Federal election 2022: Labor leader Albanese lashes Libs over aged care sector ‘in crisis’

Anthony Albanese has lashed out over aged care, saying nursing home residents were “literally starving” and being left in soiled clothes for days and claiming the Government had “gone missing” on the issue because they believed it was not a vote winner.

In what could be considered one of his most blazing campaign appearances so far, the Labor Leader accused the Government of “neglecting” aged care and claimed one Government MP had told him there were “no votes” in it.

“The title of the (royal commission) report is Neglect. In one word and what we have is a neglect of a royal commission that has been titled Neglect. Neglect from ... this Government,” he said.

“This election is about whether we have a government that looks after people or whether we have Scott Morrison who goes missing.... He doesn’t deliver on his key responsibility.

“He always blames someone else. A Government member said to me, well, there aren’t any votes in it (aged care). Well I tell you what, this needs addressing.”

He said aged care workers were “despairing” and were leaving the work force.

“This is tough work. It’s physically demanding. (Aged carers) are faced with circumstances whereby they’re in an aged care home and they have three buzzers going at once. Which person do they go and lift up? We have people living in their own soil, unable to be changed for days,” he said.

“The royal commission found this. Over 50 per cent of aged care residents were not getting the nutrition they need. They’re literally starving. This is a crisis in this country.”

Mr Albanese’s comments come as United Workers Union’s aged care members voted in favour of industrial action in WA, Queensland and SA.

Union delegates will hold meetings next week to decide what form the industrial action should take, but it is expected strikes over pay and conditions will be held.

The Fair Work Commission will also hold hearings next week on a case that has been brought forward by the Health Services Union to try and raise workers wages by 25 per cent- the equivalent of about $5 per hour.

Currently workers can be paid as little as about $21 per hour- just $2 above minimum wage.

Labor have promised a $2.5 billion dollar aged care package if it wins Government and to support a wage increase. However it has not said how much this increase would be.

They have also promised a nurse in every aged care provider 24 hours a day.

The Government have accused Labor of not having a plan for how it will recruit nurses.

In its most recent Budget, the Government announced an extra $522 million for aged care which it said grew its existing commitment for the sector to $18.8 billion

Social Services Minister Anne Ruston rejected Mr Albanese’s comments, saying the Government was the one who had called the royal commission in first place.

“We were the ones that called the royal commission. We are the ones who responded to the royal commission’s findings,” Senator Ruston told Sky news.

“We accept that there were a lot of things that were wrong.”

“We have been absolutely focused on policy that is deliverable.”