Aged Care and Other Legislation Amendment (Royal Commission Response No. 1) Bill 2021

The majority voted in favour of an amendment to the usual second reading motion "that the bill be read a second time" (parliamentary jargon for agreeing with the main idea of the bill). This amendment was introduced by Queensland Senator Murray Watt (Labor). It doesn't make any legal changes, but can be politically influential as it represents the will of the Senate.

Motion 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, including, but not limited to, the use of restrictive practices and the lack of transparency and accountability in aged care,

(ii) inadequacy of the Government's response to the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety, including delayed and diminished legislative action on key issues and recommendations, including, but not limited to:

(A) the malnutrition crisis, with two thirds of aged care residents either malnourished or at risk of malnourishment,

(B) the Home Care Package waitlist,

(C) improved pay and recognition of hardworking and dedicated workers,

(D) improved transparency and accountability around public funds,

(E) mandatory care minutes, and

(F) ensuring a registered nurse is onsite at residential facilities 24 hours a day, and

(iii) Government's failures in protecting aged care residents and workers due to their poor management of COVID-19 outbreaks in residential aged care, and

(b) calls on the Government to explain, as a matter of urgency, their plan to fully vaccinate aged care workers and keep aged care residents safe".