Aged Care and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2025, Aged Care (Accommodation Payment Security) Levy Amendment Bill 2025

Senator RUSTON (South Australia—Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) (19:44): The opposition put on the record that we have great sympathy for the position that has been put by Senator Thorpe. As I responded to Senator Allman-Payne when she, this morning, also moved a similar amendment, I say we believe and accept the government's position that, if we were going to address redress payments as they were impacting on payments as part of the broader payment system of government, it should be done in a uniform way across all payment systems and not done in an ad hoc way, bill by bill.

So, I just want to put on the record, Senator Thorpe, that we have great sympathy for the case that you've put forward, but we will be supporting the government in their intention to make sure this is a uniform application of this particular issue across the whole of government.