representatives · Thursday 31 July 2025 · Helen Haines Ind

    The member asked what the government was doing to support nearly 90,000 people waiting for home-care packages, given the delay to the new system and the decision not to fund 20,000 bridging packages.

    Answered by Sam Rae

  • Aged Care

    House of Representatives · Tuesday 29 July 2025 · Sussan Ley Liberal

    The member asked the Prime Minister to characterize the current situation regarding the aged care waiting list, given that it had grown significantly since the previous administration described the earlier backlog as a n...

    Answered by Anthony Albanese

  • Aged Care

    House of Representatives · Tuesday 29 July 2025 · Mark Butler ALP

    The minister outlined the government's efforts to compress a decade of reform into three years, attributing the previous neglect to budget cuts initiated by the former Minister for Aged Care, who was now the Leader of th...

    Answered by Hon. Members

  • Australian Capital Territory: Hospitals

    Senate · Tuesday 29 July 2025 · David Pocock Ind

    The member asked why the Commonwealth contribution to ACT hospitals was lower than the federal coalition government's previous levels, despite promises of a 45 per cent contribution by 2035. He sought a guarantee that th...

    Answered by Jenny McAllister

  • Aged Care

    House of Representatives · Thursday 24 July 2025 · Basem Abdo ALP

    The member asked how the government was delivering on its commitment to fix aged care and ensure dignity for older Australians.

    Answered by Sam Rae

  • Cost of Living: Aged-Care Workers

    House of Representatives · Wednesday 26 March 2025 · Andrew Charlton ALP

    The member asked how the government was helping aged-care workers through wage increases and tax reductions, and whether any threats to this support existed.

    Answered by Anika Wells

  • Health Care: Women

    House of Representatives · Monday 10 February 2025 · Louise Miller-Frost ALP

    The member asked the Minister for Health and Aged Care how the government is delivering better healthcare for women and what the response to the policy has been.

    Answered by Mark Butler

  • Aged Care

    House of Representatives · Monday 10 February 2025 · Anne Stanley ALP

    The member asked how the government is helping aged-care workers upskill and earn more, and how this compares to other approaches that might leave people worse off.

    Answered by Anika Wells

  • Aged Care

    House of Representatives · Tuesday 4 February 2025 · Marion Scrymgour ALP

    The member asked how government investments were helping aged-care workers and if alternative approaches would leave them worse off.

    Answered by Anika Wells

Recent Debates

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