CONSTITUENCY STATEMENTS
Mr KHALIL (Wills—Assistant Minister for Defence) (09:33): A few weeks ago, I visited the Bupa aged-care facility in Coburg in my electorate of Wills and I had the opportunity to personally thank the wonderful aged-care workers for their amazing work. It was an honour to present the Bupa's Living Our Values Everyday awards to dedicated team members at Bupa Aged Care Coburg.
The winners were Rebecca, Gulsen and Precious. These workers, these individuals, embody the compassion, the professionalism and the resilience that they have to demonstrate every single day in the work that they do. These workers were recognised by those under their care—they were voted for in the awards by the people under their care—for going above and beyond every day in their work, delivering the best care for our older Australians, with real dignity and with real heart.
People like Rebecca, Gulsen and Precious deserve to get the decent pay that they need to look after older Australians. That's why I'm so proud that the Albanese Labor government is backing aged-care workers with their fourth—that's right, Deputy Speaker Lawrence—pay rise since we've been in office. Our aged-care workers deserve this support, and the Albanese Labor government's $18 billion investment demonstrates our commitment to delivering higher wages for our wonderful Australian nurses and carers.
That's why it's important that aged-care workers get fair pay that reflects the essential nature of their work. I'm proud that the Albanese Labor government has delivered four pay rises for aged-care workers since coming into office. Our $18 billion investment in aged care is a commitment to valuing nurses, carers and the people they support.
Additionally, we're investing $30.8 million to attract and support more than 6,000 extra skilled aged-care workers to rural and regional Australia. Those who support older Australians to live and age with dignity deserve a dignified and liveable wage. That's why we're lifting wages, improving conditions and restoring respect to a sector that holds up our communities.
To the aged-care workers of Wills, to Rebecca, Gulsen, Precious and everyone who works in aged care across Australia: thank you so much for your hard work. I also recently visited RIMERN. RIMERN is in north Melbourne.
It's a project that provides furniture, appliances and homewares to welfare agency clients who have experiences of homelessness, domestic violence, incarceration, refugee displacement and other crises. I had the great pleasure of meeting Susie and Ruth and the team of volunteers at RIMERN. They're in my local electorate, right on the border, actually, of that of my good friend Ged Kearney.
We visited together. The work they do is really important. It allows people who are in these crisis situations to access furniture, homewares, supplies and other things that they need to fit out a home and a place to live that they might be moving into.
It really gives them that sense of feeling at home. The volunteers at RIMERN do amazing work. Thank you for all of the great work that you do.