After two years of often harrowing evidence from 450 witnesses and 10,000 submissions, the Royal Commission’s multi-page report has fallen short on a clear path to lasting and meaningful reform.
First, the report failed to spell out how much its reforms will cost, only that aged care will be more expensive than the predictions made in any of the multiple intergenerational reports before it. This inability to provide a proper costing makes it difficult for society and government to assess what is financially viable and what is not.
Second, the report fails to deliver a clear consensus on a way forward. Commissioners Tony Pagone and Lynelle Briggs disagreed on nearly a third of their recommendations, most notably on governance and funding.