Inspector-General of Aged Care

Current status

This bill became law on Aug 17th, 2023.

Policy area

Health, care & disability

What does this bill do?

Australia now has an independent Inspector-General of Aged CareThe new independent office that checks how the federal government runs and regulates aged care, especially where problems affect the whole system. to examine broad problems in how the federal government runs and regulates aged care, rather than handling one person’s complaint.

Why was it introduced?

The aged care royal commissionThe royal commission whose findings exposed major failures in aged care and led to calls for a new watchdog and wider reform. exposed systemic failures and a lack of any independent body to oversee how the CommonwealthThis means the federal government of Australia, which is the level of government the bill mainly scrutinises. runs and regulates aged care. This bill creates an independent Inspector-General with powers to investigate system-wide problems, compel information, and publicly report on government action.

Broader context

Before this bill, the CommonwealthThis means the federal government of Australia, which is the level of government the bill mainly scrutinises. ran and regulated aged care without a dedicated independent watchdog focused on system-wide failures, and the aged care royal commissionThe royal commission whose findings exposed major failures in aged care and led to calls for a new watchdog and wider reform.’s recommendations sharpened the case for a body that could scrutinise government performance rather than handle individual complaints. The bill responded by creating the Inspector-General of Aged CareThe new independent office that checks how the federal government runs and regulates aged care, especially where problems affect the whole system. with powers to investigate systemic problems, compel information and report publicly, and after Parliament passed it and Royal AssentThe final step that turns a bill passed by Parliament into an Act of law. was given in August 2023, the new office was established in law.

Key criticism

The main criticism was that the bill created an oversight office but did not by itself fix the deeper problems in aged care, including workforce shortages, under-resourcing, weak complaints handling and the need for stronger rights protections and monitoring. These concerns came from supportive crossbench and Greens speakers rather than outright opponents, so the reservations were mostly about the bill being too limited or needing stronger follow-through.

Who supported it?

Hon Anika Wells MP introduced this bill. It passed on the voices.

Introduced in House 22 Mar 2023
Passed House 30 Mar 2023
Passed Senate 08 Aug 2023
Became law 17 Aug 2023

Did it become law?

Yes

Became law 17 Aug 2023

Final passage

Passed without a counted vote

1 recorded amendment or procedural vote was found, but no counted vote on the bill itself was recorded.

Passage speed

148 days

From introduction to the latest recorded parliamentary step

Official record

View on APH

Parliament of Australia bill page

What does this bill do?

  1. Australia now has an independent Inspector-General of Aged CareThe new independent office that checks how the federal government runs and regulates aged care, especially where problems affect the whole system. to examine broad problems in how the federal government runs and regulates aged care, rather than handling one person’s complaint.

  2. The Inspector-General of Aged CareThe new independent office that checks how the federal government runs and regulates aged care, especially where problems affect the whole system. must publish a yearly work planA published yearly plan showing what the Inspector-General intends to review and when those reviews are due. so the public can see which reviews are planned and when they are due to happen.

  3. The Inspector-General of Aged CareThe new independent office that checks how the federal government runs and regulates aged care, especially where problems affect the whole system. must publish two progress reports and then carry out two formal reviews of how the federal government is acting on the aged care royal commissionThe royal commission whose findings exposed major failures in aged care and led to calls for a new watchdog and wider reform. recommendations.

  4. The Inspector-General of Aged CareThe new independent office that checks how the federal government runs and regulates aged care, especially where problems affect the whole system. can force government bodies, providers and other people to hand over information needed for its work, giving it strong powers to investigate systemic aged care problems.

  5. People who misuse protected informationSensitive information the law says must not be used or disclosed except for an authorised purpose. or break confidentiality and protection rules under this law can face offences and penalties.

