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Labor fails to suspend standing orders over Angus Taylor – politics live Labor fails to suspend standing orders over Angus Taylor – politics live
(32 minutes later)
Jacqui Lambie ‘not supporting a repeal’ of medevac, Rex Patrick says; and Asio investigating Australian Chinese spy. All the day’s events, live Jacqui Lambie ‘not supporting a repeal’ of medevac, Rex Patrick says; and Asio investigating Australian Chinese spy plot. All the day’s events, live
Meanwhile, doctors are hoping to convince Jacqui Lambie to let medevac remain:
The release continues:
As the commission moves forward, this is what the Morrison government imagines the response will look like:
Key reforms continue
The Royal Commission’s final report is due on 12 November 2020, however the Government’s rigorous oversight of the sector and reform program continues.
The Government has established a new independent aged care watchdog in the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission, upgraded Aged Care Quality Standards and introduced regulations to minimise the use of restraints, and we are developing a Serious Incident Response Scheme.
The Government is also expanding the powers of the Commission, with the new Commissioner responsible for the approval of aged care providers, compliance and enforcement actions in relation to the care being provided, and the administration of the responsibilities of approved providers to report assaults.
While we undertake these reforms we will continue to deliver record funding for older Australians of $21.7 billion in 2019-20, growing to an estimated $25.4 billion in 2022-23, up from $13.3 billion in 2012-13.
There will be more work to do across aged care as we continue to listen and respond to the issues raised by the Royal Commission.
Like every Australian, we were appalled by the revelations of the Interim Report, however we will do everything we can to build an aged care system of the highest quality.
The release continues:
Building on longer term reforms
These measures will complement the major reforms the Morrison Government has been undertaking to improve standards, oversight, funding and transparency in the care of older Australians.
In line with the long-term direction as identified by the Royal Commission, we will also progress further measures, including;
• providing simpler aged care assessments by creating a single assessment workforce and network; and
• establishing a single unified system for care of our elderly in the home.
We will unify the Home Care and Commonwealth Home Support Programs, in line with the Royal Commission’s direction to deliver a seamless system of care, tailoring services to the needs of the individual.
These changes will be guided by the final recommendations of the Royal Commission and will have the goal of improving care and ending the wait for home care packages.
Simplifying the system for consumers
The Government will streamline assessment by creating a single assessment workforce and a single network of assessment organisations that are able to undertake all aged care eligibility assessments.
This will help people to be connected to care sooner, reduce duplication and inefficiencies, and stop a revolving door of assessments where vulnerable older people get sent to multiple organisations depending on the programs for which they are eligible.
The release continues:
Younger people in residential aged care
In March, the Government announced the Younger People in Residential Aged Care Action Plan. Since this time there has been a reduction in the number of younger people in residential aged care, including a decline in the number of younger people entering the aged-care system.
However, in response to the Royal Commission, the Government will strengthen the initial targets of the Younger People in Residential Aged Care Action Plan.
The new targets, apart from in exceptional circumstances, will seek to ensure there are;
• No people under the age of 65 entering residential aged care by 2022;
• No people under the age of 45 living in residential aged care by 2022; and
• No people under the age of 65 living in residential aged care by 2025.
The Government will invest $4.7 million to help remove young people from residential aged care and further support these goals by:
• establishing a Joint Agency Taskforce (JATF) between the Department of Social Services, Department of Health and National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) to develop a new strategy that builds on the Action Plan and takes action to ensure these new targets are met;
• establishing a specialist team within the NDIA to prevent younger people with a disability who are eligible for the National Disability Insurance Scheme from entering aged care. The specialist team will grow to 80 complex support needs planners by end March 2020 to find suitable accommodation and match participants to vacancies;
• working with industry to identify all available Specialist Disability Accommodation and Supported Independent Living supports across the country to develop a database of existing and new housing options available now and in the future; and
• undertaking a detailed analysis of younger people currently living in aged care, as well as up to 2,000 young people at risk of entering aged care, to better inform new policies and pathways to find alternate accommodation.
