Sam Rae
Hawke · Australian Labor Party · Australia
“I thank the member for the question. Firstly, can I extend my condolences to Mr Austin's family. As I said earlier this week, it stands to any reasonable person's judgement that there's not a single person in this place who wants an older Australian to die while waiting for care.”
“We are overhauling the aged-care system—whether it's in-home care or residential aged care—from the ground up. The way that we drive down the numbers, which we've successfully done, is to reduce the wait times for older people to receive the care that they need. The latest data shows that we are well on our way to doing that.”
“This morning I announced that the government will itself, through legislation, establish a new legislated escalation option so outcomes of the aged-care Integrated Assessment Tool can be changed in extenuating circumstances.”
“Let me be clear. Assessments are always conducted by qualified human assessors, with clinical input documented from start to finish. This is about delivering a system that is efficient, accurate and fair so that, no matter where in Australia someone lives or who does their assessment, they are treated equitably.”
“The commissioner will advise on how government should move to improve and expand access to care, and support genuine co-design of policies and programs for First Nations people. They'll promote cultural capability across the sector, so that the people delivering care understand the people receiving it.”
“That placement is deliberate, and it is a strength. It connects an independent First Nations voice directly to the levers that regulate aged care, and builds capability across the sector. It means their advocacy doesn't stop at advice; it will have teeth.”
The complete record
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“by leave—I move: That Mr Burnell be appointed a participating member of the Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters for the purpose of the committee's inquiry into the 2025 federal election. Question agreed to.”
“by leave—I move: That, in accordance with the provisions of the Parliamentary Contributory Superannuation Act 1948 , Mr Violi be discharged as a trustee serving on the Parliamentary Retiring Allowances Trust, and that Mr Caldwell be appointed a trustee to serve on the Trust. Question agreed to.”
“Again, when we have a system that needs to be accurate, efficient and fair, we need to make sure that we can complete those assessments in a reasonable amount of time. Under the old system, people were in some cases being left to wait for up to 10 months to get their assessment completed. By the time the old system finished up, we had about $4 billion in unspent funds sitting within people's accounts. We now have median assessment times consistently under a month. Again, at every turn, we have sought to implement a system that is fairer for older people, that is accurate and that is efficient. We will continue to do so.”
“I thank the member for her question. I believe it relates to the integrated assessment tool and the process of review that is in place, and I'd like to take the opportunity to clear a couple of things up for the member. Firstly, all of the assessments that are completed using the integrated assessment tool under the single assessment system are completed by qualified human assessors, with clinical input documented from start to finish. It's about making sure that we've got an assessment process that is efficient, accurate and fair so that, no matter where you live in Australia or who comes to do the assessment, everybody is treated equitably. Since November, we've completed 180,000 assessments. In terms of the review process that is in place, there have been requests for review of less than half a per cent of those 180,000 assessments.”
“Of course, providers can seek support through existing aged-care business and viability supports offered by my department, and we stand ready to provide those supports through the Market Adjustment Program, through dedicated First Nations support programs or through our business and workforce advisory services. We're not experiencing a fuel shortage. What we're seeing is localised disruption, caused by significant spikes in demand.”
“I thank the member for his question. I acknowledge that there are providers all across Australia in all of our communities who are providing these very important services to older people. Transport is obviously a critical part of the public service that's provided under the Commonwealth Home Support Program—I assume it's that program that the services the member is referring to pertain to. As the Minister for Climate Change and Energy has confirmed, Australia is fuel secure. Petrol companies have advised us that fuel stocks continue to arrive on time and in the quantities expected. We continue to closely monitor the impact of prices on aged-care providers.”
“Older Australians told us they want to stay home for longer, with support that enables them to maintain independence and dignity, so we delivered Support at Home along with 83,000 additional home-care places. Advocates told us that aged-care places should be allocated to people, not providers, so we changed that too. Aged-care places are now allocated directly to the individual—more choice, more control, more dignity. Providers told us we need more beds and we need them in the places where demand is greatest, so this month we announced a further $115 million through the Aged Care Capital Assistance Program, targeted at hotspots in Adelaide, Illawarra, Perth and the Hunter, with an expression-of-interest process designed to get beds open within two years.”