Show source excerpts
  1. The Inspector‑General’s functions include oversight of the Commonwealth’s administration, governance and regulation of aged care. This includes conducting reviews into systemic issues and reporting to the Minister and Parliament on these matters. The reviews will not relate to individual complaints and actions.
    Inspector-General of Aged Care Act 2023 final Act text
  2. (4) The Inspector‑General must publish the work plan for a financial year on the Inspector‑General’s website as soon as practicable after it has been finalised.
    Inspector-General of Aged Care Act 2023 final Act text
  3. The Inspector‑General must conduct 2 reviews of the Commonwealth’s implementation of the recommendations of the Aged Care Royal Commission. Before conducting those reviews, the Inspector‑General must publish 2 reports on the progress made by the Commonwealth towards implementing those recommendations.
    Inspector-General of Aged Care Act 2023 final Act text
  4. The Inspector‑General has coercive information‑gathering powers, which allow the Inspector‑General to gather information relevant to the Inspector‑General’s functions from Commonwealth entities or any other person or body.
    Inspector-General of Aged Care Act 2023 final Act text
  5. A regime of offences and penalties apply to breaches of the protections afforded and to unauthorised use or disclosure of information obtained under this Act.
    Inspector-General of Aged Care Act 2023 final Act text

Broader context for this bill

Before this bill, the CommonwealthThis means the federal government of Australia, which is the level of government the bill mainly scrutinises. ran and regulated aged care without a dedicated independent watchdog focused on system-wide failures, and the aged care royal commissionThe royal commission whose findings exposed major failures in aged care and led to calls for a new watchdog and wider reform.’s recommendations sharpened the case for a body that could scrutinise government performance rather than handle individual complaints. The bill responded by creating the Inspector-General of Aged CareThe new independent office that checks how the federal government runs and regulates aged care, especially where problems affect the whole system. with powers to investigate systemic problems, compel information and report publicly, and after Parliament passed it and Royal AssentThe final step that turns a bill passed by Parliament into an Act of law. was given in August 2023, the new office was established in law.

  1. 2023

    Royal commissionThe royal commission whose findings exposed major failures in aged care and led to calls for a new watchdog and wider reform. recommendations set up the case for an aged care watchdog

    The explanatory memorandum says the new Inspector-General was created to provide independent oversight of the aged care system in line with the reform agenda behind the bill.

    Australian Parliament House ↗
  2. 22 Mar 2023

    Government introduces the bill to create the Inspector-General of Aged CareThe new independent office that checks how the federal government runs and regulates aged care, especially where problems affect the whole system.

    The government presented the bill as a way to add accountability and transparency to the aged-care system through a new independent statutory office.

    Hansard ↗
  3. 30 Mar 2023

    Parliamentary debate ties the new office to fixing systemic aged care failures

    Speakers backing the bill said it would implement royal commissionThe royal commission whose findings exposed major failures in aged care and led to calls for a new watchdog and wider reform. recommendations and give an independent body power to examine broad problems in how aged care is run.

    Hansard ↗
  4. 08 Aug 2023

    Parliament passes the bill

    Both houses agreed on the final form of the legislation, completing its passage and clearing the way for the new watchdog to be established.

    Parliamentary timeline ↗
  5. 17 Aug 2023

    Royal AssentThe final step that turns a bill passed by Parliament into an Act of law. sets up October commencement

    Royal AssentThe final step that turns a bill passed by Parliament into an Act of law. turned the bill into an Act, with the Federal Register later recording commencement on 16 October 2023 for the Inspector-General and its powers.

    Parliamentary timeline ↗

How did it move through Parliament?

House Senate
Introduced 22 Mar 2023

The bill was formally presented to the chamber and read a first time, which starts its parliamentary journey.

Introduced and read a first time

Second reading opened 22 Mar 2023

A minister or sponsoring member moved the second reading, opening the main debate on the bill's purpose and principles.

Second reading moved

Community Affairs review 23 Mar 2023

Referred to Committee (23/03/2023): Senate Community Affairs Legislation Committee; Committee report (28/04/2023)

Referred to committee

APH bill page notes
Second reading debate 30 Mar 2023

The bill reached this recorded parliamentary step.

House second reading agreed 30 Mar 2023

The chamber agreed to the bill at second reading, meaning it accepted the bill in principle and allowed it to continue.

Second reading agreed to

House third reading agreed 30 Mar 2023

The chamber agreed to the bill at third reading, which completed passage through that chamber. Later message exchanges with the other chamber were still recorded afterwards.

Third reading agreed to

Introduced 10 May 2023

The bill was formally presented to the chamber and read a first time, which starts its parliamentary journey.

Introduced and read a first time

Second reading opened 10 May 2023

A minister or sponsoring member moved the second reading, opening the main debate on the bill's purpose and principles.

