ACT Independent Senator David Pocock’s push for a Senate Inquiry into aged care reform delays and the withholding of Home Care Packages secured backing from the Coalition, Greens, and Independents yesterday (Monday 28 July), ensuring the inquiry will proceed.
The inquiry was prompted after the revelation Minister for Aged Care and Seniors Sam Rae had refused the request of 10 Independent crossbencher Senators and MPs for the release of 20,000 Home Care Packages. In June, Minister for Health and Ageing, Mark Butler, said the rollout of 83,000 new Home Care Packages – scheduled to begin on 1 July 2025 – would be delayed until 1 November 2025.
Senator Pocock said, "It is completely unacceptable that the Albanese Government is refusing to release desperately needed Home Care packages with 87,000 people on the wait list."
The terms of reference, detailed in the Senate on Monday, are as follows:
- the impact of the delay on older Australians waiting for support at home, including unmet care needs and the wellbeing of seniors and their carers;
- the capacity of the Commonwealth Home Support Programme to meet increased demand for support at home prior to 1 November 2025;
- the impacts on aged care service providers, including on their workforce;
- the impacts on hospitals and state and territory health systems;
- the feasibility of achieving the Government's target to reduce waiting times for Home Care Packages to 3 months by 1 July 2027, in light of the delay;
- the adequacy of the governance, assurance and accountability frameworks supporting the digital transformation projects required to deliver the aged care reforms on time;
- the implementation of the Single Assessment System and its readiness to support people to access a timely assessment now and beyond 1 November 2025; and
- any other related matters.
Opposition supports Senate inquiry
Shadow Minister for Health, Aged Care, NDIS, and Sport, SA Senator Anne Ruston (pictured right), told the ABC that the Opposition supports the inquiry.
"We think that this is an opportunity for us to get to the bottom of why the Government is withholding care that they promised Australians. Is it a fiscal issue? Is it an issue with their administration and their capacity to actually deliver?
"We really do need to know why older Australians, quite frankly, are dying waiting for the care they've been assessed as needing."
Greens Senator Penny Allman-Payne, who will chair the inquiry, yesterday also requested all communication since 3 May 2025 between the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing and the Minister for Aged Care about Aged Care Assessment Team wait times and the financial impact of the aged care reforms on consumers. The deadline for the request is 6 August 2025.
Stakeholders will be able to make submissions to the inquiry. Further details are pending.
The Retirement Living Council welcomed the Senate's decision to initiate an inquiry. Executive Director Daniel Gannon said the inquiry lands at a critical time, with nearly 100,000 older Australians expected to be stuck in the queue for care by November.
“This inquiry is a chance to shake the system out of stagnation and start delivering care with urgency, not excuses,” Daniel said.
“Every number in that 100,000 represents a person – someone waiting, struggling, or missing out. If this inquiry helps remove the logjam, it will change lives.”
A report on the findings is due by 15 September 2025.
