Bills — Aged Care and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2025, Aged Care (Accommodation Payment Security) Levy Amendment Bill 2025; Second Reading

Senate · 3 Sept 2025 · 10:56
Not passed by a small majority
23
Yes (ayes)
33
No (noes)
The question is that the amendment on sheet 3426, part (b), be agreed to.

See it for yourself

This vote was on these bills. Read the official text:
Aged Care and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2025
Government bill (Labor), introduced in the House
Portfolio: Health, Disability and Ageing
Read the law (PDF) ›
Act No. 45 of 2025 as passed, Federal Register of Legislation
Read the bill (PDF) ›
Bill as passed by both Houses, aph.gov.au
Explanatory memorandum (PDF) ›
The government's explanation of the bill, aph.gov.au
Aged Care (Accommodation Payment Security) Levy Amendment Bill 2025
Government bill (Labor), introduced in the House
Portfolio: Health, Disability and Ageing
Read the law (PDF) ›
Act No. 43 of 2025 as passed, Federal Register of Legislation
Read the bill (PDF) ›
Bill as passed by both Houses, aph.gov.au
Explanatory memorandum (PDF) ›
The government's explanation of the bill, aph.gov.au
Official Hansard record (PDF) ›
Senate, 3 Sept 2025. The division is at 10:56. Parliament of Australia
Official documents from aph.gov.au and legislation.gov.au, checked 21 October 2026.

What was debated: Aged Care and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2025

Summarised using AI from the official Hansard transcript of the debate only. It is not a record of the debate and may leave things out. Read the Hansard below to check it.
This bill makes technical and transitional changes so the new Aged Care Act 2024 can start on 1 November 2025. It covers things like correct subsidy payments, protecting people already in care from paying more, moving unspent home care funds across, removing caps on cleaning and gardening, and a temporary power for the minister to fix problems by rules. The debate focused mostly on the long waitlist for home care packages, and the Senate added requests to release 20,000 packages straight away and 83,000 places in total that year.
Arguments made in support
Government members said the bill is needed to start a new rights-based aged care system recommended by the royal commission.
Supporters said it protects people already in care through a 'no worse off' principle and carries unspent home care funds into the new system.
Coalition, Greens and crossbench speakers welcomed removing caps on cleaning and gardening services.
Government senators said a temporary rule-making power helps keep care going if unexpected problems arise during the changeover, with parliament still able to disallow rules.
Arguments made against, or for changes
Coalition speakers said the bill fixes 325 items in Labor's own law and shows the government was not ready for its original 1 July start date.
The Coalition, Greens and Senator David Pocock said home care packages were being withheld while over 87,000 assessed people waited, and moved amendments to release them sooner.
Independents and the Greens raised concerns about the minister's power to change the Act by rules, and about automated decisions.
The Greens said the bill favours providers, including fees for missed visits, and moved unsuccessful amendments on hospital cancellations, provider offences and whistleblowers.
The Greens and Senator Lidia Thorpe sought to exclude redress payments from means tests; the government and Coalition said this should be done across all government payments instead.
151 speeches by 38 members in the House and Senate over 9 sitting days.
Hansard: House of Representatives, 24 July 2025 ›
The official Hansard (PDF), Parliament of Australia
Hansard: House of Representatives, 30 July 2025 ›
The official Hansard (PDF), Parliament of Australia
Hansard: Senate, 31 July 2025 ›
The official Hansard (PDF), Parliament of Australia
Hansard: Senate, 26 Aug 2025 ›
The official Hansard (PDF), Parliament of Australia
Hansard: Senate, 1 Sept 2025 ›
The official Hansard (PDF), Parliament of Australia
Hansard: Senate, 2 Sept 2025 ›
The official Hansard (PDF), Parliament of Australia
Hansard: Senate, 3 Sept 2025 ›
The official Hansard (PDF), Parliament of Australia
Hansard: House of Representatives, 4 Sept 2025 ›
The official Hansard (PDF), Parliament of Australia
Hansard: Senate, 4 Sept 2025 ›
The official Hansard (PDF), Parliament of Australia

What was debated: Aged Care (Accommodation Payment Security) Levy Amendment Bill 2025

Summarised using AI from the official Hansard transcript of the debate only. It is not a record of the debate and may leave things out. Read the Hansard below to check it.
This bill makes technical and consequential changes to the aged care accommodation payment levy law to fit the new Aged Care Act 2024. The minister said it keeps registered providers under the government's guarantee of payments made by older Australians, and lets the government levy the cost of that guarantee from some providers, such as after a default. The transcript records only the introduction and the bill passing both houses, with no debate.
Arguments made in support
The minister said the bill keeps aged care services sustainable and keeps payments made by older Australians protected into the future.
3 speeches by 2 members in the House and Senate over 3 sitting days.
Hansard: House of Representatives, 24 July 2025 ›
The official Hansard (PDF), Parliament of Australia
Hansard: House of Representatives, 30 July 2025 ›
The official Hansard (PDF), Parliament of Australia
Hansard: Senate, 3 Sept 2025 ›
The official Hansard (PDF), Parliament of Australia
Every recorded vote on Aged Care and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2025
›
Every recorded vote on Aged Care (Accommodation Payment Security) Levy Amendment Bill 2025
›

How each party voted

Labor
0 Yes
22 No
7–
Liberal
12 Yes
0 No
8–
Greens
0 Yes
8 No
1–
One Nation
3 Yes
0 No
Nationals
2 Yes
0 No
1–
Independent
0 Yes
1 No
1–
LNP
1 Yes
0 No
1–
UAP
1 Yes
0 No
Australia's Voice
1 Yes
0 No
CLP
0 Yes
0 No
1–
Lambie
0 Yes
0 No
1–
The last column counts members who did not vote. Party counts are for current members.
5 votes were cast by people who have since left Parliament.

No rebels

Every party member who voted went with the majority of their party.
Source: Hansard, Senate, 3 Sept 2025
Parliament of Australia, via OpenAustralia Foundation · checked 14 October 2026