ANMF Media Release May 4 2018

The Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation (ANMF) has launched a new national petition calling for greater transparency and accountability in the Government funding of the for-profit aged care sector after a report found Australia’s top nursing home operators are making massive profits by benefitting from $2.17 billion in taxpayer funded subsidies – at the expense of residents living in nursing homes.

In the lead-up to next week’s Federal Budget, the ANMF’s A/Federal Secretary Annie Butler said that any new funding for the for-profit industry must be “directly tied to the provision of care.  Proof that this is occurring must be a pre-requisite to receiving a subsidy.”

“Smaller, not-for-profit providers, particularly those in rural and regional areas may need additional financial support, but it’s clear that the top-tier of for-profit operators have the financial means to be delivering better and safer care through improved levels of staffing,” Ms Butler said.

“Our new report, conducted by the Tax Justice Network, leaves no doubt that many of these for-profit providers, some with foreign ownership, continue to use a variety of corporate loopholes in order to pay little or no tax.

“There are currently no rules to ensure that the $2.17 Billion in government subsidies given to for-profit providers is spent directly on care for their residents. As a result, care is being missed. There’s simply not enough staff to feed, wash, toilet, change or give them medication.

“The bottom-line is that big for-profit providers and their shareholders continue to generate massive profits at the expense of the taxpayer funding which should be going directly toward the care of elderly Australians. They’re putting their profits before their responsibility to provide care. And that has to change.”

Ms Butler said the online petition calls on all political parties to:

• Make for-profit aged care operators accountable for how they spend billions of taxpayer money;
• Ensure that billions of dollars in taxpayer funding to for-profit aged care providers must be invested in caring for our elderly rather than earning profits for shareholders.

To sign-up the petition go to: https://www.megaphone.org.au/petitions/aged-care-providers-are-putting-profits-before-their-responsibility-to-care