Neil Mitchell says Richard Colbeck is a ‘fool’ if he believes aged care claim

Neil Mitchell has taken aim at the federal government’s handling of COVID-19 in aged care, and the Federal Aged Care Minister, who yesterday claimed the aged care sector “is performing exceptionally well”.

Federal Aged Care Minister Richard Colbeck yesterday defended his decision to attend the Ashes in Hobart instead of a COVID-19 inquiry into the crisis in aged care on January 14.

In a fiery speech, Mr Albanese has called on Mr Colbeck to resign, and the Prime Minister to sack him if he doesn’t do so.

“He is simply incapable of fulfilling the task of looking after the interests of old, vulnerable Australians,” Mr Albanese said.

They deserve dignity and they deserve respect, not the contempt that we get from a minister who, having avoided appearing before a committee inquiry all year up until yesterday, went before that inquiry and said that it was working exceptionally well, went before the inquiry and said there wasn’t a crisis in aged care. And today what we have, what we have remarkably, is an announcement that they’re going to have a taskforce. They’re going to ask a few people in the department to look at the data, they’re not going to act!.”

Neil Mitchell says Mr Albanese is “spot on”.

“Aged care residents, the people who deserve most dignity in this country … are being butalised,” he said.

“Remember, of course, in the middle of this the minister, Richard Colbeck, went to the cricket instead of an inquiry.

“If he really believes that the aged care system is working exceptionally well, he should go back to the cricket – stay at the cricket.

“If he thinks there is not enormous suffering, and pain, and angst in the aged care system, he is a fool and doesn’t deserve to be a minister.

“The Prime Minister needs to say ‘This is wrong, it’s not working exceptionally well, it’s a bloody mess, it’s a disgrace.”

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