4 years ago
MORRISON GOVERNMENT’S AGED CARE FAILURES
Julie Collins MP
The Morrison Government’s failure to learn from tragic outbreaks of COVID-19 in New South Wales nursing homes has been exposed after extraordinary evidence at the Royal Commission.
Evidence has confirmed what Labor has been saying: time and time again the Morrison Government has been behind the eight ball as a terrible tragedy has unfolded in aged care.
It is up to the Prime Minister to now front up and answer questions about why his Government was so ill prepared for these tragic outbreaks.
The Federal Government is responsible for aged care in Australia. Scott Morrison needs to take responsibility for these failings and provide families and loved ones with answers to what has gone wrong.
Evidence revealed the Morrison Government was aware after outbreaks of COVID-19 in NSW nursing homes that entire workforces could be lost which directly contradicts claims by Scott Morrison that similar issues in Victoria which caused tragedies could not have been ‘anticipated’.
“What had occurred over the weekend, in particular, which rapidly escalated the situation in a number of these facilities was the complete withdrawal of the workforce. That is not something that happened at Newmarch House in New South Wales. This was a new situation, something that had not been anticipated or foreshadowed at a state level or considered at a federal level.”
Evidence has confirmed what Labor has been saying: time and time again the Morrison Government has been behind the eight ball as a terrible tragedy has unfolded in aged care.
It is up to the Prime Minister to now front up and answer questions about why his Government was so ill prepared for these tragic outbreaks.
The Federal Government is responsible for aged care in Australia. Scott Morrison needs to take responsibility for these failings and provide families and loved ones with answers to what has gone wrong.
Evidence revealed the Morrison Government was aware after outbreaks of COVID-19 in NSW nursing homes that entire workforces could be lost which directly contradicts claims by Scott Morrison that similar issues in Victoria which caused tragedies could not have been ‘anticipated’.
“What had occurred over the weekend, in particular, which rapidly escalated the situation in a number of these facilities was the complete withdrawal of the workforce. That is not something that happened at Newmarch House in New South Wales. This was a new situation, something that had not been anticipated or foreshadowed at a state level or considered at a federal level.”
SCOTT MORRISON, PRESS CONFERENCE, 29 JULY 2020
Officials were forced to concede the Morrison Government could do better on PPE training for aged care workers following previous revelations just one in five workers had completed the training on the eve of outbreaks of COVID-19 in Victorian nursing homes.
Evidence also highlighted the deeply concerning delays in the Morrison Government’s decision to make face masks in aged care mandatory.
The Morrison Government must now learn and act to prevent further outbreaks in the aged care system.
We have seen the devastating impact of COVID-19 outbreaks in aged care in Australia and across the globe.
Why was the Morrison Government not better prepared for outbreaks that would impact our nation’s most vulnerable?
Australia’s aged care system was broken before the COVID-19 pandemic and this is only putting extra stress on the system.
The Morrison Government must do better for our most vulnerable older Australians.