Aged Care Bill

Every month, over a hundred thousand hours of care are delivered to older Australians through digital platforms. But what if I told you that these services operate under far weaker regulations than traditional providers? Registered aged-care providers must adhere to over 40 pages of compliance obligations. In stark contrast, the digital platforms are subject to just three pages of requirements. This gap in regulation creates a two-tiered system, and the consequences could be serious. That's why I intend to move an amendment to the bill to close this gap.

At a minimum, platforms should meet the strengthened aged-care standards, undergo regular audits and comply with the Serious Incident Response Scheme. Older Australians deserve better. Whether care is delivered by a traditional provider or a platform, the standards must be the same, because their safety, dignity and wellbeing are not negotiable. My amendment, as circulated, on sheet 3152, intends to fix that.