27th Oct 2022, 9:57 AM – Senate Aged Care Amendment (Implementing Care Reform) Bill 2022 - Second Reading - Registered nurses and regional areas

The majority voted in favour of an amendment to the usual second reading motion, which is that the bill be read a second time. To read a bill for a second time is to agree with its main idea. The amendment was introduced by South Australian Senator Anne Ruston (Liberal).

Note that second reading motions like this one do not make any actual legal changes but are rather more symbolic. That is, they represent the will of the Senate majority.

Amendment text

At the end of the motion, add ", but the Senate:

(a) notes that, of the aged care providers who do not currently have a registered nurse on site, and on duty, at all times, 53% are based in regional and remote areas and 86% are small providers; and

(b) calls on the Government to ensure that, when amending the Quality of Care Principles to make provision for an exemption to the new responsibility relating to registered nurses, the disproportionate impact on providers in regional and remote areas, especially small providers, is taken into account".