Shadow Aged Care Minister Anne Ruston questioned the Australian Government every day last week on the release of the Aged Care Taskforce's Final Report and Kantar Public research on the public's perception of consumers paying more out of their own pockets towards the costs of aged care services.
On Monday and Tuesday in the Senate, Senator Ruston called on the Government to release the Taskforce's Final Report and the Kantar Public research by Wednesday 28 February 2024.
On Wednesday, Senator Ruston rejected the Government's reasons for refusing to provide the documents - the final report is "currently subject to Cabinet consideration" and the Kantar research was provided to "assist it provide advice to Government". She asked the documents be provided by the following afternoon.
But on Thursday, ALP Senator Anthony Chisholm (pictured below right), Queensland, Assistant Minister for Education, Assistant Minister for Regional Development and Deputy Manager of Government Business in the Senate, said, "The government will not be supporting this motion. The minister has committed to releasing the report in due course."
Senator Ruston told The SOURCE today, Monday, "It was indefensible that Labor refused twice last week to provide the Senate with this important report, despite the Senate voting unanimously for the information.
"The Government is clearly keeping older Australians and their families purposely in the dark," Senator Ruston said.
Minister for Aged Care Anika Wells’ office had initially said the Aged Care Taskforce's Final Report would be released at the end of 2023. That deadline extended into January, February and now March with no indication of the timing of the Report's release. Last month, Senator Ruston told The SOURCE the Government was being "secretive" about the Final Report.
There had been media speculation that the Government was waiting for the results of the Dunkley by-election to release the report. While that result is now known, the Government and sector is also still waiting on the new Aged Care Act, planned to start on 1 July 2024.
Its Exposure Draft, which is available for public comment until this Friday, 8 March 2024, is missing large sections, including the section on funding which will take into account the Government's response to the recommendations of the Aged Care Taskforce.
