Federal Labor has set a one-year deadline to have a registered nurse in every aged care facility at all times, if it wins the looming federal election.
The commitment was outlined by Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese in his budget reply speech last night.
The $2.5-billion pledge also includes better food and safer condition for residents.
Labor aged care spokeswoman Clare O'Neil said paying nurses more would help attract staff.
"Our rule would take effect from 2023-24, so basically if Labor is elected in May we will have just over a year to find the additional nurses that we will need for this commitment," she said.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison is expected to call a May federal election in the coming days.
He said aged care was a "very complex and challenging area of policy" and a sector the Coalition had spent billions trying to fix.
"If he thinks what he's talking about only costs $2 billion, that only underscores that he doesn't understand the detail and complexity of these issues," Mr Morrison said.
"We are trying to achieve the same things but the difference is we've got a plan to pay for it, an economic plan he didn't deliver last night."
Labor vowing to pay nurses more
Labor has been unable to rule out needing overseas workers to fill staff shortfalls.
But the opposition has repeatedly ruled out using a levy on taxpayers to fund its aged care pledge.
"It will be funded through the budget and we are not planning to make cuts to anything that is important to Australians," Ms O'Neil said.
"What we are seeing with this government is complete profligacy with money.
"They spent $29 billion on JobKeeper supplements — taxpayer money that you paid for to companies that increased their profits or levelling their profits during the pandemic."
But Mr Morrison hit back and said if Labor could not explain how it would pay for its commitment, it would likely mean higher taxes for Australians.
"There are no increases in taxes or new taxes in the budget we handed down this week," Mr Morrison said.
"And there will not be any under the government that I have led and will continue to lead.
"It's a very easy question to answer, Anthony, and if you can't answer on the first day we got out of parliament that you won't increase taxes, people are starting to get a good look at you and that's what the election campaign is all about."
