Morrison’s cash splash for aged care workers is a stunt, and an insulting one

It’s not until you crunch the numbers that you realise just how insulting Scott Morrison’s offer of two $400 bonus payments to aged care workers — swallowed hook, line and sinker by press gallery journalists — actually is.

For a part-time mid-level personal care worker, working 25 hours a week and earning some penalty rates for weekend work, it amounts to just under 2% — or, given the current level of inflation of 3.5%, a real pay cut of 1.6%.

For a full-time, high-level personal care worker it’s about 1.4%. For mid-level aged care nurses, it’s less than 1%.

Meanwhile Morrison is refusing to support the union-employer backed value of work case before the Fair Work Commission that would substantially increase aged care workers’ permanent and ongoing pay. The prime minister’s refusal is in direct defiance of the recommendation of the aged care royal commission, which found what so many other reports and inquiries have found for more than two decades: the only way to address the crisis in our aged care workforce is to value it more by paying workers more.

Meanwhile the sector stumbles on, begging for military boots on the ground because so many facilities haven’t enough staff to provide the basics of quality care for residents, so many of whom are in another miserable lockdown,

And the deaths continue to mount. The blood of hundreds of Australian seniors — sickeningly dismissed yesterday by Health Minister Greg Hunt as mainly being in palliative care, so therefore somehow expendable — is on the hands of this disgraceful, disastrous government.

And, as always, the only answer from Morrison is yet another announcement, yet another press release, yet another stunt, designed to fix the political problem he faces and not the real policy challenge.

It’s nauseating, and tragic, and should be a national outrage.

Have you or someone you love been affected by the crisis in aged care. Let us know your thoughts by writing to letters@crikey.com.au. Please include your full name if you would like to be considered for publication in Crikey’s Your Say column. We reserve the right to edit for length and clarity.