Second reading moved

Second reading debate 07 Aug 2023

The bill reached this recorded parliamentary step.

Second reading debate 08 Aug 2023

The bill reached this recorded parliamentary step.

Senate second reading agreed 08 Aug 2023

The chamber agreed to the bill at second reading, meaning it accepted the bill in principle and allowed it to continue.

Second reading agreed to

Senate agreed to amendment packages 08 Aug 2023

The chamber considered amendments before the bill moved to the next stage.

Committee of the Whole debate

Senate third reading agreed 08 Aug 2023

The chamber agreed to the bill at third reading, which completed passage through that chamber.

Third reading agreed to

House agreed to Senate amendments on Senate review 08 Aug 2023

The House dealt with Senate amendments or requests so both chambers could settle the bill in the same form. The main amendments were: Observed text changed from "23 Unauthorised disclosure of draft review reports etc. 20 25 Tabling and publication of final review report 22 Part 3—…" to "23 Unauthorised disclosure of draft review reports etc.

Consideration of Senate message

Passed both houses 08 Aug 2023

Both houses passed the bill in the same form, completing parliamentary passage.

Finally passed both Houses

Assent 17 Aug 2023

The Governor-General gave Royal AssentThe final step that turns a bill passed by Parliament into an Act of law., turning the bill into an Act.

The main case against this bill

The main criticism was that the bill created an oversight office but did not by itself fix the deeper problems in aged care, including workforce shortages, under-resourcing, weak complaints handling and the need for stronger rights protections and monitoring. These concerns came from supportive crossbench and Greens speakers rather than outright opponents, so the reservations were mostly about the bill being too limited or needing stronger follow-through.

No party represented in the debate opposed the bill, but several supporters said oversight alone would not be enough.

Oversight without enough practical reform

Several supporters argued the bill was only a first step and risked being too limited if the government did not also deliver the wider aged care reforms, staffing improvements and funding needed to fix the system's underlying failures.

Raised by Helen Haines, Kylea Tink, Nola Marino and other supportive crossbench or coalition speakers Source ↗

Bill did not go far enough on safeguards and monitoring

The Greens said the bill should do more on rights, complaints and regular monitoring, warning that the new inspector-general needed stronger features if it was to drive lasting accountability across aged care.

Raised by Janet Rice and the Australian Greens Source ↗

Recorded votes

How the bill itself passed

The bill passed both chambers on the voices. The counted divisions below were about amendments or procedure, not final passage.

Passed

House passed the bill

House agreed to the bill's third reading on the voices, so there is no list of individual Aye and No votes for final passage in that chamber.

30 Mar 2023

Passed on the voices

In a voice vote, members call out Aye or No and the presiding officer judges which side has it. Individual names are only recorded if a formal division is called.

Passed

Senate passed the bill

Senate agreed to the bill's third reading on the voices, so there is no list of individual Aye and No votes for final passage in that chamber.

08 Aug 2023

Passed on the voices

In a voice vote, members call out Aye or No and the presiding officer judges which side has it. Individual names are only recorded if a formal division is called.

Amendments at a glance

Amendments grouped by chamber. Where APH reports aggregate counts, the package card summarizes the matching public amendment sheets by source theme.

House

Carried

House accepted all Senate amendments

The House agreed to the amendments made by the Senate, so the bill could pass both chambers in the same form.

Carried on voices

The chamber decided this amendment without a counted division, so there is no list of individual Aye and No votes.

Senate

Carried

Call for workforce constraints focus

Aye 40 No 19

Passed 40 to 19. Support came from Liberal Party, UAP, Nationals, Greens, and minor parties and independents. Opposition came from Labor.

08 Aug 2023

This was a second-reading statement vote, so it did not change the bill text, but it placed the Senate on record backing a focus on workforce shortages in the new inspector-general's work.

Party Recorded votes Aye / No
Liberal Party 19 / 0
UAP 1 / 0
Nationals 6 / 0
Greens 9 / 0
Jacqui Lambie Network 2 / 0
Independent 2 / 0
One Nation 1 / 0
Labor 0 / 19
Carried

Australian Greens package: 5 amendments

Australian Greens amendments tighten oversight by requiring two reviews of Commonwealth implementation of the Aged Care Royal Commission recommendations, publishing two progress reports, and publishing review notices unless that would harm the review process.

