Older Australians helped build this country. They worked hard, paid their taxes and contributed to their communities.

Australians should rightly expect that the Federal Government would support them in their frailer years.

That’s what they’ve earned after a life contributing to their local communities and to Australia.

But the Morrison Government has consistently let us down and let them down.

Scott Morrison is responsible for the aged care system. He is responsible for the funding cuts when he was the Treasurer and he is responsible for the terrible neglect identified in the Royal Commission.

The Morrison Government’s response to the Royal Commission and the aged care crisis falls well short of where it needs to be.

It fails to deliver important improvements to the sector and, so far, you’d struggle to find a resident or aged care worker who would tell you’ve they’ve seen any noticeable improvements - if anything, things are getting worse.

Aged care workers are exhausted, overstretched and under resourced.

Providers are telling us they can longer provide safe care.

And those who rely on Scott Morrison to keep them safe in aged care are being put at risk due to his lack of care and competence.

After 9 long years of this neglect, another 3 years of Scott Morrison’s Coalition Government won’t fix aged care.

Labor deeply believes that those who have built this country and earned our respect deserve so much better from aged care.

We understand that quality care can only be delivered if you have more, properly-supported aged care staff. Because aged care is about care.

Without enough carers and nurses, elderly people don’t get properly looked after. That’s the bottom line.

We believe that there needs to be more aged care workers and we believe they need to be better paid, because right now they are some of the most poorly paid people in our economy, despite the complex and important work they do.

If elected, Labor will make a submission to the Fair Work Commission, supporting a case for improved pay for aged care workers as we believe the Government has a responsibility to support fair wages for this crucial workforce.

We also strongly believe there needs to be more transparency and accountability in aged care. The Government spends billions of dollars of public money on aged care every year and we need to make sure it’s being spent on caring for older Australians, not on new office fit outs or glossy marketing schemes.

Older Australians, their families, and hardworking carers can’t trust Scott Morrison to fix his broken system.

All of Labor’s aged care policies will be announced before the election.

If we want to change the situation in aged care, we are going to have to change the government.