Voters in the electorate of Groom will have a chance to send the LNP Morrison Government a message this weekend over their failure to fix the scandal plagued aged care system in Australia.

Reports this year revealed an aged care centre in Toowoomba failed to implement an effective infection control program and was non-compliant with Aged Care Quality and Safety standards.

This is not an isolated incident.

Tragic stories have emerged across the country and hundreds of older Australians have died from COVID-19 due to failures in the aged care system.

We know the Morrison Government rejected more than 1500 requests for PPE from aged care providers at the height of the pandemic leading to some staff being told to use one glove instead of two.

And the aged care regulator issued no fines or warnings despite receiving more than 2000 complaints in just three months.The Aged Care Royal Commission summed up the Morrison Government’s approach to aged care as “neglect” and confirmed there was no plan for the aged care sector during the pandemic.

Nationally more than 102,000 older Australians are still facing a lengthy wait for home care, confirming the Morrison Government has failed to respond to its Royal Commission.

Queensland Labor Senator Nita Green said the people of Groom had an opportunity to send a message to Scott Morrison to stop neglecting aged care.

“Day after day the evidence mounts of serious neglect in aged care and all we see from Scott Morrison is buck passing and a failure to accept responsibility,” Senator Green said.

“This by-election is an opportunity for voters to tell Scott Morrison to stop neglecting older Australians.”

Labor candidate for Groom Chris Meibusch said this was a clear example of the LNP neglecting the Darling Downs region.

"Our elderly deserve so much better than this negligent LNP Federal Government who have taken our community for granted for too long," Mr Meibusch said.

"It's time to send Canberra a clear message - the time has come to look after our most vulnerable in our community.

"We can't change the Government, but we can change the way Scott Morrison and his mob govern our nation by voting Labor on Saturday 28 November."

MEDIA CONTACT: JACOB WILSON 0457 961 596