Anthoxjmtzywny Albanese has launched a blistering attack on the Coalition, sensationally claiming one MP had suggested there were “no votes‘” to be won in aged care.
The fired-up Labor leader took aim at the government’s track record on aged care in what could be considered his best press conference performance to date.
“There is a crisis in this country and that’s what this election is about,” Mr Albanese said.
“This election is about whether we have a government that looks after people or whether we have Scott Morrison who goes missing unless there’s a photo op, unless there’s a campaign.
“You’ll see Scott Morrison doing photo ops every day. Good pictures, I have no doubt they’ll deliver on that. But he doesn’t deliver on his key responsibility.
“He always blamed someone else.
“The aged care crisis, of which a government member said to me ‘ah, but there aren’t any votes in it’.
“Well I tell you what, this needs addressing and I make no apology for addressing this.”
Speaking with Sky News, the minister set to become the next Coalition aged care spokeswoman Anne Ruston, rubbished Mr Albanese’s claims.
“We were the ones that called the royal commission. We are the ones who responded to the royal commission's findings,” Senator Ruston said.
“We accept that there were a lot of things that were wrong.
“We have been absolutely focused on policy that is deliverable.”
It comes as aged care staff in Queensland, Western Australia, and South Australia voted to walk off the job over low pay and understaffing.
Fair Work Commission hearings into a union bid to lift aged care pay to 25 per cent above the award will start next week.
Mr Albanese has previously said a Labor government would make a submission to the FWC arguing for a wage rise, and commit to the ruling.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison has said he will back a wage increase if ordered to by the commission but has not detailed if the government would foot the bill.
