Terms of reference for the aged care Royal Commission

The Federal Government announced its terms of reference for the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety.

Former Supreme Court judge of Western Australia, The Honourable Justice Joseph McGrath, and former CEO of Medicare Australia, Ms Lynelle Jann Briggs, have been appointed to lead the commission.

The HSU welcomes the appointment of the commissioners.

We welcome and support the terms of reference, and hope that the Royal Commission takes the opportunity to explore the funding dimensions of the aged care industry.

Terms of reference into the Royal Commission into aged care quality and safety

We look forward to the investigation hearing from aged care workers, our members, and the experts in the aged care industry. As stated by our National Secretary, Gerard Hayes, “It would be a tragic missed opportunity if this Royal Commission were to scapegoat individual workers and operators rather than tackling the underlying causes of the crisis.”

“Scott Morrison in his time as Treasurer cut billions from aged care, which has had a massively detrimental effect on standards of care for older Australians. [The] Royal Commission must address this shortfall. We need to restore adequate and ongoing funding to the sector, and make sure that it gets to where it’s needed.”

We hope that this process is robust and leads to a more sustainable aged care industry — one that provides world-class care to older Australians, genuine career pathways and salaries to aged care workers.

Media comment:

Gerard Hayes, HSU National Secretary — 0417 275 821