“I thank the member for Bean for his question. He does a fantastic job representing the people of Bean, including my old stomping ground of the Tuggeranong Valley. There's a critical feature of this Albanese Labor government: we listen and then we deliver. We listened to the royal commission, we listened to older Australians and their families, we listened to the workers and the providers who know this system inside and out, and then we got on with fixing it. The sector told us that older people needed rights, not just rules, and we delivered Australia's first ever statement of rights enshrined in the new Aged Care Act that came into effect on 1 November last year—the first wholly rebuilt act since 1997.”
“Between the April-June and July-September quarters of 2025, median wait times for home support assessments dropped by seven days. Median comprehensive assessment wait times are now sitting well under a month consistently. We know there's always more work to do, and we'll continue focusing on reducing wait times further so that every older Australian can access care as soon as possible. The new Aged Care Act established a sustainable funding model so those who can afford to contribute to their care do so, while those with fewer means can continue to access care. This is what good stewardship looks like. We have taken the prudent steps to ensure that the aged-care system is sustainable and is equitable and can serve the generations of Australians into the future.”
“Today almost 350,000 Australians are receiving care through the Support at Home program, and that's more than double the number of places when compared to the Home Care Packages Program of just five years ago. Over the next 40 years, the number of Australians aged over 65 is expected to more than double, and those aged 85 and over will more than triple. To meet this demand in the short term, we're in the process of rolling out an additional 83,000 Support at Home places this financial year alone. These extra packages are getting more older Australians the care they need faster, and they're taking pressure off the National Priority System, which had dropped by over 25,000 people to the end of last year. We're also seeing encouraging signs that our reforms are moving the assessment system in the right direction.”
“I thank the member for Fowler for her question. I appreciate the constructive conversations that we've had about older people and their care in her community. As I've said consistently, we want every Australian to be able to access safe, dignified and high-quality aged-care services. To that end, as the member's question referred, we are engaging in generational reform of Australia's aged-care system. The new Aged Care Act came into effect on 1 November and along with it, the new Support at Home program—again, to which the member's question refers. Labor has increased aged-care funding overall by over 40 per cent since the Liberals were last in government. That is one of the steps that we're taking. However, demand for care is growing very rapidly.”
“He planned to strip protections from casual workers—that's tens of thousands of aged-care workers around Australia. This is a man who couldn't be trusted when he was auditioning for the top job. Aged-care workers and the people they care for should be very nervous about ever letting him near the budget again. This government came to office with a clear commitment to fix what was broken, to resource what had been starved and to treat aged-care workers with the respect that they deserve while they care for the people that we love.”
“When they were in government, the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety handed them a roadmap for reform—a roadmap built on the testimony of older Australians, their families and the workers who saw firsthand what neglect truly looked like. And what did they do? They sat on it. They delayed. They watered down and then, ultimately, they walked away. This isn't ancient history. We're still working today to address the consequences of choices that those opposite made and that they have never properly accounted for. We shouldn't be surprised that the Leader of the Opposition hates workers. He made that very, very clear as shadow Treasurer. He opposed tax cuts for every Australian taxpayer. He planned to cut 36,000 public servants, which would have hollowed out aged care.”
“Today, the average registered nurse in aged care is making $28,000 more a year than they did before, meaning the award has increased by about $550 a week. These are life-changing numbers delivered by this government and by this Prime Minister. We've mandated registered nurses in aged-care homes 24 hours a day, seven days a week. We've implemented mandatory care minutes because we know that care isn't just a task to be completed; it's a relationship between two human beings. When it's done right, both workers and older people benefit alike. The contrast with those opposite could not be starker.”
“I thank the member for Solomon for his question. He and the member for Lingiari have been tireless advocates for better aged-care services for older Territorians, and that's why our government is investing $60 million to build a new aged-care facility in Palmerston. It takes a very special person to work in the aged-care sector. They are dedicated and highly skilled. They show up every single day, and they afford our loved ones the dignity and the safety that they deserve. That's why this Labor government, since coming to office, has delivered the biggest pay increase in the history of aged care. So far, that's four rounds of fully funded pay rises recognising aged-care work as the professional essential work that it is.”
“Health care is a critical component of their happiness and their ability to live with dignity in the community. We'll continue to invest in Medicare so that older Australians can get the health care they need at every opportunity.”
