Federal Labor has accused the Morrison government of neglecting aged care and has doubled down on its call to sack the minister.
The opposition has claimed the 1700 defence personnel sent into aged care will have little no assistance in overcoming the current virus and staff shortage crisis occurring in the sector because of the Omicron wave.
Labor aged care spokeswoman Clare O'Neil warned more than a 140,000 shifts are not being filled a week and said one Queensland nursing home had already seen 15 deaths from COVID-19 and was experiencing huge staff shortages.
"The most important thing that the government needs to do is address the profound staffing shortages that we're seeing across aged care," she said.
"Fundamentally COVID-19 is showing us that this sector is at the point of collapse. There are fundamental problems with the work that these workers are being asked to do."
Labor doubled down on its call for the sacking of Aged Care Services Minister Richard Colbeck, claiming there has been nine years of neglect and that workers in the sector were in desperate need of a pay increase.
Ms O'Neil was also joined by representatives of the Health Services Union and workers, who came to Parliament House in a bid to meet Prime Minister Scott Morrison to explain their concerns about the issues in aged care.
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The group claim Mr Morrison or his office had refused to meet with them.
The Prime Minister's office in the 24 hours to Thursday had met with the conservative Australian Christian Lobby in regards to the religious discrimination bill.
It is understood the aged care workers had requested a viewing with the prime minister on Wednesday, with his office sending an email acknowledgement on Wednesday afternoon.
The HSU and Labor are calling for the minimum aged care wage to be be bumped from $22 to $29 an hour, which would attract people to the sector and help retention rates.
"This is a sector in complete crisis and the government's response has been abysmal," Ms O'Neil said.
"Aged care workers are some of the most poorly paid people in our country. You will earn more at Bunnings. You will earn more on the checkout at Woolworths than you will doing some of the most complex and important work that is to be done in this country."
During question time Senator Colbeck was left to defend his tenure as the relevant minister, saying individual issues at aged care facilities was the responsibility of the provider and not the government.
"All residents of residential aged care in Australia are under the care of the provider," he said.
"The Australian government is responsible for the approving ... and therefore ... the regulation."
