Chapter 2Key Issues
2.1This chapter provides an overview of some key issues raised during the committee’s 2024–25 additional estimates hearings. Page numbers reference relevant committee Hansard transcripts.
Health and Aged Care portfolio hearing—26 February 2025
2.2The committee called officers from the Department of Health and Aged Care (DoHAC) to discuss matters relating to whole of portfolio and corporate, and outcomes 1–4. The Secretary, Mr Blair Comley PSM, gave evidence alongside departmental officials.
Whole of Portfolio and Corporate Matters
2.3Topics discussed with DoHAC relating to whole of portfolio and corporate matters included:
Medicare statements on departmental website, including advertising guidelines (pp. 8–9);
discriminatory conduct of two nurses from Bankstown Hospital (p. 13 and p. 17); and
the letter from Dr Jacqueline Rakov and 235 medical practitioners concerning antisemitism in the health sector (p. 17; pp. 52–56 and p. 58).
Outcome 1: Health Policy, Access and Support
2.4Topics discussed with DoHAC relating to outcome 1 included:
The newborn bloodspot screening program (pp. 49–50);
processes for prescribing attention deficit hyperactivity disorder medication (pp. 64–65);
the national immunisation program for respiratory syncytial virus (pp. 66–67);
the progression of the national clinical guidelines for perimenopause and menopause (pp. 70–71);
targeted regional initiatives for suicide prevention and other mental health services (pp. 75–78);
the National Early Intervention Service (pp. 90–90);
the safety and efficacy of mRNA products (pp. 111–114);
the Vaping Reforms Act and associated offences since the implementation of the Act (pp. 114–115); and
the declining vaccination rates in Australia (pp. 122–123).
Outcome 2: Individual Health Benefits
2.5Topics discussed with DoHAC relating to outcome 2 included:
tripling the bulk billing incentive (pp. 22–23 and pp. 29–30);
the National Hospital Reform Agreement funding allocations (p. 23);
the reduction of the copayment for medicines listed on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (pp. 32–33);
menopause treatments and associated policies, including medicine shortages and domestic manufacturing capabilities (pp. 33–38);
reforms to standard health assessments and appointment duration times (pp. 38–39); and
the scope of the Medicare Benefits Schedule to provide rebates for plastic and reconstructive services (pp. 47–48).
Outcome 3: Ageing and Aged Care
2.6Topics discussed with DoHAC relating to outcome 3 included:
Meals on Wheels, including the Future Fit program and other subcontracted work (pp. 86–87);
My Aged Care (p. 92);
star rating undertaken by the department for care minutes (p. 94);
the implementation of the new Aged Care Act and the Aged Care Transition Taskforce (pp. 97–99); and
current wait lists and the release of home care packages (pp. 103–104).
Outcome 4: Sport and Physical Activity
2.7Topics discussed with DoHAC relating to outcome 4 included:
the Play Our Way grant program (pp. 107–109).
Health and Aged Care portfolio agencies
2.8The committee continued its examination of the Health and Aged Care portfolio by calling officers from the following agencies and statutory offices:
the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency;
the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare;
the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission;
the Independent Health and Aged Care Pricing Authority;
the Inspector-General of Aged Care;
the Australian Sports Commission; and
the National Blood Authority.
Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency
2.9Ms Kym Ayscough represented the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (Ahpra) as acting Chief Executive Officer.
2.10Topics discussed for Ahpra included:
the rise of antisemitic behaviour, bullying and harassment in the health sector (pp. 52–55); and
Ahpra’s rapid regulatory responses to address issues where regulatory intelligence identifies potential harms to patients (p. 61).
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare
2.11Dr Zoran Bolevich represented the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare as Chief Executive Officer.
2.12Topics discussed for the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare included:
the provision of $5.5 million for a sexual and reproductive health data set (pp. 72–73);
the National Miscarriage Expert Advisory Group (p. 73); and
data harvesting for informing Closing the Gap targets (pp. 74–75).
Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission
2.13Mr Liz Hefren-Webb represented the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission as Commissioner.
2.14Topics discussed for the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission included:
the appointment and role of the aged care Complaints Commissioner (pp. 93–94);
the liquidity standards for providers to meet their financial obligations (pp. 92–93); and
banning orders for aged care workers exhibiting antisemitism (p. 98).
Independent Health and Aged Care Pricing Authority
2.15Professor Michael Pervan represented the Independent Health and Aged Care Pricing Authority as Chief Executive Officer.
2.16Topics discussed for the Independent Health and Aged Care Pricing Authority included:
costings for the Support at Home Program (pp. 101–102).
Inspector-General of Aged Care
2.17Mrs Natalie Siegel-Brown represented the Office of the Inspector-General of Aged Care as Inspector-General.
2.18Topics discussed for the Inspector-General of Aged Care included:
Transparency in various Commonwealth health programs, including the Home Support Program (p. 88).
Australian Sports Commission
2.19Mr Kieran Perkins OAM represented the Australian Sports Commission as Chief Executive Officer.