08 Aug 2023

Passed on the voices

The chamber agreed to this amendment package without a counted vote. APH records the agreed count by amendment, while the source documents are grouped into amendment sheets.

Themes in the public amendment sheets

These are amendment votes, not the final passage vote on the bill itself. The bill passed both chambers on the voices.

Who spoke, and what they said

Start here — lead voices

Sponsor speech Supports

Anika Wells

Australian Labor Party • MP 22 Mar 2023

Wells supports the bill, saying it will create an independent Inspector-General of Aged CareThe new independent office that checks how the federal government runs and regulates aged care, especially where problems affect the whole system. to strengthen oversight, accountability and transparency.

Read in Hansard ↗
Lead supporting voice Supports

Matthew Canavan

Liberal National Party • Senator 07 Aug 2023

Canavan says the coalition supports the bill and will vote for it because it creates an independent inspector-general to improve oversight, transparency and accountability in aged care.

Read in Hansard ↗
Lead non-major voice Supports

Helen Haines

Independent • MP 30 Mar 2023

Helen Haines supports the bill as a needed first step to create the Inspector-General of Aged CareThe new independent office that checks how the federal government runs and regulates aged care, especially where problems affect the whole system., but says it must be backed by urgent implementation of the royal commissionThe royal commission whose findings exposed major failures in aged care and led to calls for a new watchdog and wider reform. recommendations and stronger resourcing.

Read in Hansard ↗
Lead voice Supports

Tim Ayres

Australian Labor Party • Senator 10 May 2023

Ayres supports the bill and says it will create an independent Inspector-General of Aged CareThe new independent office that checks how the federal government runs and regulates aged care, especially where problems affect the whole system. to strengthen oversight, accountability and transparency across the system.

Read in Hansard ↗

All speeches by bloc

Labor

10 speakers · 11 contributions · 10 support

  1. Tony Zappia Zappia supports the bill and says it is a good step toward greater accountability and transparency in aged care.
    “I believe this legislation is a good step in the right direction. I hope the Inspector-General will be able to delve into some of the matters that I and other speakers in this debate have referred to and bring some accountability and transparency to the process of managing people under aged-care services in this country. I commend the legislation to the House.”

    Australian Labor Party • MP • 30 Mar 2023

    Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
  2. Helen Polley Polley supports the bill, saying it will create an independent inspector-general to monitor aged-care administration and report on royal commissionThe royal commission whose findings exposed major failures in aged care and led to calls for a new watchdog and wider reform. reforms with greater transparency and accountability.
    “Importantly, these bills establish an independent inspector-general of aged care who will impartially monitor and investigate the Commonwealth's administration and regulation of aged care.”

    Australian Labor Party • Senator • 07 Aug 2023

    Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
  3. Zaneta Mascarenhas Mascarenhas strongly supports the bill, saying it will create an independent inspector-general to improve transparency, accountability and trust in aged care, and to drive the reforms recommended by the royal commissionThe royal commission whose findings exposed major failures in aged care and led to calls for a new watchdog and wider reform..
    “I think that this bill goes to addressing that. I commend the bill to the House.”

    Australian Labor Party • MP • 30 Mar 2023

    Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
  4. Graham Perrett Graham Perrett supports the bill and says it will create an independent Inspector-General of Aged CareThe new independent office that checks how the federal government runs and regulates aged care, especially where problems affect the whole system. with strong information-gathering and reporting powers to improve transparency, accountability and public confidence in aged care.
    “The Inspector-General of Aged Care Bill before the chamber today will establish a new statutory office, the Inspector-General of Aged Care, supported by a new statutory body, the Office of the Inspector-General of Aged Care. This bill demonstrates our continued commitment to improving the aged-care sector and building confidence back in a sector that has fallen so far in Australian eyes. This bill further adds to our government's response to the royal commission. It was a royal commission that should not have been needed, because older Australians should not have been left in such a parlous state of neglect. Once passed, the Inspector-General of Aged Care Bill will establish an independent body with coercive information-gathering powers so that they can turn up and knock on a door and compel people to answer questions rather than just giving people warning so they can scrub everything. You need to be able to turn up and inspect. It will give the Commonwealth's administration and regulation of the aged-care system expertise. The bill will give the inspector-general the necessary powers to investigate systemic issues across the aged-care system, including the complaints management process. We can't fix these problems without tackling them head-on, without fear or favour.”

