Did Labor just block 20,000 aged care packages to save money? Sam Rae breaks his silence
- Replies 21
Aged care reforms were once again under the spotlight after Minister Sam Rae declined to say whether budget worries had stalled the rollout of thousands of much-needed home care packages.
The refusal sparked further scrutiny over how long older Australians must wait for support at home.
Tension grew as evidence suggested the government initially voted against releasing the packages before eventually bowing to opposition pressure.
The Aged Care Minister was pressed on the matter during an appearance, but he would not confirm if financial considerations played a role.
Instead, Mr Rae insisted the debate had centred on achieving bipartisan support.
‘Our process this week and our principle throughout this entire reform process has been to seek bipartisan agreement at every single opportunity,’ he said.
‘At that point, we had not yet reached bipartisan agreement about the rollout. We did shortly thereafter.’
‘In the moment that we did reach bipartisan agreement, Minister Butler and I stood up… we explained to the media and to the Australian public what the rollout process would look like.’
The government had initially opposed the additional 20,000 packages but later changed course, following pressure from the opposition.
This came against a backdrop of widespread concern about the lengthy waiting list for home care among older Australians.
According to documents provided to the senate by Mr Rae, 108,924 people had been assessed as needing home care packages.
He admitted the figure was very high, but noted it remained unverified.
‘I don't want to see people sitting on the national priority system without aged care services,’ he said.
‘Now, whether the number is the last verified number… or the number that's been produced in the senate this week, the point is that the number's too high.’
Earlier this year, the government announced 83,000 new packages under the Support at Home program, scheduled to begin on 1 November.
Requests to bring forward part of the rollout were blocked, with Mr Rae attributing this to the legislative framework tied to the delayed Aged Care Act.
‘There has been no delay of packages. There has been a deferral of the Aged Care Act. And with the Aged Care Act brings the legislative framework for support at home,’ he said.
He described the four-month deferral as necessary to give providers time to prepare for growth.
However, a parliamentary inquiry later heard evidence suggesting providers already had capacity to deliver more.
The debate over whether budget pressures delayed the release of home care packages has been unfolding alongside fresh developments in government policy.
In fact, the government recently shifted its stance after initially blocking calls to release additional support earlier.
That reversal marked a significant backdown, highlighting just how contested the rollout of care reforms has become.
Read more: Albanese government to bring forward home care packages in major backdown
Losing access to timely care can leave older Australians feeling abandoned—how long should they be expected to wait?
The refusal sparked further scrutiny over how long older Australians must wait for support at home.
Tension grew as evidence suggested the government initially voted against releasing the packages before eventually bowing to opposition pressure.
The Aged Care Minister was pressed on the matter during an appearance, but he would not confirm if financial considerations played a role.
Instead, Mr Rae insisted the debate had centred on achieving bipartisan support.
‘Our process this week and our principle throughout this entire reform process has been to seek bipartisan agreement at every single opportunity,’ he said.
Sam Rae dodges budget questions on aged care. Image source: Pexels/Matthias Zomer | Disclaimer: This is a stock image used for illustrative purposes only and does not depict the actual person, item, or event described.
‘At that point, we had not yet reached bipartisan agreement about the rollout. We did shortly thereafter.’
‘In the moment that we did reach bipartisan agreement, Minister Butler and I stood up… we explained to the media and to the Australian public what the rollout process would look like.’
The government had initially opposed the additional 20,000 packages but later changed course, following pressure from the opposition.
This came against a backdrop of widespread concern about the lengthy waiting list for home care among older Australians.
According to documents provided to the senate by Mr Rae, 108,924 people had been assessed as needing home care packages.
He admitted the figure was very high, but noted it remained unverified.
‘I don't want to see people sitting on the national priority system without aged care services,’ he said.
‘Now, whether the number is the last verified number… or the number that's been produced in the senate this week, the point is that the number's too high.’
Earlier this year, the government announced 83,000 new packages under the Support at Home program, scheduled to begin on 1 November.
Requests to bring forward part of the rollout were blocked, with Mr Rae attributing this to the legislative framework tied to the delayed Aged Care Act.
‘There has been no delay of packages. There has been a deferral of the Aged Care Act. And with the Aged Care Act brings the legislative framework for support at home,’ he said.
He described the four-month deferral as necessary to give providers time to prepare for growth.
However, a parliamentary inquiry later heard evidence suggesting providers already had capacity to deliver more.
The debate over whether budget pressures delayed the release of home care packages has been unfolding alongside fresh developments in government policy.
In fact, the government recently shifted its stance after initially blocking calls to release additional support earlier.
That reversal marked a significant backdown, highlighting just how contested the rollout of care reforms has become.
Read more: Albanese government to bring forward home care packages in major backdown
Losing access to timely care can leave older Australians feeling abandoned—how long should they be expected to wait?
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