Health Insurance Amendment (Incentive Payments and Other Measures) Bill 2026

Senator RUSTON (South Australia—Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) (12:59): On the basis of the contribution that the minister has just given in relation to what I believe is a very sound amendment that's been moved by the opposition, is the minister able to give the chamber an absolute assurance that there are sufficient provisions contained within this bill to ensure that we won't see a repeat of the complete mess that has resulted with the automated decision-making processes that are contained in the Aged Care Act, which has seen much controversy about the removal of human override when it comes to the decision-making process?

I raise this because of the incredible importance of the process that is fully automated in the aged-care system, and that is the decision about the assessment of the care needs and the prioritisation of care needs of older Australians. We have seen a government who have put through a bill, the Aged Care Bill, that hid much of the detail in subordinated rules that were not available for the public or for this Senate or for this parliament to scrutinise.

I'm asking the minister: can you absolutely assure this parliament that we will not see a repeat of the mess that occurred in the Aged Care Act around the determination and the decision-making processes that the government put in place for automated decision-making?