    Australian Labor Party • MP • 30 Mar 2023

    Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
  5. Tony Sheldon Sheldon supports the bill and says it will strengthen accountability and transparency in aged care by creating an independent Inspector-General.
    “The introduction of this bill affirms and reinforces the Albanese Labor government's commitment to improving the standard of aged care in our country. This is about supporting aged-care workers in secure, well-paid and fair work to improve the standard of care for older Australians—something that was absolutely not a priority of those opposite. This bill is another step in restoring trust in the aged-care system, and I commend the government and the minister for their action in this space.”

    Australian Labor Party • Senator • 07 Aug 2023

    Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
  6. Jana Stewart Jana Stewart supports the bill and says the new Inspector-General will help fix systemic failures in aged care by investigating problems, monitoring royal commissionThe royal commission whose findings exposed major failures in aged care and led to calls for a new watchdog and wider reform. implementation, and improving accountability.
    “I'm happy to support this bill, which is one of the many investments that our government is making into the aged-care sector. We're delivering a record 15 per cent pay increase for aged-care workers across Australia, establishing a new aged-care task force to review aged-care funding arrangements and develop options to make the system fair and equitable for all Australians, putting older people at the centre of residential aged care, assigning care places to people, introducing new initiatives for GPs to provide care to residents through MyMedicare, improving access to high-quality aged care for First Nations elders and boosting provider support and worker training to build care capacity.”

    Australian Labor Party • Senator • 08 Aug 2023

    Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
  7. Carina Garland Garland supports the bill and says it is a necessary step to restore trust in aged care by creating an independent inspector-general with stronger transparency and accountability powers.
    “This bill is a vital piece of legislation that will significantly improve outcomes for older Australians by ensuring greater accountability and transparency across the aged-care system.”

    Australian Labor Party • MP • 30 Mar 2023

    Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
  8. Fatima Payman Payman supports the bill and says it is another step in fixing aged care, because it will help establish the Inspector-General of Aged CareThe new independent office that checks how the federal government runs and regulates aged care, especially where problems affect the whole system. and improve care for older Australians.
    “I rise to support the Inspector-General of Aged Care (Consequential and Transitional Provisions) Bill 2023. This bill is another step in our journey to fix aged care, something we are absolutely committed to for the wellbeing of our older Australians and the workers who care for them. This bill makes consequential and provisional amendments to Commonwealth laws to support the establishment of the Inspector-General of Aged Care. It ensures information can be shared with the inspector-general for the purpose of carrying out its functions. This bill also amends the National Anti-Corruption Commission Act 2022 to require that, where a person is being investigated by the inspector-general, they can only be investigated by the commission if it is in the public interest. Finally, this bill ensures arrangements for the departmental interim administration.”

    Australian Labor Party • Senator • 07 Aug 2023

    Read the full speech in Hansard ↗

Coalition

13 speakers · 13 support

  1. James Stevens James Stevens says the coalition will happily support the bill because it implements a royal commissionThe royal commission whose findings exposed major failures in aged care and led to calls for a new watchdog and wider reform. recommendation and creates an independent oversight mechanism for aged care.
    “With those comments, again, I commend the work of the members of the royal commission. This measure is a recommendation of the royal commission. We in the coalition committed to implementing this after the royal commission's recommendations were provided to government, and we very happily support this bill progressing through the parliament. I commend the legislation to the House.”

    Liberal Party • MP • 30 Mar 2023

    Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
  2. Nola Marino Nola Marino supports the bill and says an independent Inspector-General is needed to provide oversight, transparency and accountability in aged care.
    “I'm pleased to support the Inspector-General of Aged Care Bill 2023 and the role of the Inspector-General of Aged Care for a number of the reasons that've been outlined by previous speakers, but in particular the capacity to provide that independent oversight of, or for reviewing, systemic issues and constantly drive improvement.”

    Liberal Party • MP • 30 Mar 2023

    Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
  3. Claire Chandler Chandler says the coalition will support the bill to establish an independent Inspector-General of Aged CareThe new independent office that checks how the federal government runs and regulates aged care, especially where problems affect the whole system., but wants the new office to urgently review the impact of the government’s rushed 24/7 registered nurse policy and other pressures on the sector.
    “The coalition believes the establishment of an inspector-general of aged care is important to ensure the aged-care sector remains well supported. We will support this legislation we're debating, to permanently establish an inspector-general of aged care and an associated statutory office. Like I said, in this place we should be cognisant of supporting the aged-care sector and we think this legislation here goes some important way to doing that.”