The release continues:
Increasing the number of Home Care packages
The additional 10,000 home care packages will be focused on the Royal Commission’s identified areas of need and is strongly weighted towards level 3 and level 4 packages, which provide a high level of care.
These packages will be rolled out from 1 December 2019.
Since the 2018-19 Budget, the Government has invested $2.7 billion in 44,000 new home care packages.
We have also more than doubled the number of home care packages available to a record 150,412 this financial year, up from 60,308 in 2012-13 under Labor.
Better medication management and dementia training
The Royal Commission has identified an over-reliance on chemical restraint in aged care, therefore from 1 January 2020, we will also establish stronger safeguards and restrictions for the prescribing of repeat prescriptions of risperidone.
Doctors will still be able to prescribe it but will be required to apply for additional approval if risperidone is to be prescribed beyond an initial 12 week period. These changes have been developed following recommendations from the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee, and in collaboration with doctor’s groups and the broader health sector.
Education resources for prescribers will also be developed to support the appropriate use of antipsychotics and benzodiazepines in residential aged care and targeted letters will be sent to high prescribers.
Funding for medication management programs will be increased by $25.5 million, including support for pharmacists to ensure more frequent medication reviews can occur.
The Royal Commission directed that restraint must only be used as a last resort, and amendments to regulations will make this clear.
The Government is also providing an additional $10 million over two years from 2019–20 to increase dementia training and support for aged care workers and health sector staff.
This will better equip them to manage behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia, deliver best practice dementia care and comply with the new standards for reducing the use of physical and chemical restraints in aged care.
We have also responded immediately to the Royal Commission’s findings on antipsychotics in aged care facilities by declaring “Quality Use of Medicines and Medicines Safety” a National Health Priority.
OK – the press conference is being held on the government’s response to the aged care royal commission interim report:
From the release:
The Royal Commission’s interim report is clear - as a country, the Government, the Aged Care Sector and the entire Australian community, we can and must do better in providing improved support for our older Australians.
We will deliver a $537 million funding package to respond to the Interim Report, across the identified three priority areas, including;
• investing $496.3 million for an additional 10,000 home care packages;
• providing $25.5 million to improve medication management programs to reduce the use of medication as a chemical restraint on aged care residents and at home, and new restrictions and education for prescribers on the use of medication as a chemical restraint;
• delivering $10 million for additional dementia training and support for aged care workers and providers, including to reduce the use of chemical restraint; and
• investing $4.7 million to help meet new targets to remove younger people with disabilities from residential aged care.
Tanya Plibersek has delivered a speech at the Whitlam Institute:
Scott Morrison has just called a press conference for 12.30.
It’s in the PM courtyard – the serious, serous press conference locale.
More trade-related rumblings within Labor ahead of shadow cabinet deliberations tonight:
Regular politics watchers know trade has become a sensitive subject in Labor ranks. In this final sitting fortnight, the parliament will consider an amendment to the Customs Act changing the way which the product specific rules of origin of six of Australia’s free trade agreements are given effect domestically. In plain English, the change would limit scrutiny, making some regulations (including provisions covering dumping, where countries “dump” goods in other markets at super-cheap prices to try and expand market share) unable to be disallowed by the parliament.
Some Labor MPs have concerns about this proposal. Labor members of a Senate committee scrutinising it said in a recent report:
“In a democracy like Australia we should always be sceptical about any attempt to reduce parliamentary scrutiny.”
There was a discussion this morning in the relevant Labor caucus committee (some say lively, others say constructive), ahead of shadow cabinet consideration of this proposal tonight.
I’m told a number of MPs articulated the “we are worried about reducing parliamentary scrutiny” point. Unions are also touchy about it.
I hear there will be an attempt to resolve the impasse by Labor agreeing to pass the legislation but dealing with the substance of the internal complaints via an exchange of letters between the trade minister Simon Birmingham and the shadow trade minister Madeleine King, to the effect that any changes to dumping will always trigger a public inquiry by the JSCOT committee (the Joint Standing Committee on Treaties). This letter is apparently being drafted.
So this landing point could either be peace, or it could be peace in our time. It will be interesting to see if this conversation drifts over into the regular caucus meeting tomorrow.
