After two days of sustained questioning in Parliament the Coalition has forced the Albanese Labor Government to belatedly release tens of thousands of home care packages for older Australians who have been left waiting for far too long.

Labor promised 83,000 new packages from 1 July 2025 but instead decided to withhold support – despite the sector and the Department being ready to deliver them.

The Albanese Government's delays meant not one new home care package has been released this financial year.

As a result, the priority waitlist has blown out to more than 108,000, a 400 per cent increase in just two years, while wait times have tripled. Tragically, almost 5,000 older Australians died in the past year while waiting for care.

Thanks to a coordinated pressure campaign from the Coalition, the Government today caved into pressure and agreed to immediately release 20,000 home care packages - despite the Government voting against this requirement in the Senate earlier today.

Member for Mallee Dr Anne Webster MP said twenty thousand home packages released is a win for older Australians in desperate need of assistance

"The Coalition has fought for older Australians to get the support they need and deserve.

“Labor faced a choice today: listen to the Coalition and release these packages now, or deny vulnerable Australians the support they desperately need," Dr Webster said.

"We forced this arrogant Labor Government to listen to older Australians and to the Coalition. Labor has been forced into a humiliating backdown.

The Coalition expects the Government to now release a further 20,000 home care packages by the end of the year, and the full 83,000 promised by the end of this financial year.

“Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Health Minister Mark Butler and Aged Care Minister Sam Rae must all now explain to Australians why it took the Coalition holding their feet to the fire in the Senate to release this much needed support. This should have happened months ago," Dr Webster said.

“This situation should never have happened. The money was in the Budget. The capacity was there. Only Labor stood in the way.

“It is a black mark on this Government that they withheld support from 108,000 older Australians who desperately needed it. Quite frankly, people were dying while they waited.

"The Coalition will continue to fight for older Australians, with one clear goal: no one should have to wait for the care they have been assessed as needing."

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