“More than two million Australians have already received free urgent care at an urgent care clinic. We've boosted Medicare, with $25 billion in extra hospital funding, helping older Australians get the quality, affordable health care they deserve. It's a long list, because it was a big job to claw back Medicare after those opposite left it on its knees. They tried to cut $50 billion from public hospitals. They tried to end bulk-billing for all Australians with a GP tax. They tried to jack up the price of medicines, and, when they couldn't get any of that through, they started a six-year-long freeze on the Medicare rebate, which tore $8.3 billion out of the Medicare system. For nine long years, those opposite took Australians for granted. This government is relentlessly focused on the needs of older Australians.”
“And that number continues to grow across Australia every week and means that more than 96 per cent of older Australians now live within 20 minutes' drive of a bulk-billing GP. To all the GPs across the nation who are now supporting seniors to see a doctor for free, our government says, sincerely—fantastic. Great move. Well done, doctors. All of this work builds on our government's other investments to support Australians, including older Australians, with the cost of living. On 1 January, we delivered the next stage in our plan to make the biggest cut to the cost of medicines in the history of the PBS, with all PBS medicines available for $25 or less. For seniors who hold a concession card, PBS medicines cost only $7.70, with an annual cap of 277 bucks. We're opening 137 Medicare urgent care clinics.”
“I thank the member for Gilmore for her tireless advocacy for older people across her community on the beautiful South Coast of New South Wales. I'm grateful for the opportunity to tell the House how we're supporting senior Australians to access the services they need, no matter their means. I'm happy to inform the House that bulk-billing for over-64s is now at over 88 per cent thanks to this Labor government. New data shows that older Australians can now access over 3,400 Medicare bulk-billing practices across the country. In the member for Gilmore's community, 32 clinics are now fully bulk-billing. That's an extra 12 clinics since our changes came into place, delivering free health care to seniors close to home.”
“I thank the member for Corangamite for the question and for being an absolute champion for older people across the Surf Coast and on the Bellarine. Yesterday marked 100 days since the new Aged Care Act came into effect. For each and every single one of those days, this government has focused on making our new system work for aged-care providers, work for hardworking aged-care staff and, most importantly, work for older Australians. From the smallest community support service to acute residential facilities, this Labor government is focused on delivery, not division.”
“The department will continue to monitor the operation of the algorithm, and we intend to refine it on a regular basis. Ms Penfold interjecting— This is a steady, responsible delivery: listening, getting the details right and keeping our focus on better outcomes for older Australians.”
“The integrated assessment tool is used by an aged-care needs assessor to assess an older person's wellbeing, capturing a comprehensive profile of an older person's needs and ensuring accuracy and consistency in decision-making. A classification algorithm runs after the assessor completes the IAT with the older person, determining an older person's ongoing CHSP or support at home classification. I assure the member that assessors still play a critical role in achieving high-quality assessment outcomes by using their clinical judgement and strong communication and engagement skills to complete the IAT during the assessment. Let me be clear: the IAT classification algorithm does not replace assessor input; it relies on assessors documenting their advice in the IAT first. Feedback from older Australians is absolutely critical to this process.”
“Instead of requiring older people to go through multiple assessments with different providers, we've moved to a simpler system that is more streamlined, easier and more responsive as people's needs change. Thanks to this approach, the number of outstanding assessments has been reducing in recent months. Between the April-June quarter and the July-September quarter of 2025, median wait times for home assessments dropped by seven days. In that same time period, median comprehensive assessment wait times dropped eight days, with the median wait time just 24 days from request to completion of assessments in the July-September quarter.”
“I thank the member for her question. I acknowledge her constructive engagement around aged-care issues and the passionate support that she provides her community. However, I respectfully disagree with the premise that she has put forward in her question. The Aged Care Act has moved from legislation to implementation. We promised to deliver generational reform to the way we care for older people, and that's exactly what we're doing. We're now focused on the practical work of this delivery, continuing to work closely with the sector and making sure that we get the settings right. That work is being done with older Australians firmly at its centre. In December 2024 this government introduced a single streamlined assessment system, a recommendation of the royal commission. As well, we introduced the integrated assessment tool on 1 July 2024.”
