Kieran Gilbert:
I spoke a short time ago with the Minister for Sport and the Minister for Aged Care, Anika Wells, for her reaction.
Minister for Aged Care and Sport Anika Wells:
Look, I think obviously ultimately those players have a right to exercise their values and beliefs and it sounds like it's been a bit messy with the club from what we know.
But I also think ultimately their supporters and supporters of the game have the right to exercise their values and beliefs. And I think there's going to be a bit of blowback about this because I think we've moved on and we all want to see more inclusively in sport.
And I think, in so much as my role and this as is the Federal Minister of Sport, I think it's to be an ambassador for inclusively. And I worry that out of all of this, what's being overshadowed is the fact that these pride jerseys were made for the women in League Round in Nrlw, which was launching today. And we're no longer talking about because we're talking about this instead.
Gilbert:
It sounds like the players who aren't - who are - boycotting the game over their religious believes, they were blindsided by the decision to have these rainbow jerseys. Should there be more consultation in circumstances like this where a club, a business or whatever else wants to have that inclusive approach? Like we're seeing here with the Sea Eagles?
Wells:
Yeah, I think, like I said, it's messy because I think Manly deserve recognition for being the first club to have a pride jersey in the first place - moving towards inclusive and sport as part of the Women in League Round. But from what we're hearing today, there wasn't enough consultation. People felt blindsided and people felt forced to act when obviously ultimately this is a question for workers and their rights and employers. We want to make sure that people do feel consulted so that everyone can exercise their rights in a way that works for everybody.
Gilbert:
And now a difficult situation for everyone. Individuals on both sides of this debate.
Wells:
Yeah, absolutely. Which I think ultimately is disappointing when the entire purpose of this was to celebrate the women in league round and we're talking about this instead.
Gilbert:
Let's look at the aged care bill. It comes at a time of great stress in that sector. What's the latest in terms of the COVID outbreaks as we go to air this afternoon?
Wells:
As of lunchtime, there are more than 1000 active outbreaks in aged care facilities across the country. And that means that we have more than 6000 residents infected with COVID and more than 3000 aged care workers.
Gilbert:
And are you comfortable with the level of vaccines and the boosters that have been delivered? Are they sufficient to help these elderly residents deal with the outbreaks?
Wells:
I don't think I'll ever be comfortable until we hit 100%, but it's difficult because we've got teams that go into these facilities, and when there's an outbreak, obviously you can't send the team in. So they've got to go back and back and back each time. I'm heartened by the fact that our vax rates have gone up significantly. I think we've seen more than 20% increase since I took the role and Mark Butler and I wrote to facilities asking them to drive up those for doses.
The weapons that we have to fight over this winter that we didn't have previous winters are those vaccinations and also the antiviral treatments which we now have and have pre-deployed to facilities. And the best practise advice is to offer that to any resident over 70 who experiences COVID.
Gilbert:
Is it seeing the level of fatality lower?
Wells:
That's right. It will reduce the severity of the illness for people and hopefully lower our fatalities.
Gilbert:
We have 30,000 plus staff shortages across the sector, at least 30,000 across nurse’s, care workers. With this bill going to the parliament this week, that's a central element to it, the nurses commitment. Where do you find the people?
Wells:
The workforce shortages are not going to be fixed this winter. They probably won't be fixed this year because like you say, it's so significant. It's been neglected for so long. People get paid more to stack shelves at woollies. People are leaving the sector that they love because they can't afford to do the job that they love. So the actual thing that we're doing that most helps that is writing to Fair Work and putting a submission in that supports a worker pay rise.
Now that submission is obviously on the commission's timeline.
We've got that due 8th of August. We've got hearings in September. The commissioner has indicated that he's hoping to make a decision across the summer. That's obviously his remit.
Gilbert:
So the Government's put its submission in?
Wells:
We will on the 8th of August.
Gilbert:
You will on the 8th. Because you look at this and again like anything else, I suppose in this space it costs a lot of money. 25% increase in the pay is what I believe the aged care workers are going for?
Wells:
That's right.
Gilbert:
If they if they're successful in that we're talking billions of national or commonwealth dollars because you have committed to fund that increase.
Wells:
We have. Because it's that important. It's such an important sector. It's such a critical issue. Every single person who walks in my door to talk to me about aged care wants to talk about workforce shortages.
Gilbert:
What sort of price tag are we talking about here? If it's 25% increase for aged care workers, no one would deny them an increase. But when you're funding it, the Commonwealth across the board, because providers can't be expected to, are we talking two, three or four billion dollars?
Wells:
We're talking a lot more than that. If that is the figure, 25%.
I guess we are now waiting on the commissioner to make a determination as to work value and what that percentage is. We've agreed to pay whatever the percentage is.
I guess if you look at previous decisions that have been made, you talk about community sector workers back in the Rudd-Gillard days that pay rise was ultimately funded across nine years.
We need to make sure that we get the balance right between funding in a way that is sustainable for the budget, as part of broader budget repair, against doing enough quickly enough that workers actually do come back to the sector and fill these shortages.
Gilbert:
Well, as you said quite rightly, if you can earn more in a less stressful environment, that's what people are choosing to do because it's not an easy environment in which to work for many people.
Wells:
Yup, that's exactly right. And equivalent sectors like disability care get these workers because they get paid more to do the work that they love, which is caring for people. So I think everybody across the government acknowledges the scale of the problem. I think it's to the credit of Jim and Katy that they have agreed to pay for this pay rise. But it's probably one of the most significant things that we will have to do.
Gilbert:
You have to weigh up as you alluded to earlier, the length of time with which that is delivered, the pay rise.
Wells:
Yes, in a way that's sustainable.
Gilbert:
And as minister, just finally, as you look at the scope of demands upon your time and the government's commitments, are you a bit overwhelmed by the enormity of the challenge in this sector?
Wells:
Within aged care? No, because it's just that important. I feel lucky that the Prime Minister trusts me with such an important job. The difficulty this winter is getting aged care through the COVID wave. The broader purpose is to fix aged care. And I think one of the reasons I'm talking to you as the new aged care minister is because Australians voted for change, because they felt they couldn't trust the Morrison Government with this sector anymore. I think we have a pretty clear mandate to do some really significant things and at the end of the day, you know, older Australians built our country. Everyone wants to know that their parents are safe. You know, whether at home or in a facility. So it's something that we have to get right.
Gilbert:
Minister for Aged Care and Sport, Anika Wells, thanks. Appreciate your time.
Wells:
Always a pleasure.