    Liberal Party • Senator • 07 Aug 2023

    Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
  4. David Fawcett Fawcett says he will support the bill because it implements a royal commissionThe royal commission whose findings exposed major failures in aged care and led to calls for a new watchdog and wider reform. recommendation to create an inspector-general that can monitor systemic problems in aged care.
    “As I indicated, I will be supporting this bill. Aged care is a sector that has looked after many Australians, including my own parents, but in some cases it has let them down. It is a complex area. It is a challenging area for providers. It is a challenging area for families seeking to get their family members into the area. The coalition, having launched this royal commission, supports recommendation 12 and the establishment of this inspector-general, and I will be supporting the bill.”

    Liberal Party • Senator • 07 Aug 2023

    Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
  5. Richard Colbeck Colbeck says the coalition wants the bill to pass, but argues Labor has handled aged-care reform badly and left the inspector-general role delayed.
    “I rise to make my contribution on the Inspector-General of Aged Care (Consequential and Transitional Provisions) Bill 2023. The government's approach to this piece of legislation is symptomatic of their approach to the reform of the aged-care system since they came to government, because this piece of legislation should have been passed by now. The Inspector-General of Aged Care should have been a formal position by now, not an acting position as it currently is. It was supposed to come into force on 1 July. The bottom line with this legislation, as has been the case with so much of what Labor claims to have done since the last election, is that the reform process has effectively been delayed. It's way behind. They've kicked the can down the road a number of times, and I'll deal with that further in my presentation. Interestingly, one of the things that the Inspector-General of Aged Care will be required to do is to undertake at least two reviews of the Commonwealth's implementation of the recommendations of the royal commission, and yet their process to put this office in place itself is behind schedule. As I said, it is symptomatic of the way that the government has operated, despite its claims.”

    Liberal Party • Senator • 08 Aug 2023

    Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
  6. Linda Reynolds Reynolds says the coalition supports the Inspector-General of Aged CareThe new independent office that checks how the federal government runs and regulates aged care, especially where problems affect the whole system. bill because it was the coalition’s own recommendation and would add independent oversight, transparency and accountability in aged care.
    “I rise to speak in support of this Inspector-General of Aged Care legislation and the role of the Inspector-General of Aged Care. The coalition, when in government, embraced this recommendation and pledged to create an Inspector-General of Aged Care. This was done with the explicit intention of offering independent oversight over our aged-care system to ensure transparency, accountability and confidence for all.”

    Liberal Party • Senator • 07 Aug 2023

    Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
  7. Kerrynne Liddle Liddle says the coalition supports the Inspector-General of Aged CareThe new independent office that checks how the federal government runs and regulates aged care, especially where problems affect the whole system. and its independence, but wants it to be used to scrutinise the government’s rushed aged-care staffing changes and broader implementation problems.
    “Of course the coalition supports older Australians receiving the best care possible, but bringing forward the royal commission's time lines and imposing rigid constraints on the sector is reckless, damaging and hurtful. We heard Senator Canavan giving some examples earlier. The opposition supports the independence of the inspector-general and endorses the separation of the inspector-general from the Department of Health and Aged Care and the other government bodies responsible for administering and regulating aged care. This is an important safeguard that guarantees the impartiality required to monitor, investigate and report on systemic issues across the aged-care system.”

    Liberal Party • Senator • 07 Aug 2023

    Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
  8. Slade Brockman Brockman says the coalition will support the bill because it will permanently establish the Inspector-General of Aged CareThe new independent office that checks how the federal government runs and regulates aged care, especially where problems affect the whole system. and improve transparency and accountability.
    “We believe that the establishment of the Inspector-General of Aged Care is important to ensure that the aged-care sector remains supported, and we will support this legislation to permanently establish the Inspector-General of Aged Care and associated statutory office.”

