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Details of the federal government's proposal for an aged care wage rise are set to be revealed in a submission to the fair work umpire.
A significant and meaningful pay rise for workers in the sector will be advocated for by the government in Monday's submission, Aged Care Minister Anika Wells says.
The Fair Work Commission is considering whether to lift the pay rates for residential and home care workers following the findings of the royal commission into aged care.
Labor minister Tanya Plibersek said her government would fund a pay rise increase, should the commission make that ruling to help fix the workforce shortage in aged care.
"The government will find the extra money we need," she told the Seven Network on Monday.
"You've got to think about what aged care workers are earning at the moment: they're earning as little as $22 an hour so you can literally earn more stacking shelves at a supermarket than caring for some of our most vulnerable Australians.
"We can't find enough staff to work in aged care. One of the reasons is that ... they can't afford to keep working in aged care because can't pay the bills on 22 bucks an hour."
While unions are advocating for at least a 25 per cent pay rise for aged care employees, Ms Wells said the government's submission would not have a number attached to it.
She said the Albanese government pledged to fund whatever decision the commission came to in relation to aged care wages.
"The kind of work that we want them to do based on the royal commission recommendations for aged care, for a better standard and a better future ... is more complex work so they should be recognised for that," Ms Wells told Sky News on Sunday.
"We need to do something to value aged care workers better and that starts with a pay rise."
Ms Wells acknowledged pressures on the federal budget mean any wage increases must be meaningful yet sustainable.
"We have to improve the standard of care but we have to do it in a sustainable way ... these reforms have to outlast us all," she said.
Laws responding to the recommendations of the aged care royal commission were the first to pass parliament under the new Labor government.
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Australia's landmark 1000th Commonwealth Games gold medal simply demanded to be won by a team worthy of the honour - and the netball Diamonds have obliged famously.
Stacey Marinkovich's team stripped the smiles from Jamaica's 'Sunshine Girls' in a revenge 55-51 triumph at the NEC in Sunday's final to reach the milestone they had no idea about - but one that meant so much to them.
"No way! The 1000th gold! So special, oh my goodness!" enthused Gretel Bueta, whose perfect shooting game of 37 from 37 attempts proved the cornerstone of the victory which felt more convincing than the four-point margin suggested.
"And I do think this is a special team that's won the 1000th, I really do," she said, when told that having gone into the Birmingham Games on 934 golds, with the two wins at the unofficial 1911 Festival Of Empire not counting, the Diamonds had now made history.
"Most of us have come on a journey together since 2013 playing in under 21s together.
"We've got a few silvers along the way and we knew we were always capable of it and tonight we proved it to each other and tonight we got that gold.
"We love representing our country, we love singing our Australian song after the game - and playing here in Birmingham has been an incredible journey for us."
Coach Stacey Marinkovich's team managed to defuse the threat of the world's best player Jhaniele Fowler as they prevailed in a thrilling final and had to block out the pantomime boos and shrill, deafening support for the popular Jamaicans.
"When you're in an environment when you're not the crowd's favourite team and you're having to contest every ball so hard, I think it showed we were playing some really good netball," Marinkovich said.
Three days after they let a four-quarter, six-point lead slip against the Fowler-inspired side, the Diamonds, as has become familiar, were not about to slip up twice.
Bueta combined superbly with Cara Koenen (11 from 11) up front while Courtney Bruce led the Diamonds' fine defensive effort, after being switched from goalkeeper to goal defence in an inspired move by Marinkovich to cut off the service to the brilliant Fowler at source.
This was the Diamonds' fourth Commonwealth title to go with 11 World Cups and six Quad Series wins, re-establishing them as one of global sport's dominant teams.
The Australians had begun impressively, suffocating the Jamaicans in defence to open up a six-goal lead and they were still up 14-12 at the end of the quarter.
But the complexion quickly changed with Fowler the focal point of the quicker transitions as they moved four points clear, prompting Marinkovich to introduce Sarah Klau as goalkeeper to quell the dominance of the superstar Jamaican shooter, who was owning Bruce.
At 29-29 at halftime, the Diamonds blasted out after the break, with Bruce, by now playing a dominant role at goal defence, pumping her fist at an early turnover which prompted a run of seven straight Australian points.
The lead increased to 10 before the Jamaicans pulled it back to six going into the final quarter - ominously for the Aussies, the same deficit as in Thursday's match.
There were a few nerves when the deficit was briefly reduced to just three with the brilliant Fowler ending with 46 goals from 47 attempts, but the Diamonds are forever going to be associated with the 1000 gold landmark.
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Australia have beaten India to add women's T20 gold to their already bursting trophy cabinet on a drama-charged Commonwealth Games finale overshadowed by a Covid controversy.
