The Aged Care Minister (and Minister for Youth and Sport), delivered a prepared statement in the Senate on his aged care portfolio yesterday, then quickly departed as leader of the opposition in the Senate, Penny Wong, was responding.
His departure created jeers from the Labor ranks, plus this from Penny Wong:
“Would you trust your parents, your grandparents, your aunts, uncles, brothers, sisters, wives or husbands to Senator Colbeck’s care?"
Minister Colbeck’s office claimed that he had a prearranged phone call with an aged care operator that required his early departure.
Anthony Albanese identified the lack of enthusiasm for the role of aged care Minister in Coalition ranks:
“They have churned through seven ministers with responsibility for aged care — one for every year they have been in power. The incumbent doesn’t even sit in the cabinet. And this week he was effectively demoted. He’s lost his responsibility and now he should lose his title.”
Sidenote: the Howard government had 11 aged care ministers over 11 years.
