Coalition Forces Government to Fast-Track 20,000 Aged Care Packages as Waitlists Soar Beyond 108,000
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The federal government will expedite 20,000 home care packages following Coalition pressure, as Shadow Health Minister Anne Ruston revealed more than 108,000 older Australians are waiting up to 12 months for essential care services.
Ruston told Sky News Monday that the Coalition's parliamentary victory last week represented a critical breakthrough for elderly Australians trapped in an escalating aged care crisis.
"We were really delighted last week, not because we had a win against the government, but because all of those older Australians, you know, the 108,000 older Australians that are sitting waiting for a home care package, it was a win for them," Ruston said.
The Shadow Health Minister revealed the dramatic expansion of waiting times, with current delays averaging nine to 12 months compared to previous wait periods of one to three months just two years ago.
"A couple of years ago, the wait list was 28,000 older Australians waiting for somewhere between one and three months to get a home care package. As we sit here today, I'm sure it's well over 110,000," Ruston said during the interview.
The government has committed to delivering 20,000 packages immediately, followed by 40,000 by Christmas and 83,000 by June 2026, according to Ruston's statements.
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However, she questioned whether the government's administrative systems are prepared for the November 1 implementation deadline of broader aged care reforms.
"The thing that probably bothers me more than anything is, is the government ready to be able to change and make these reforms on the 1st of November?" Ruston said.
The Coalition's aged care victory comes amid ongoing controversy over comments by Indigenous Affairs Senator Jacinta Price regarding Indian Australian voting patterns, which Ruston acknowledged has caused distress within the community.
"Our Indian community is a very valued community and I regret the distress that's been caused to the Indian community by this ongoing debate because they are an amazing community," Ruston said.
She emphasized the need to restore relationships with the Indian Australian community, describing them as "incredible contributors to our nation."
"More than anything, I just want to assure the Indian community that we think they are incredible contributors to our nation and that must be the number one priority going forward is to make sure that that community feels like it's welcome in Australia," Ruston said.
When pressed about whether Price should apologize ahead of her scheduled television appearance Monday evening, Ruston said the senator has "an opportunity tonight to set the record straight about the comments that she has been making over the last few days."
The aged care sector's reliance on temporary visa holders emerged as a key theme, with approximately 40% of aged care workers holding temporary visas according to the interview discussion.
Ruston defended this workforce composition as part of a strategic migration program targeting specific labor shortages.
"I think this goes to the very point of our migration program in this country is that we need to be making sure that the people that we're bringing into this country are targeting the workforce shortages that we currently have," Ruston said.
She noted improvements in aged care workforce availability, saying the sector has demonstrated readiness to deliver additional packages.
"The aged care sector has struggled over recent times about getting access to the care workforce. We are very pleased to see that that has improved significantly over the last little while," Ruston said.
Industry representatives have contradicted government claims about workforce readiness, according to Ruston's account.
"The sector have been very, very clear that they say that they have got the resources to be able to deliver these additional packages, not just the 20,000 immediately, but the 40,000 by Christmas and the 83,000 by June 2026," she said.
Ruston criticized the government for delaying reforms while simultaneously stopping the release of home care packages that could have been distributed during the four-month deferral period.
"When they deferred the reforms, which we were happy for them to defer because they plainly weren't ready, why at the same time they actually stopped older Australians continuing to get these new home care packages," she said.
The Shadow Health Minister revealed that government officials knew since January they lacked necessary systems and legislation for the originally scheduled July 1 implementation.
"We found out only a few weeks ago that the government was well aware as long ago as January that they weren't in a position to have the systems in place and they actually needed new legislation for the new act to start on the 1st of July," Ruston said.
Parliament only passed the required additional legislation last week, creating a compressed timeline for November implementation.
"We've now got from now until the 1st of November for the government to put in place all the things that this legislation has enabled, making sure that older Australians have a seamless transition into the new system," Ruston said.
The Coalition is monitoring government preparations closely to prevent further delays that could impact elderly Australians.
"We will be watching the government very, very carefully over the next few weeks to make sure that all the promises that they've made to older Australians," Ruston said.
She expressed concern about repeating previous implementation failures, referencing Coalition warnings from November that went unheeded.
"The last thing we want to do is have another situation where, you know, it's I told you so. We knew last November there was going to be a problem. Government wouldn't listen," Ruston said.
The aged care package announcement represents one of the Opposition's most significant parliamentary victories since the 2022 election, forcing government policy changes through crossbench negotiations.
Ruston accused the government of deliberately withholding available packages from elderly Australians during the reform delay period.
"This government needs to explain why they have purposely withheld home care packages from older Australians when the only thing in their way stopping them from doing so was a signature by the Minister," she said.
The current waiting list represents a nearly four-fold increase from previous levels, creating what Ruston described as "a pretty sad indictment on the Government."
Aged care reform has become a critical political issue as Australia's population ages, with home care packages allowing elderly people to remain in their homes rather than enter residential facilities.
The sector's workforce challenges reflect broader migration policy debates, with temporary visa holders filling essential roles while permanent migration programs face restructuring pressure.
Ruston emphasized the importance of strategic migration planning aligned with infrastructure development to address workforce shortages across multiple sectors.
"It's about making sure that you've got a sensible migration program that's actually side by side with a sensible infrastructure program to make sure that we have a balance between those two very important requirements," she said.
The November 1 deadline for aged care reforms will test the government's administrative capacity while 108,000 elderly Australians await essential care services.
Industry readiness claims contrast sharply with government explanations for delays, creating accountability pressure as implementation approaches.
The Coalition's parliamentary success demonstrates crossbench influence in forcing policy modifications despite Labor's majority government status.
As aged care demands continue growing with demographic changes, the expedited package delivery represents immediate relief while broader reform questions remain unresolved.
The political stakes extend beyond aged care policy, with community relations and migration workforce issues intersecting in ways that could influence electoral prospects across diverse constituencies.n system actually functions versus public understanding of its operations.
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