2.20Topics discussed for the Australian Sports Commission included:
the provision of $250 million to upgrade the Australian Institute of Sport (pp. 105–106).
National Blood Authority
2.21Mr John Cahill represented the National Blood Authority as Chief Executive Officer.
2.22Topics discussed for the National Blood Authority included:
the National Blood Authority’s engagement with the Haemophilia Foundation (p. 110).
Social Services portfolio hearings—27 February 2024
2.23The committee called officers from the Department of Social Services (DSS) to discuss matters relating to whole of portfolio and corporate, and outcomes 1–4. The Secretary, Mr Michael Lye, gave evidence alongside departmental officials.
Whole of Portfolio and Corporate Matters
2.24Topics discussed with DSS in relation to whole of portfolio and corporate included:
the appropriate use of non-disclosure agreements (p. 75);
information advertising campaigns (p. 76); and
staff satisfaction levels in DSS (pp. 85–86).
Outcome 1: Social Security
2.25Topics discussed with DSS in relation to outcome 1 included:
income apportionment and communications between DSS and the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions (pp. 65–66);
the work of the Economic Inclusion Advisory Committee (p. 66);
the indexation of various social security payments (pp. 67–68); and
the Paid Parental Leave Scheme and its eligibility requirements (pp. 70–71).
Outcome 2: Families and Communities
2.26Topics discussed with DSS in relation to outcome 2 included:
compulsory income management and its associated implications in communities (pp. 78–79);
data relating to the cashless debit card and enhanced income management (pp. 80–83);
the National Partnership Agreement to support domestic, family and sexual violence initiatives between the Commonwealth and state government (pp. 87–89);
the deployment of 500 new community sector workers (pp. 92–93);
men’s behaviour change programs and the innovative perpetrator responses (p. 94); and
the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander First Action Plan (pp. 94–95).
Outcome 3: Disability and Carers
2.27Topics discussed with DSS in relation to outcome 3 included:
the development of foundational supports, including primary health networks (p. 58).
Outcome 4: Housing and Homelessness
2.28Topics discussed with DSS in relation to outcome 4 included:
the National Agreement on Social Housing and Homelessness (p. 61);
rates of homelessness in Australia (pp. 62–63); and
the provision of $100 million disbursement for crisis and transitional housing (p. 64).
Social Services portfolio agencies
2.29The committee continued its examination of the Health and Aged Care portfolio by calling officers from the following agencies and statutory offices:
the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA);
the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) Quality and Safeguards Commission;
the Australian Institute of Family Studies;
the Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence Commission; and
Services Australia.
National Disability Insurance Agency
2.30Ms Rebecca Falkingham PSM, Chief Executive Officer, was joined by officials from the NDIA.
2.31Topics discussed for the NDIA included:
recent NDIS reforms and updates on its implementation (pp. 5–8);
pathways for participants existing the criminal justice system (p. 14; pp. 18–19 and p. 22);
the sustainability of the NDIS and updates on achieving an eight per cent annual growth rate (p. 20);
the roll out of foundational supports (pp. 29–32; pp. 39–40 and pp. 44–48);
the Fraud Fusion Taskforce and key activities (pp. 33–34); and
progress on implementing the recommendations of the Disability Royal Commission (p. 57).
NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission
2.32Ms Natalie Wade, Acting Commissioner, was joined by officials from the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission.
2.33Topics discussed for the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission included:
funding for the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission to deliver a data ad regulator transformation program (pp. 9–11 and p. 13);
unauthorised restrictive practices (p. 12); and
media reporting surrounding the financial exploitation of NDIS participants by taxi drivers (pp. 13–14).
Australian Institute of Family Studies
2.34Ms Liz Neville, Director, was joined by officials from the Australian Institute of Family Studies (AIFS).
2.35Topics discussed for AIFS included:
AIFS’ current state of research, including its legislative responsibilities around research into gambling-related harms (p. 96).
Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence Commission
2.36Ms Micaela Cronin represented the Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence Commission as Commissioner.
2.37Topics discussed for the Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence Commission included:
consultation processes concerning domestic, family and sexual violence, including advising the government on the impacts of income management on communities in the Northern Territory (p. 95).
Services Australia
2.38Mr David Hazlehurst, Chief Executive Officer, was joined by officials from Services Australia.
2.39Topics discussed for Services Australia included:
claims data for various payments (pp. 98–100; pp. 104–105 and p. 107);
cyber capabilities in Services Australia, including its investigative and deterrence mechanisms (pp. 101–103);
service delivery pressures and resources from the Commonwealth to reduce call wait times (pp. 103–105);
income apportionment, including the number of historical Services Australia prosecutions, obtained by the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions, still subject to continuing court orders (pp. 105–107);
debt collection and artificial intelligence interventions (pp. 111–114);
special benefits payments to the NZYQ cohort following their release from immigration detention (pp. 116–117);
stabilisation of Services Australia’s claim backlogs and service standards (pp. 118–119); and
education and training costs in Services Australia (pp. 120–121).
Senator Marielle Smith
Chair