“This is what delivery looks like under a Labor government—a government that values workers and the amazing work they do to care for the ones we love. And it doesn't stop at wages; it's about investing in people's skills, training and long-term careers. Free TAFE, scholarship programs and now paid prac are getting people into a genuinely fulfilling line of work so that older Australians can enjoy the fruits of a secure, well-resourced workforce in aged care that doesn't miss a beat as our population ages. This is what delivery looks like. While those opposite worry about their own jobs, we're lifting wages for working Australians. While they bicker, we're building skills. And while they focus on themselves, we're delivering the pay rises, skills and new aged-care homes that Australians actually care about.”
“It's just one project in the almost billion dollars that this government has invested through the Aged Care Capital Assistance Program since 2022 to deliver more aged-care beds and create more well-paid jobs all across our great country. After a decade of neglect, this united Labor government is putting working people at the centre of everything it does. In aged care, that starts with real wage increases. Hundreds of thousands of aged-care workers, most of them women, are earning more because this government stepped up to support them. To be exact, the average registered nurse in aged care is now earning $28,000 more a year; that's 28 grand more than they were receiving in the nine miserable years under those opposite. That's food on the table, it's rent or the mortgage paid and it's birthday presents for kids.”
“I thank the member for the question and his tireless advocacy for older Territorians, for First Nations people and for working people in Darwin and beyond. This Labor government was re-elected to build on its strong record of delivery. When it comes to properly supporting aged-care workers, that's exactly what we're doing. Just last week we took another major step forward in our delivery of a new residential aged-care home in Palmerston, with the announcement of the preferred provider to build and operate this facility. This 120- to 150-bed project will create hundreds of jobs, expand aged-care capacity in the Territory, take pressure off local hospitals and deliver culturally safe care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander elders, and we're not wasting a minute getting on with delivering it.”
“I particularly acknowledge Toolern Vale CFA, who marked 100 years of service last year—a century of courage and service to community safety.”
“I want to acknowledge the tireless and courageous efforts of our local CFA brigades throughout another difficult bushfire season. CFA brigades from across Hawke, including Ballan, Bacchus Marsh, Blackwood, Melton, Toolern Vale, Myrniong, Greendale, Coimadai, Diggers Rest, Parwan, Rowsley, Eynesbury, Wildwood, Bulla, Balliang, Mount Wallace and Sunbury left their families, many over the holiday period, to defend lives, homes and livelihoods in extreme and dangerous conditions. They worked around the clock, often in searing heat and unpredictable winds, showing extraordinary bravery and an unwavering commitment to protecting their communities and others across Victoria. Their sacrifice, resilience and dedication reflect the very best of the spirit of service that defines our volunteer firefighters.”
“These clinics provide free walk-in care for injuries and illnesses that would otherwise end up in hospital emergency departments and have made a world of difference in our community. They're taking pressure off our hospitals while ensuring that locals can get timely, high-quality care close to home. I recently had the privilege of joining the Hume Men's Shed in Sunbury for their 15-year anniversary—a remarkable community organisation that has grown from a small volunteer effort into one of the country's leading men's sheds. Through dedication and countless volunteer hours, the shed has become a place of connection, wellbeing and purpose in Sunbury, supporting men's mental and physical health while strengthening our local community. Thank you to President Ian Phillips and Secretary Albert Achterberg for all that you do.”
“I recently had the pleasure of visiting the dedicated team at Melton Medical and Dental Centre to mark their transition to 100 per cent bulk-billing for every patient. This is a direct result of the Albanese Labor government's Medicare reforms, which are delivering on our commitment to making it free to see the GP again, with more clinics across Hawke moving to fully bulk-billed care so our community can access the local services that they need without worrying about the cost. This is a major step forward for families in my community, and it builds on the work we've been doing to ensure that people in Hawke can access affordable local health care that they can rely on. This includes the fantastic Medicare urgent care clinics in both Sunbury and Melton.”
“While those opposite look for the next fight, this Labor government will keep valuing workers, lifting standards and building a system that gives every older Australian the dignity and the respect that they deserve.”
“Getting nurses back into nursing homes is now a legislated requirement met by nearly every facility in the country. We have introduced mandatory care minutes and strengthened regulations so every older person receives the safe, person-centred attention and care that they're entitled to. This is about lifting standards and lifting the status of the workforce. We have invested in a pipeline of workers for the future, funding thousands of free TAFE places, retention payments and scholarships alongside better migration settings for targeted roles. Workforce shortages don't vanish overnight but the difference is this: we have a plan and we are delivering on it side-by-side with the incredible aged-care workers who make this system run, not at their expense. After a decade of division and drift, we're delivering renewal.”
