ANF

The two key aged care industry stakeholders were responding to comments made late last week by Minister for Financial Services and Superannuation Bill Shorten, who was interviewed on Sydney radio station 2GB about the full bench of Fair Work Australia ordering pay rises for community service workers.

When asked about pay equity for aged care workers, Minister Shorten responded: "The aged care industry is to have a debate about their conditions which I understand is going to be a long process."

ANF Federal Secretary, Lee Thomas, said today: "The Minister has to realise that aged care can't wait.

"The entire industry has been involved in discussions for the past seven months following the release of the Productivity Commission (PC) report into aged care so it's clear the Minister is not aware of the high level of consultation that has already occurred between all stakeholders.

"The time for talk is over no more debate is needed, the Government must deliver reforms to aged care. The Prime Minister herself committed to reforming aged care in the Government's second term, but we are still waiting."

COTA Chief Executive, Ian Yates, said aged care stakeholders have co-operated in an unprecedented way to recommend meaningful reform of the aged care sector, but they are still waiting for the Government to respond.

The ANF and COTA are both members of the Age Well campaign in which 28 major national consumer, union, provider and professional organisations have joined together to present a united blueprint for comprehensive aged care reform.

"We've engaged with the Minister for Ageing Mark Butler and heard him talk about reform. Industry, providers, consumer groups and unions are all committed to Federal Budget 2012 being the aged care Budget, the time to act is now," Mr Yates said.

"The Government must start delivering on aged care we can't afford to wait any longer."