Labor Party Leader Anthony Albanese, Opposition Health Spokesperson Clare O’Neil and a Labor candidate campaigned from RFBI Concord Community Village aged care home, 12km west of Sydney’s CBD, on Tuesday as a poll put Labor’s primary vote ahead of the Coalition for the first time.
As The Weekly SOURCE exclusively reported, RFBI CEO Frank Price, supported by 13 providers, had written to the Federal Government last year highlighting the staffing shortages and making a series of recommendations.
“Frank and the association (Australian Aged Care Collaboration) wrote to the Minister not once, not twice, but three times over recent months, warning about the consequences of opening up and the preparations that were required in the aged care sector. And yet we just haven’t seen a response,” said Mr Albanese.
“In too many areas, there are a lack of rapid antigen tests. That means that our elderly loved ones have been left isolated, often feeling alone and confused because they don’t know why it is that they’ve been isolated, unable to see loved ones, unable to see the workers who are looking after them. These circumstances have been tragic. They follow the crisis that has been there in the aged care sector over the last eight years.”
Labor and the Coalition have already begun campaigning for a Federal Election, which is likely to be called for 14 or 21 May. The Resolve Political Monitor, published by Nine Network publications, found the Coalition’s primary vote had slipped to 34%, one point behind Labor.
Asked about health and aged care, voters favoured Mr Albanese and Labor with a lead of six percentage points, up from three points in November. This reversed the Government’s lead on the key issue in monthly surveys from April to September.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison remains the preferred prime minister, but his lead has fallen. He is preferred over Mr Albanese by 38% to 31% of voters, according the poll.