“While those opposite spent years fighting amongst themselves, dividing, delaying and denying the royal commission's most urgent calls, we got on with the job of rebuilding the workforce that older Australians rely upon. We've delivered the biggest pay rise in the history of aged care. So far, there have been four rounds of fully funded pay rises recognising aged-care work as the professional essential work that it is. Today, the average registered nurse is making $28,000 more than they did before, meaning the award has increased by $550 a week. These are life-changing numbers. There is no better cost-of-living help than a pay rise. Valuing workers isn't just good policy; it's how you deliver better care. We've also made 24/7 nursing and aged-care homes a reality.”
“I thank the member for Hunter for his question, and I thank him for the work that he's doing to improve the health of men all across our country, including through his most recent and certainly most successful hair removal experience. When we came to government, we inherited an aged-care sector crippled by a decade of neglect, a workforce stretched to breaking point, wages that failed to reflect the skill and professionalism of the job and a system held together only by the dedication and sheer hard work of its workforce. Let me say this clearly: aged-care workers are the backbone of our system. They are skilled, compassionate professionals who show up every day for our loved ones. They deserve a government that shows up for them, and that's exactly what this Albanese Labor government is doing.”
“Labor's reforms are delivering better care: safer, fairer, and more dignified for every older Australian for generations to come.”
“They're reforms that older Australians deserve. While those opposite spent nine years failing older people and avoiding this overdue reform, our government has acted. Older Australians have contributed so much to their communities and to our country, they deserve a system that treats them with the respect they've earned over a lifetime. From Saturday, that's exactly what Labor has put into place—real reform, real improvements to the way we care for our loved ones. I'm pleased to inform the House that, to date, the transition has gone smoothly, including the first tranche of ICT system updates that operationalise aspects of these reforms and that make navigating aged care simpler and smoother. We'll continue to monitor the changes closely to make sure the system is accessible, easy and fair for older Australians to use.”
“For the first time, the new act enshrines in law a statement of rights, guaranteeing that every older Australian has the right to be treated with dignity and respect, to make choices about their own care and to live free from abuse or neglect. Support at Home is a simpler, fairer system that helps more Australians stay in their homes for longer. It means a higher level of care, less red tape and more flexibility for people to get the support they actually need, from help with personal care to home modifications and assistive technology. For people in residential care, we've lifted the bar on safety and quality, with stronger standards, a more powerful regulator and mandatory staffing levels that ensure every resident receives more direct care every single day. These are the reforms the royal commission called for.”
“I thank my friend the outstanding member for Lalor for her question and, more importantly, for her outstanding advocacy for older people in the community that we share in Melbourne's west. I was so proud to visit Sunset Views Manor in Tarneit with her over the weekend to meet the wonderful staff who deliver exceptional care to older people in our region. On Saturday Australia turned the page on aged care, taking a once-in-a-generation step forward for older Australians. After nine long years of neglect under the Liberals, the Albanese Labor government is delivering the reforms older Australians were promised—safer, fairer, more dignified care. The new Aged Care Act and brand new Support at Home program are now in effect, putting the rights of older people at their centre.”
“For nine long years, those opposite, including the Leader of the Opposition in her position as health minister, neglected older people across our country, and finally Labor has come to the plate to ensure that every single older Australian can be afforded the safe, dignified and high-quality aged care that those opposite should have done a long time ago.”
“We also have the independent pricing authority having issued pricing guidance to both consumers and providers—a better level of transparency and understanding for the entire sector around what appropriate pricing for services looks like. And, from July 2026, the independent pricing authority will, of course, introduce the pricing caps to ensure that no older person is inappropriately charged for the services. Of course, we have to understand the road that we have trodden to get to this point. We had a royal commission which uncovered extraordinarily distressing stories of mistreatment of older people. Its report was mononymously named Neglect .”
“I thank the member for Mayo for her question and her ongoing commitment to ensuring that older people in her community do get safe, dignified and high-quality aged care. Of course, from Saturday, with bipartisan support, we herald the arrival of the new Support at Home program, which is a new generation of aged care for every single older person across Australia, and it's to this program that the member's question pertains. From Saturday, we will ensure that administration prices under the home-care program are capped. They have previously been exorbitantly charged by some providers—not all providers but some providers—so caps will come into place at 10 per cent around most administration fees. We want the money that is afforded to older people for their care to be used for their care, not for administrative purposes.”
