You can add the Greens to the list of people celebrating the government’s backdown on the aged care package release date. Penny Allman-Payne says:

Today, the Greens have forced the Government to end the pointless delays and start getting older Australians the essential care that they need.

Labor has resisted all calls to do the right thing, so now the Senate has forced them to.

We had to drag the Government kicking and screaming, but after losing a vote in the Senate we have finally forced them to do the right thing by older people.

Senior ministers have had to step in and clean up the mess made by Sam Rae. Labor was too arrogant to make changes themselves, which is why we have united to force them to do the right thing by older people. 

Every day that Labor delays action is another day that our parents and grandparents are going without the help they need. It’s a day that an older Australian gets pushed too early into residential care and into hospital. It’s a day that people are dying without care.”

People are still dying waiting for care, and the only thing stopping them from getting that care is an arrogant Labor Party and a Minister who can’t admit he’s got this wrong.”

In a wealthy country like Australia, we can afford to look after our older people.”