Australia’s newly elected independents have all backed the royal commission’s recommendations for aged care reform.
Following Saturday’s election, there will be seven new independents sitting on the crossbench of the lower house – taking the total number to 10.
Judging by the policy platforms, it’s likely they will all be holding the Albanese government to account over aged care reform.
Former ABC journalist Zoe Daniel, who won the Victorian seat of Goldstein, has identified aged aged care policy as “extremely important.”
She’s pledged to shift the focus onto meeting unmet demand in the community, with the recommendations of the royal commission forming a framework for the reforms she’ll be demanding.
Funding for home care
Ms Daniel says she’ll fight for adequate funding for “carefully regulated home care programs which enhance mobility and independence, allowing people the dignity of remaining in their own homes for as long as possible, without being plagued by extensive wait times for receiving home care packages”.
She wants better integration between aged care and community organisations and to “reorient funding via direct assistance to elders and their families” rather than through aged care providers.
Ms Daniel also says she wants to ensure profiteering in the sector is no longer rewarded and to reverse the ‘marketisation of aged care’.
The newly elected MP also backs harmonising disability and aged care support and extending the NDIS to cover all Australians, including those over 65.
Adequate pay for workers
In her policy statement Kate Cheney – who took the West Australian seat of Curtin from the Liberal party – also vows to pursue the implementation of the recommendations of the aged care royal commission.
“I will work to ensure aged care workers are valued,” she says. “This means securing adequate pay and the necessary skills for the critical aged care work into the future.”
Teal independent, Monique Ryan, who spectacularly ousted former treasurer Josh Frydenberg from the inner-Melbourne seat of Kooyong, calls for urgent implementation of the aged care royal commission recommendations and improved accountability for NDIS service provision.
Support for CALD communities
The new member for the western Sydney seat of Fowler, Dai Le, has been vocal in her support of the royal commission’s recommendations and has promised to fight to “ensure aged care organisations are resourced with qualified and trained staff to provide high standards of care.”
A Vietnamese refugee, Ms Le has noted that the aged care sector has a high number of culturally and linguistically diverse populations and says additional resources are needed to boost communication skills.
Ms Le also says while the NDIS is ‘a great initiative’, the local community hasn’t been able to properly access it, and she says she’ll fight to ensure CALD families with special needs understand their rights to care and funding under the scheme.
More money for research
As a doctor, healthcare is high on Sophie Scamps’ agenda. Winning the seat of Mackellar on Sydney’s northern beaches, one of Dr Scamps’ top priorities is to ensure that the aged care sector is adequately resourced.
As the member for Mackellar, Ms Scamps has promised to implement the recommendations of the royal commission, better renumerate the aged care workforce and boost aged care research funding.
Teal independent Allegra Spender – who has won Malcom Turnbull’s former electorate, the east Sydney seat of Wentworth – also supports the implementation of the royal commission’s recommendations “with a rights-based approach that integrates aged care with strategies to build safe and healthy communities.”
Ms Spender also backs a staff increase, a pay rise and improved skills and qualifications.
“Despite numerous inquiries into the embattled aged care sector, consecutive federal governments have failed to protect the dignity, health and wellbeing of our most vulnerable citizens or support the workforce that care for them,” said Ms Spender.
Another teal candidate, Kylea Tink, who claimd the NSW seat of North Sydney, has described aged care as “a critical, long-term national issue for Australia” and fully supports “fundamental and systemic reform” of the sector, including better wages and conditions for aged care workers.
Ms Tink has promised to “hold the Government to account to get this done.”
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