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The Albanese government’s pledge to fast-track aged care reform has ignited fierce exchanges in Parliament and on national television, with opposition figures claiming victory for older Australians while ministers rejected suggestions they had been forced into action.
“This is just the beginning of a chase for more access to care for older Australians,” an opposition spokesperson said in an interview on ABC’s Afternoon Briefing. “We will continue to pursue the government and put pressure on the government to make sure that every older Australian who is assessed as needing care gets that care so that we see wait times down to less than a month.”
The comments followed confirmation that 83,000 home care packages would be rolled out in stages by mid-2026, including 20,000 before November and another 20,000 by year’s end. The government said the remaining 43,000 packages would be distributed in the first half of next year.
Health Minister Mark Butler, facing opposition criticism in question time, pushed back hard. “I wonder who the minister was who failed to deliver the mid-decade reform that was set out in that 2012 piece of legislation,” Butler said, referring to former Liberal aged care minister Sussan Ley. “I wonder who the minister was who in her entire tenure did not deliver a single additional home care package. A big fat donut.”
Opposition Declares Win for Seniors
Nationals Senate Leader Bridget McKenzie said the government’s move to release packages amounted to a backflip. “We’ll take the win on behalf of older Australians,” McKenzie said. “It’s great to see the government actually release those support packages that we’ve been demanding. We know 5,000 older Australians have passed waiting for those packages to be released and the government hasn’t released any this financial year.”
McKenzie said the announcement demonstrated the value of parliamentary scrutiny. “It shows what happens when oppositions do their job in a democracy like ours and pushes the government to the right position,” she said.
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Assistant Defence Minister Peter Khalil rejected that framing. “It is about old Australians,” Khalil said. “We’re reforming the home care and aged care system that needs reform. There’s been a doubling almost over five years of the home care package program to about 300,000 placements.”
Khalil credited bipartisan agreement in the Senate for progress. “Well done to get bipartisan agreement to actually pass this package because it’s much needed,” he said.
China Parade Attendance Stirs Political Storm
The panel shifted sharply when images emerged of former Victorian premier Daniel Andrews attending a military parade in China, standing alongside global leaders including Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Asked if Andrews should have attended, Khalil said, “Former politicians are private citizens and it’s a matter for them to determine what events they attend. I can say the government was not consulted or informed about their attendance as a private citizen at these events.”
McKenzie strongly criticized the appearance. “Dan Andrews has had a long and established relationship with the CCP and the Republic of China,” she said. “It is concerning for Victorians who were locked up by this premier during COVID. I think it’s very disturbing.”
Khalil accused the opposition of politicizing foreign relations. “We have rebuilt the relationship with a very important economic partner,” he said. “We haven’t dog-whistled. We haven’t used it for domestic political point scoring. We’ve been adults in the room.”
Extremism and Weekend Protests
Debate then turned to the weekend’s anti-immigration and anti-government rallies, where neo-Nazi groups were visible. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese earlier warned against “playing with this sort of stuff” after being followed from a rally in Ballarat by protesters opposed to renewable energy developments.
McKenzie said the demonstrations reflected farmers’ anger over property rights, not extremism. “I arrived in a tractor with hundreds of farmers who aren’t anti-renewables,” she said. “Let’s be very clear what the rally was about — the reduction of private property rights of these farmers. Loving your country, loving your land doesn’t make you an extremist.”
Pressed on images of protesters chasing the prime minister’s car, McKenzie said participants were motivated by frustration. “They feel helpless and hopeless. I think it’s very reasonable that they peacefully protest,” she said.
Khalil expressed alarm at extremist elements infiltrating demonstrations. “I’m appalled with what I’ve seen,” he said. “Communities that I represent who are very diverse, that basically reflect modern Australia, are really concerned. Those neo-Nazis want to bring down our democracy. They do not care about people. They’re manipulating issues to get short-term political gain and base their whole ideology on division and hatred.”
He said political leaders must take responsibility. “We have a responsibility to make sure there’s no place for hate. That means calling out racism and calling out extremism when we see it,” Khalil said. “We’ve passed legislation to ban Nazi symbols, but you have to do more. It’s incumbent upon us to do that job.”
A Divided Nation
The exchanges underscored the widening political divides as the government juggles aged care reform, foreign policy tensions with China, and mounting community concern about extremism.
McKenzie argued that Australians were being unfairly labeled. “I am very concerned that the Prime Minister is taking people’s right to protest against government’s heavy-handed approach and now that’s going to be extreme,” she said.
Khalil countered that tolerance of extremist groups threatened democratic values. “When we see that hatred, we need to call it out,” he said.
As aged care reforms move through Parliament, both sides are positioning for political advantage. The government insists its rollout schedule demonstrates commitment, while the opposition maintains pressure by highlighting delays and deaths among those waiting for care.
The controversy over Andrews’ appearance in China shows no sign of abating, with questions lingering about foreign influence and political judgment. Meanwhile, the rise of extremist rhetoric at rallies has placed renewed focus on social cohesion and national unity.
Despite the partisan sparring, one fact remains uncontested: older Australians remain at the heart of the policy fight, with tens of thousands still waiting for care.
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