2nd Sep 2020, 3:54 PM – Senate Motions - Aged-Care Workers - Address staffing issues

The majority voted in favour of a motion introduced by Tasmanian Senator Anne Urquhart (Labor), which means it passed. Motions like these don't make any legal changes but can be politically influential as they represent the will of the Senate.

Motion text

That the Senate—

(a) recognises that aged care workers provide essential care and support to older Australians every day;

(b) notes that aged care workers are working on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic;

(c) agrees that saying thank you to aged care workers for their hard work and dedication is not enough;

(d) acknowledges that our aged care system is in crisis with:

(i) not enough aged care workers,

(ii) inadequate training, and

(iii) low pay and insecure jobs for the workforce; and

(e) calls on the Government to urgently address the aged care crisis by introducing:

(i) minimum staffing levels,

(ii) better staff training, and

(iii) enhanced job security for the aged care workforce.