Australia held on to win by nine runs despite a brilliant knock by Indian skipper Harmanpreet Kaur, adding Commonwealth gold to World T20 and ODI success for this all-conquering side.
Ash Gardner, the hero with the bat when Australia beat India to open the tournament, this time starred with the ball, taking 3-16 off three overs - including the match-turning wicket of Kaur.
But the win was overshadowed by drama before a ball was bowled.
The toss was delayed as officials discussed whether allrounder Tahlia McGrath would be allowed to play, having returned a positive COVID-19 test.
McGrath, one of Australia's best players all tournament, presented to team officials with mild symptoms on Sunday morning and returned a subsequent positive test.
Despite this, she was cleared to play, and was forced sit away from her teammates and wear a mask while she waited to bat.
She also could not celebrate with her teammates after taking a catch.
Had the match been played in Australia, McGrath would have been forced to sit out and isolate for seven days, highlighting the ludicrous inconsistencies in Covid policies.
Her impact on the game was minimal, but was none the less the biggest talking point at Edgbaston.
After winning the toss and opting to bat, Alyssa Healy again failed to fire, out lbw for seven, but skipper Meg Lanning joined Beth Mooney for a 74-run partnership off just 47 deliveries.
Australia were looking comfortable, before a double piece of brilliance from Radha Yadav dragged India back into the contest.
First Yadav flicked the ball between her legs to catch Lanning short of her ground for 36 after backing up to far, before she plucked a diving catch off McGrath to dismiss the Australian No.4 in the next over.
Gardner pounded a quick-fire 25, but it was Mooney (61 off 41) who was holding the innings together before she was dismissed by a brilliant Deepti Sharma catch.
Sharma stuck out a hand to take a one-handed stunner.
After staring down 180-plus, Australia fell away towards the end and managed just 11 runs off the final two overs and reached 8-161.
India smacked 12 runs off the first over in reply but lost two quick wickets, with Darcie Brown bowling Smriti Mandhana behind her legs before Shafali Verma wasted her extra life to fall for 11.
But enter Harmanpreet Kaur, the Indian skipper looking like she would carry India to the gold medal on her own as she struck a brilliant 65 off 43 balls before holing out in the deep as Gardner picked up two wickets in two balls.
A Grace Harris direct hit helped stymie India as they were left needing 11 runs off the final over, but it only lasted three balls as Jess Jonassen claimed the final wicket to spark wild celebrations.
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After the drought, the deluge.
Australia went from bust to boom on Saturday, winning nine gold medals that featured several outstanding performances.
The netballers are also into their gold medal game, as are the all-conquering women's cricketers.
It followed a rarity in Australia's Commonwealth Games history, with no gold medals on Friday.
On Friday night, England were within three gold medal of Australia at the top of the medal tally.
A day later, the margin was back to nine.
The stage was set on Saturday morning, with Ellen Ryan and Kristina Krstic beating England in an all-time classic lawn bowls doubles final.
After Jemima Montag claimed 10,000m walk gold at the track and world champion Eleanor Patterson was relegated to silver in the high jump, Oliver Hoare provided one of the highlights of the Birmingham Games.
Hoare joined Australian sporting icon Herb Elliott as the only Australians to win 1500m or mile gold medals at the Games with a remarkable run.
Fourth at the top of the final straight, Hoare powered home in Games record time, also lopping more than two seconds off his PB.
Rhythmic gymnast Alexandra Kiroi-Bogatyreva completed her Games medal collection with gold in the clubs final.
Australia beat England to reach the netball final on Sunday against Jamaica and the cricketers saw off New Zealand to set up a T20 final against India.
Sunday's beach volleyball finals will also feature Australians in the men's and women's pairs gold medal games.
Aaron Wilson's shirt came off as he defended his singles bowls title - the first man in 44 years to go back-to-back at the Games.
Tom Barns added another bronze in the wrestling, while Charli Petrov and Michelle Wu combined for diving gold in the synchronised 10m platform.
Petrov, 14, is Australia's youngest competitor at the Birmingham Games.
Maddison Keeney and Anabelle Smith gained redemption for their spectacular implosion at the Gold Coast Games, winning the synchronised three-metre platform.
Boxers Kaye Scott and Callum Peters will box for gold on Sunday after winning their semi-finals.
And back at the track, Kurtis Marschall beat two English rivals to claim a second-straight pole vault gold medal.
Yang Qian beat her great friend Lei Li Na in their para table tennis final, while the Kookaburras play India in the men's hockey final on Monday after a come-from-behind 3-2 win over England that featured a controversial deciding goal.
Along with the netball, cricket and women's hockey, Sunday will also feature big Australian gold medal chances in the road races.
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