Aged care reforms could see older Australians to pay more
The federal government insists it is on the cusp of making major reforms to aged care. But with politicians leaving Canberra for another two weeks, the sector is expressing disappointment as the new laws have not been revealed. The government prepares to ask older people to pay more for their care. It has also introduced laws to pay superannuation for parents on paid parental leave.
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00:00Hey, show us your T-Rex face.
00:07The People's Parliament becomes a playground.
00:12The federal government introducing new laws to add super to government funded paid parental
00:17leave from next July.
00:18A move Labor says will substantially help women when they retire.
00:23Women shouldn't pay an additional financial penalty just because they're taking time out
00:27to do important work like this.
00:31But much like being left hanging for a high five, the government is still yet to get an
00:38official sign off from the opposition on a deal to reform aged care.
00:43We'll have more to say about that subsequently.
00:46There were areas that needed improvement and our shadow minister has done an outstanding
00:51job to date to seek some concessions.
00:54The two sides have been in talks for months, striving for agreement behind closed doors
00:59to get older Australians to pay more for aged care.
01:03Business as usual won't cut it in aged care in the coming decades.
01:06The ABC understands there'll be no criminal penalties for providers who breach standards
01:11and those who can afford it will pay more for residential and home care.
01:16But with the finer details still under wraps, the sector's concerned.
01:21More could be a little bit or it could be a lot.
01:24The uncertainty is going to cause anxiety.
01:27The two major parties see bipartisanship on aged care as crucial to limit voter blowback.
01:33But nursing homes and those who represent older Australians are fed up with the delays.
01:38They'd been desperate for the new Aged Care Act to be introduced here in parliament this
01:42past fortnight.
01:44We now run the risk of not having enough time for older Australians to have their say in
01:48a Senate inquiry or not getting it passed by the end of the year.
01:52Changes are meant to be in effect mid-next year and more than three years on from the
01:57Royal Commission, there's a sense older Australians have waited long enough.