Former Labor Leader Bill Shorten accused the federal Coalition Government of being slow to prepare for the threat of COVID-19 in residential care facilities. As COVID-19 tore through nursing homes in Victoria, he argued aged care was "a federal responsibility".

Individual aged care facilities are legally responsible for the safety of their residents, but the Federal Government is responsible for the aged care system as a whole.

The Government's primary role is to fund and regulate facilities to ensure they adhere to agreed safety standards. These standards include preventing infectious disease outbreaks.

Aged care facilities are also subject to the public health laws of their host state or territory, so state governments retain some responsibility for residents. However, a state's involvement only comes after an outbreak takes hold. Under powers not specific to aged care, it can, if necessary, take over facilities.

In preparation for COVID-19, both levels of government agreed on their roles and responsibilities for helping residential care facilities respond to outbreaks.

These largely reflected existing legislative arrangements, but they made clear the Federal Government would, in addition to its regulatory role, manage the supply of personal protective equipment and help address staff shortages. State governments were tasked with, among other things, testing, contact tracing and working with hospitals to free up hospital beds.

Verdict: Mr Shorten's claim is a fair call.