Aged Care Services Minister Richard Colbeck has dismissed suggestions he should resign while defending his declaration the sector is not in crisis, amid growing criticism of the government's handling of widespread COVID-19 outbreaks and record deaths.
The aged care sector has been under immense pressure this summer, with peak aged care groups saying Australia should have been better prepared for another COVID-19 variant like Omicron.
Health bureaucrats have told a parliamentary committee 2022 has already been the deadliest year for aged care residents since the start of the pandemic, with 711 residents dying in COVID-19 outbreaks compared with 282 deaths in 2021 and 685 in 2020.
Almost one-third of the country's residential aged care homes are currently battling coronavirus outbreaks, with 915 of the country's 2900 facilities affected.
The outbreaks have also seen massive staff shortages and thousands of residents isolated in their rooms.
Already under scrutiny, criticism of the government's handling of the sector intensified further after Senator Colbeck was forced to defend attending an Ashes Test match instead of a parliamentary committee hearing investigating COVID-19 in aged care homes at the height of the Omicron outbreak.
Appearing before Senate Estimates today, Senator Colbeck dismissed questions from Labor and Greens Senators about whether he should be sacked.
"I don't believe so," he told the inquiry.
"How can anyone have confidence in you, if they're a resident in aged care, if they're a family member of someone in aged care, if they're a worker in aged care that you are the man to fix this system, which is in absolute crisis?" Labor senator Murray Watt asked.
"The government is the only party that can provide anyone with any confidence about the future of the aged care sector, because the opposition has no plan" Senator Colbeck replied.
"We're the only one with a plan on the table."
Colbeck defends saying system not in crisis
Senator Colbeck also defended comments he made earlier this month when he told the committee he did not believe the sector was in "complete crisis".
"After all the deaths, after all the neglect, after all the horror stories, after all the staff shortages, do you finally accept Australia's aged care system is in crisis?" Senator Watt asked today.
"They're working really hard, I pay enormous tribute to the providers and particularly the workforce, but every time you tell them how bad it is, you're saying how bad they are."
That comment prompted interjections from Labor senators.
"We are the voice of people in the system who are being neglected, who are being underpaid!" Senator Watt said.
"You don't have a plan, you aren't the future," Senator Colbeck replied.
"If you're the future, my God," Senator Watt responded.
Senator Colbeck also told the inquiry he was "horrified" by pictures published in News Corp last week showing some of the meals served in aged care homes.
He said it was unacceptable and urged people to report any similar circumstances to the independent aged care watchdog.
Senator Colbeck also accused the Opposition of trying to score political points with its questions, arguing the government had pumped billions of dollars into the aged care sector following the release of the damning royal commission report last year.