    Liberal Party • Senator • 07 Aug 2023

    Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
  9. Ross Cadell Cadell supports the Inspector-General of Aged CareThe new independent office that checks how the federal government runs and regulates aged care, especially where problems affect the whole system. bill, saying it is a step toward better oversight and ongoing improvement after the royal commissionThe royal commission whose findings exposed major failures in aged care and led to calls for a new watchdog and wider reform..
    “The royal commission wasn't put in place because we've got this nailed and it's all great and everyone's having that great life we spoke about. The royal commission was to get evidence to work out how we could do this better, and well done to this government for implementing things like the inspector-general out of that review and out of that royal commission.”

    National Party • Senator • 07 Aug 2023

    Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
  10. Hollie Hughes Hollie Hughes says the coalition will support the bill because it permanently establishes an independent inspector-general for aged care and should improve oversight, transparency, and safety for older Australians.
    “The coalition is supporting this bill because we do believe that the desire to permanently establish an inspector-general for aged care, transitioning the temporary arrangements for the interim inspector-general to a permanent one, is a good thing to ensure more oversight in the operations of the aged-care sector and to ensure better quality of life and safer care for all.”

    Liberal Party • Senator • 07 Aug 2023

    Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
  11. Andrew Gee Andrew Gee supports the bill and says an independent inspector-general is the right move to help drive overdue reform in aged care.
    “I rise in support of the Inspector-General of Aged Care Bill 2023 and the Inspector-General of Aged Care (Consequential and Transitional Provisions) Bill 2023. The care and treatment of our nation's seniors has to be one of the most vitally important priorities of our country. One of the most common queries I receive from constituents in my electorate is on aged care. Moving a family member or loved one into aged care is a decision people across our nation are faced with daily, and it is not an easy one. Within the sector, staffing is tight. Wages have been an issue; they've been too low. Aged-care facilities are operating at a loss. With a stream of reforms on the way, active engagement with the sector and the appointment of an inspector-general of aged care is a good move. It's the right move.”

    National Party • MP • 30 Mar 2023

    Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
  12. Sussan Ley Ley says the coalition will support the bill to permanently establish the Inspector-General of Aged CareThe new independent office that checks how the federal government runs and regulates aged care, especially where problems affect the whole system. because independent oversight can help drive reform and accountability.
    “The aged-care sector delivers fundamental support to older Australians and it is critical that we are also supporting the sector to deliver their services so that Australians have access to the best care possible as they age. The coalition will support this legislation to permanently establish the Inspector-General of Aged Care and the associated statutory office because it is through this establishment that reform, innovative ideas and problems can and should be explored and change embraced.”

    Liberal Party • MP • 30 Mar 2023

    Read the full speech in Hansard ↗

Greens

1 speaker · 1 support

  1. Janet Rice Rice says the Greens support the bill because an independent inspector-general is urgently needed to improve accountability and implement the royal commissionThe royal commission whose findings exposed major failures in aged care and led to calls for a new watchdog and wider reform.'s recommendations.
    “In conclusion, I commend the government for the work that's been done to reflect the community's needs and to produce this bill. This reform is urgently needed and will be of crucial significance in the lives of countless older Australians, their families and their carers. I would like to thank Senator Marielle Smith for her work in chairing the committee's inquiry and engaging a variety of aged-care advocates and service providers to share their experiences and expertise. I'm pleased to be sharing the Greens' support for this legislation. It will improve people's lives. It's much needed and will have a major impact on older Australians. I can foreshadow that we will move an amendment during the Committee of the Whole stage of the bill, for which we are hoping for government support, reflecting our prioritisation of regular monitoring and evaluation, which is an issue we will continue to advocate for.”

    Australian Greens • Senator • 07 Aug 2023

    Read the full speech in Hansard ↗

Minor parties and independents

2 speakers · 2 support

  1. Kylea Tink Kylea Tink supports the bill and says it is a positive first step toward stronger independent oversight of aged care, backed by the royal commissionThe royal commission whose findings exposed major failures in aged care and led to calls for a new watchdog and wider reform.'s reforms.
    “I thank the government for bringing this bill forward. I commended it as a really positive first step. I recognise the significant challenges that we still have in front of us to actually bring this significant reform about, but I do want to commend this bill and the decision of the government to improve the governance of the aged-care sector. I look forward to contributing to further reform strengthening Australia's aged-care system.”

    Independent • MP • 30 Mar 2023

    Read the full speech in Hansard ↗

Full record

Full chat