Industry welcomes new Cabinet

Aged & Community Care Providers Association (ACCPA), the new industry body representing aged care providers, has congratulated Mark Butler, who will assume the Cabinet role of Minister for Health and Aged Care, Anika Wells on her appointment as Minister for Aged Care, and Ged Kearney on her appointment as Assistant Minister for Health and Aged Care.

The Association is calling on the incoming ministers and federal government to deliver on the promise of political change by nominating aged care reform as a priority for the first 100 days of government.

ACCPA Interim CEO Paul Sadler said, “The aged and community care sector welcomes Mark, Anika and Ged to the portfolio and, with aged care a key focus of Labor’s election campaign, we look forward to working collaboratively on sector reform.

“Mark Butler is well known to the aged care sector from his previous role leading the Living Longer Living Better reforms in the Gillard government. We will be looking to Mark to drive positive reforms across health and aged care.

“Anika Wells has been vocal in parliament about the crisis in aged care and worked towards holding the previous government accountable for implementing the Aged Care Royal Commission recommendations. She strengthened this advocacy during the pandemic, highlighting issues around access to PPE and the safety and wellbeing of aged care residents.

“Anika has stated previously that her mother worked for 20 years in aged care, and that she also worked in casual roles across two aged care homes. We look forward to seeing how she uses her knowledge and connection to the centre in her role.

“We also extend our congratulations to Clare O’Neil in her appointment as the Minister for Home Affairs and Cyber Security. Clare was a strong advocate for the aged care sector and older Australians as the Shadow Minister for Aged Care, and her leadership in this role assisted in bringing prominence to aged care as an election issue.

“We look forward to working with the new Minister to ensure older Australians get the care they deserve, workers are better paid and respected and there is immediate action on much-needed sector reforms, as outlined by the Royal Commission.

“The care economy was at the heart of the Labor pitch for the election and it should be top of its agenda in government. We’d also like to see the aged care portfolio be a dedicated role elevated to a Cabinet level. The election has helped focus attention on the need for ambitious action for older Australians and for greater respect and better pay for aged care workers.

“We look forward to working in partnership with the new Minister for Aged Care and the whole of government on the transformation needed to deliver better support and care for all older Australians,” Sadler said.

Dementia Australia CEO Maree McCabe AM said she is looking forward to working with Butler, Wells and other key ministers to ensure quality dementia care is top of the agenda for Federal Cabinet in the 47th parliament. “We have worked closely with Minister Butler for many years, and he has met with dementia advocates who have shared their stories and discussed why quality dementia care is needed for people of all ages, living with all forms of dementia, their families and carers,” McCabe said.

“There is still much to be done to fulfil the recommendations of the Royal Commission and we look forward to continuing our discussions with Minister Butler and his team.”

It has been more than three and a half years since the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety was called and 16 months since the Final Report was handed down, which stated, “dementia care should be core business for aged care services, and particularly residential aged care services”.

“Delivering quality dementia care is not yet core business across the aged care system and it needs to be,” McCabe said.

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