So we didn’t get any speeches in defence of Angus Taylor from the government, just a call to division.So we didn’t get any speeches in defence of Angus Taylor from the government, just a call to division.
I am told that is because they want this division wrapped up quickly, but there is also the matter of not wanting too many images.I am told that is because they want this division wrapped up quickly, but there is also the matter of not wanting too many images.
Ayes 68Ayes 68
Noes 71Noes 71
Christian Porter is back in the main chair – the motion has been denied, so we are off to a division.Christian Porter is back in the main chair – the motion has been denied, so we are off to a division.
Let the running of the government MPs begin.Let the running of the government MPs begin.
“The minister has been devious or bumbling, or both,” says Mark Butler.“The minister has been devious or bumbling, or both,” says Mark Butler.
Butler says the $15m travel bill Angus Taylor erroneously attributed to the City of Sydney worked out to $28,000 per councillor, per week.Butler says the $15m travel bill Angus Taylor erroneously attributed to the City of Sydney worked out to $28,000 per councillor, per week.
He says a Rhodes scholar could probably have done the maths.He says a Rhodes scholar could probably have done the maths.
For those who don’t know, Taylor is a former Rhodes scholar.For those who don’t know, Taylor is a former Rhodes scholar.
Tony Burke says that if the government doesn’t demand Angus Taylor come in and explain himself over where the figures came from, “there are no standards left”.
Mark Butler is now seconding the motion.
We are getting speeches on this because the government usually just shuts this stuff down during question time, because that is when people are actually listening. It is also why Labor is doing it a bit earlier – so that it can get a bit of a run with its comments.
But Labor does not have the numbers to suspend standing orders, so this won’t go anywhere – beyond Labor having it on the Hansard.
Tony Burke:
Tony Burke says the Angus Taylor issue is the “most clear cut example I have ever seen” of a member misleading the House.
“There are very few standards these days that ministers actually get held to – and the last one is the minister does not mislead the House,” Burke said in parliament.
He is basing this on Taylor’s claim that the document was drawn “directly” from the City of Sydney website which, based on metadata, showed had not altered the report since it was loaded in November 2018.
Tony Burke is attempting to move a motion to suspend standing orders over Angus Taylor:
That the House:
Expect more of this sort of trolling this week.
The Australian Council of Trade Unions is in a full-court press urging the crossbench to block the ensuring integrity bill. At a press conference in Canberra, representatives from eight unions (but not the Construction Forestry Mining Maritime and Energy Union) explained the impact of penalties such as deregistration for breaches including unprotected industrial action.
The ACTU president, Michelle O’Neill, said it was not just the construction union in the frame, as campaigns including the nurses’ push for nurse-to-patient ratios could result in union deregistration.
She said:
O’Neill said if the bill went through “unions will always stand up for justice and fairness” – suggesting the bill won’t be the end of all forms of unprotected industrial action. But she refused to be drawn about what the consequences would be of deregistering the CFMMEU and what the movement’s next steps would be.
She praised Jacqui Lambie and Pauline Hanson’s One Nation for continuing to engage on the bill.
One of the press gallery keepers of all knowledge has just let me know the camels are on their way as part of one man’s crusade to raise awareness of melanomas.
John Elliott has walked from Perth to Canberra with the camels.
Mike Bowers has just received a phone call saying there are camels being led across the Kings Avenue bridge looking as though they are on their way to parliament.
There’s three of them. No word on wise men, or any spotting of gold, frankincense or myrrh.
Just another week in parliament.
Peter Dutton has an update on the industry advisory group which will “help guide the development of Australia’s 2020 cyber security strategy”. Its first meeting was today:
Just a few quick notes on the Trump call, via officials. Apparently the conversation was initiated by Scott Morrison, and the Australian PM conveyed his deep appreciation for the efforts of the administration in securing the release of Timothy Weeks, the professor held hostage by the Taliban.
The two leaders spoke about the bushfires, with Morrison thanking the US for sending firefighters.
Morrison also expressed support for Trump trying to end the trade dispute with China, and there was a discussion about Australian and US economies.