Aged care algorithm and Snowy Hydro costs threaten Albanese’s legacy
An opinion writer argues that two major policy problems could overshadow the failed Voice referendum as legacies of the Albanese government: flaws in the automated system that allocates aged care support, and the escalating cost of Snowy Hydro 2.0. The article says the cases expose a gap between political promises and delivery, with vulnerable older people bearing the consequences of decisions they may struggle to challenge.
The Commonwealth Ombudsman has criticised the aged care assessment algorithm’s fairness, transparency and correction process; the government says a human review pathway is due in January, with an independent review expected next year. Snowy Hydro 2.0, promoted at an initial estimate of about $2 billion, could cost $25 billion and is expected to become fully operational in three years. The piece is commentary, and presents these developments as evidence of policy and administrative failure.
In short
- An aged care algorithm has drawn a damning Ombudsman assessment.
- Snowy Hydro 2.0 could cost $25 billion.
- The writer says both projects expose a gap between promises and delivery.
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The case for
The article’s criticism is that both cases reveal a gap between ambitious promises and reliable delivery. In aged care, an opaque or hard-to-correct allocation system can have serious consequences for people with limited ability to challenge decisions; Snowy Hydro 2.0’s steep cost rise also raises questions about planning and public accountability.
The case against
A fairer assessment is that difficult public programmes can encounter problems without defining an entire government’s legacy. The government points to a human review pathway and independent scrutiny for aged care, while Snowy Hydro 2.0 remains a major infrastructure project expected to operate in three years; its long-term value should be judged alongside its final costs and outcomes.
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Originally published by Daily Mail as “Albo’s next legacy disaster could dwarf the Voice debacle – as Labor taxpayers foot a $25billion bill: Peter van Onselen”.