The Senate has censured embattled Aged Care Minister Richard Colbeck for failing to take responsibility for coronavirus outbreaks across the sector.
Labor's Senate leader Penny Wong said the minister had lost the confidence of parliament and should be censured.
She said every week 100 older Australians were being raped, assaulted and killed in aged care facilities. "This is appalling, it is distressing, it is shocking but most of all it is unacceptable," Senator Wong told parliament.Senator Colbeck was censured for his failure to know the number of nursing home coronavirus deaths during a parliamentary inquiry last month.The motion also targeted him for failing to take responsibility for causing"death, grief and untold trauma" to residents and loved ones during the crisis.
He said the minister had apologised for not having the number of deaths on hand at the committee hearing. The censure motion also noted Senator Colbeck described his management of aged care as a"high water mark" and called deaths a '"function" of aged care.The motion passed 25 votes to 21.
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PM defends Aged Care Minister in Question Time | Sky News AustraliaFollowing the Senate’s censure of Aged Care Minister Richard Colbeck, the Prime Minister has pointed out these motions are “not a new thing” with high-profile figures John Howard and Paul Keating both censured during their time in government. \n\nHis comment responded to Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese who asked why the Aged Care Minister had not been “sacked from his job” following the Royal Commission into Aged Care which highlighted a number of serious issues within the sector.\n\n“We've heard horror stories of neglect in aged care, including a resident with ants crawling in her open wounds, shocking accounts of sexual assaults, untreated maggots in wounds,” Mr Albanese said.\n\nMr Morrison said “the many series issues that require addressing in aged care … was the very reason why the Aged Care Royal Commission was called in the first place”.\n\n“It is the very reason why the government, in particular, at the strong urging and recommendation of the Minister for Aged Care, has continued to increase funding for Aged Care by over a billion dollars every year.\n\n“It is the reason why the Minister for Aged Care came to the cabinet and said we needed to do more in aged care in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.”\n\nThe Prime Minister acknowledged while there had been some terrible outcomes, ultimately only eight per cent of the aged care facilities in Australia had been impacted by the coronavirus which was a good result compared to the 56 per cent impacted in the United Kingdom. \n\nImage: News Corp Australia
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PM defends Aged Care Minister in Question Time | Sky News AustraliaFollowing the Senate’s censure of Aged Care Minister Richard Colbeck, the Prime Minister has pointed out these motions are “not a new thing” with high-profile figures John Howard and Paul Keating both censured during their time in government. \n\nHis comment responded to Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese who asked why the Aged Care Minister had not been “sacked from his job” following the Royal Commission into Aged Care which highlighted a number of serious issues within the sector.\n\n“We've heard horror stories of neglect in aged care, including a resident with ants crawling in her open wounds, shocking accounts of sexual assaults, untreated maggots in wounds,” Mr Albanese said.\n\nMr Morrison said “the many series issues that require addressing in aged care … was the very reason why the Aged Care Royal Commission was called in the first place”.\n\n“It is the very reason why the government, in particular, at the strong urging and recommendation of the Minister for Aged Care, has continued to increase funding for Aged Care by over a billion dollars every year.\n\n“It is the reason why the Minister for Aged Care came to the cabinet and said we needed to do more in aged care in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.”\n\nThe Prime Minister acknowledged while there had been some terrible outcomes, ultimately only eight per cent of the aged care facilities in Australia had been impacted by the coronavirus which was a good result compared to the 56 per cent impacted in the United Kingdom. \n\nImage: News Corp Australia
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