
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

HSU celebrates historic day for gender equality after Fair Work decision
The Health Services Union is today celebrating an historic decision, with the Fair Work Commission finding minimum award rates of pay for several health, care, and support sector occupations have been undervalued based on gender.

New study reveals multi-billion dollar economic benefit of implementing universal reproductive leave in Australia
Giving workers the equivalent of one day of leave a month to care for their reproductive needs would mitigate the economic costs of reproductive health conditions, which are estimated to cost the Australian economy more than $21 billion per year, and improve mental health and workforce retention, according to a new report.

Federal Budget 2025
HSU welcomes groundbreaking Medicare budget, but more needed for workers The Health Services Union (HSU) has strongly endorsed the Albanese government’s record investments to strengthen Medicare