“May their memories guide us as we work to build a safer, more peaceful community for every young person who calls our community home. Vale, Dau Akueng. Vale, Chol Achiek.”
“No words can ease the pain felt by these families—two young lives full of promise and joy, taken far too soon. Violence has no place in our suburbs or our schools or our streets. No parent should have to face tragedies like this. Every child deserves to grow up feeling safe, supported and free to chase their dreams. I particularly acknowledge the pain felt by the South Sudanese community at this time. I've had the honour of meeting with community leaders, and I know they're working closely with Victoria Police to keep our community safe and to support our young people. We owe it to Dau and to Chol and to their families to stand together, to reject violence, to invest in prevention and community connection and to build hope. We remember them for their kindness and their love of family, community and basketball.”
“His service at Resurrection Catholic Church in Kings Park drew hundreds of mourners, coming together to celebrate a young life that shone very brightly. Chol grew up in Melton and attended Melton Secondary College. He loved swimming, music and basketball and was an active member of the Nile Warriors Basketball Club. He was the son of Ayen and Chuti and the youngest of seven children. His father described him as intelligent and warm hearted, a boy who lit up the room with his smile and his kindness. He had deep respect for elders, a gentle humour and a natural leadership that made those around him feel safe and seen. His service at St Mary's Anglican Church in Sunbury was a testament to how loved he was. He was remembered as funny, peaceful and protective of those around him.”
“I rise today to speak about two boys: Dau Akueng, aged 15, and Chol Achiek, aged 12. Their lives were tragically taken on 6 September in Cobblebank. Both were bright, talented and deeply loved. Their loss has left a profound void in the hearts of their families, their friends and our community. Dau grew up in Fitzroy and Collingwood before moving to Melton, where he attended Staughton College. He dreamed of becoming a basketball star and was an active member of the Collingwood Basketball Association. He was the only son of Sabena and Elbino and a loving brother to Ayana, Anok and Atong. His uncle, Akolda Bil, remembered him as a happy, energetic boy who brought joy to everyone around him, especially his late grandmother. He was a gentle leader in his family, looking out for his sisters, and surrounded by a big, loving community.”
“This culminated in the royal commission, which said of those opposite, 'Their main consideration was the minimum commitment that they could get away with.' But every one of our actions, from fairer wages to more home-care packages to better residential aged care, is about fixing the system we inherited and building one that actually delivers for older Australians, because this Labor government believes that aged care should be about care, not just cost. This Labor government is getting on with the job of giving every Australian the dignity and respect they deserve in later life.”
“Our aged-care system is nothing without the dedicated, compassionate people who care for older Australians every day. Last week, the Treasurer and I visited the Calamvale seniors expo in his electorate to mark yet another round of the Labor government's pay rises for aged-care workers. These highly skilled workers do some of the most important work in our community, and they are finally being recognised and rewarded for it, with the average registered nurse now $28,000 better off every single year. We inherited an aged-care system in crisis—an unacceptable and unsustainable failing of the former Liberal government that did not meet the expectations or the needs of the older Australians who relied upon its care.”
“This means more older Australians are getting the support they need to stay independent, connected and safe at home, close to their loved ones and their communities. Last month we announced the third round of the Aged Care Capital Assistance Program, investing $300 million in new and upgraded services in communities where access to care has too often been out of reach. In the community of the member for Richmond, we are delivering 14 new rooms at the Feros Village Bangalow home and increased support and home-like care for up to 31 residents with behavioural support needs at St Andrews Village Ballina. These investments will make sure that older Australians, no matter where they live, can age with dignity, close to home and family.”
“I thank the member for Richmond for her question. She is an absolute champion of older people across her community and, as a former minister for ageing, for older people across our nation. Our government is proud to be delivering the biggest and most ambitious reforms to aged care in a generation. We're just 23 days away from the commencement of the new Aged Care Act. But 1 November is not the beginning of our reforms. Our work to deliver safer, more dignified and compassionate care to older Australians started the moment we came to government. We've now released more than 10,000 of the fast-tracked home-care packages we committed to last month, putting us well on track to release 83,000 new home-care places this financial year.”