Bill
Aged Care and Other Legislation Amendment (Royal Commission Response No. 2) Bill 2021
lapsed, as at 2022-04-11. Health portfolio.
- Sponsor
- Not recorded
- Portfolio
- Health
Recorded stages
- introduced — 2021-09-01
- second reading — 2021-09-01
- second reading — 2021-10-25
- second reading — 2021-10-25
- committee — 2021-10-25
- third reading — 2021-10-25
- introduced — 2021-11-22
- second reading — 2021-11-22
- second reading — 2022-03-30
- third reading — 2022-03-30
- other — 2022-03-31
- other — 2022-04-11
Divisions
- The majority voted in favour of *disagreeing* with an amendment, which would have added the text below to the usual [second reading motion](https://peo.gov.au/understand-our-parliament/how-parliament-works/bills-and-laws/making-a-law-in-the-australian-parliament/). A second reading motion is "*that the bill be read a second time,*" which is parliamentary jargon for agreeing with the main idea of [the bill](https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Bills_Legislation/Bills_Search_Results/Result?bId=r6778). Because this vote passed, the amendment failed. ### Amendment text > *That all words after "That" be omitted with a view to substituting the following words:* > > *"whilst not declining to give the bill a second reading, the House:* > > *(1) notes the:* > >> *(a) systemic, ongoing failures in Australia's aged care system as evidenced by the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety, including, but not limited to, poor levels of transparency, accountability and provider governance;* >> >> *(b) inadequacy of the Government's response to the Royal Commission, including deferred and curtailed legislative action on key issues and an unclear plan for reform implementation; and* >> >> *(c) Government's failures in providing safe and high-quality care for aged care residents due to their historic cuts and poor management of the aged care sector; and* > > *(2) calls on the Government to clearly explain why they have ignored, deferred or curtailed so many of the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety's important recommendations to fix the aged care sector and deliver the care that older Australians and their families deserve".* — 2021-10-25, House of Representatives: affirmative, ayes 57, noes 51
- The majority voted in favour of a [Greens amendment](https://www.openaustralia.org.au/senate/?gid=2022-03-30.247.2) to the usual second reading motion "*that the bill be read a second time.*" Giving a bill a [second reading](https://peo.gov.au/understand-our-parliament/how-parliament-works/bills-and-laws/making-a-law-in-the-australian-parliament/) is parliamentary jargon for agreeing with the main idea of the bill. These amendments don't make any legal changes to the bill itself, but express an opinion of the Senate. ### Amendment text > *At the end of the motion, add ", but:* > > *(a) the Senate affirms the importance of implementing the recommendations of the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety;* > > *(b) the Senate notes that:* > >> *(i) the aged care sector is in crisis due to this government's failure to support aged care residents, providers and workers,* >> >> *(ii) the Minister for Senior Australians and Aged Care Services and the Prime Minister have refused to characterise this as a crisis, despite the number of deaths occurring on a daily basis,* >> >> *(iii) the government has failed to support the case for a 25 per cent pay increase for aged care workers, which would provide the support they need and deserve, and* >> >> *(iv) the government has failed to ensure that allied health services receive the funding they deserve to support aged care residents; and* > > *(c) the Senate calls on the government to respond to the crisis in the aged care sector with the urgency that is required.* — 2022-03-30, Senate: affirmative, ayes 28, noes 26
- The majority voted in favour of an [Opposition amendment](https://www.openaustralia.org.au/senate/?gid=2022-03-30.249.1) to the usual second reading motion "*that the bill be read a second time.*" Giving a bill a [second reading](https://peo.gov.au/understand-our-parliament/how-parliament-works/bills-and-laws/making-a-law-in-the-australian-parliament/) is parliamentary jargon for agreeing with the main idea of the bill. This amendment doesn't make any legal changes to the bill itself, but expresses an opinion of the Senate. ### Amendment text > *At the end of the motion, add ", but the Senate:* > > *(a) notes the:* > >> *(i) systemic, ongoing failures in Australia's aged care system as evidenced by the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety and 21 other expert reports since 2013,* >> >> *(ii) inadequacy of the Government's response to the Royal Commission, including an unclear plan for reform implementation and deferred and curtailed legislative action on key issues including, but not limited to, transparency on the use of public aged care funding by aged care providers, and* >> >> *(iii) Government's failures in providing safe, secure and high-quality care for aged care residents due to their historic cuts and poor management of the aged care sector; and* > > *(b) acknowledges the:* > >> *(i) significant issues and concerns raised with the bill by stakeholders including providers, unions and the advocates of older Australians,* >> >> *(ii) particular concerns raised about the consequences of this bill on the ability for aged care providers to recruit and retain staff to provide safe and quality care to older Australians,* >> >> *(iii) Government's lack of action to recruit and retain workers to resolve the growing aged care workforce shortage crisis, and* >> >> *(iv) foundation of any successful reform in the aged care sector must include ensuring there are more workers and that those workers are better paid; and* > > *(c) calls on the Government to urg — 2022-03-30, Senate: affirmative, ayes 28, noes 26
Plain-language summary
No machine-written summary in this export.
Sources
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