Podcasts about health minister mark butler

It has been suggested that health funds are closing a policy and opening an almost identical one at a higher price with the Commonwealth Health Ombudsman suggesting this is common practice across the industry. Health Minister Mark Butler told Peter Fegan on 4BC Breakfast, "I warned them late last year, if you don't get your act together, I'm gonna act." Mark Butler also slammed Peter Dutton's plans to live in Sydney, saying, "The irony is Peter Dutton has railed against people working from home more than others." "And what he seems to be looking at is the most sort of cushy work-from-home arrangement to sit on the front deck of a place on Sydney Harbour to do one of the hardest jobs in the country."See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Monday 24 March 2025 The federal government set to hand down a budget with deficits for many years, and cost-of-living handouts for now. And more, including: Australians are heading overseas in record numbers. Health Minister Mark Butler is worried that private health companies are price gouging members. Plus changes to the ASX from today, and a record valuation for a US basketball team. Join our free newsletter here! And don’t miss the latest episode of How Do They Afford That? - using the Bank of Mum & Dad to set up your kids. Get the episode from APPLE, SPOTIFY, or anywhere you listen to podcasts.Find out more: https://fearandgreed.com.auSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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A new free vaccination program from the Australian government is intended to protect pregnant women and babies from the potentially deadly respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). According to Health Minister Mark Butler, this could reduce more than 90 percent of associated hospital stays. - Ein neues kostenloses Impfprogramm der australischen Regierung soll schwangere Frauen und Babys vor dem potenziell tödlichen Respiratorischem Synzytial Virus (RSV) schützen. Laut Gesundheitsminister Mark Butler könnten dadurch mehr als 90 Prozent der damit verbundenen Krankenhausaufenthalte reduziert werden.

A new free vaccine program from the Federal Government is expected to protect pregnant women and babies from the potentially-deadly respiratory syncytial virus or RSV. Health Minister Mark Butler says it could reduce hospitalisations due to the disease by 90 per cent.

Human rights, the economy, children and vulnerable Australians were all let down by governments' Covid responses, a new report finds.  Find out more about The Front podcast here. You can read about this story and more on The Australian's website or on The Australian's app. This episode of The Front is presented by Claire Harvey, produced by Kristen Amiet, and edited by Tiffany Dimmack. Voice acting by Stephanie Coombes. The multimedia editor is Lia Tsamoglou, and original music is composed by Jasper Leak.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Matthew Pantelis speaks with Federal Health Minister Mark Butler about the call for more aged care places to combat ramping in public hospitals. Listen live on the FIVEAA Player. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this edition, Charles MacKenzie exposes direct lies from Australia's health minister Mark Butler about the infected blood scandal and includes proof of his deception which are included in the show links. Show links Australia's health minister Mark Butler's criminally deceptive response to questions from Liberal Queensland Senator Gerard Rennick https://static.wixstatic.com/media/ddd792_a287b28f753e43338bbc57f94919382b~mv2.png1986 letter from Australian Red Cross to CSL proving they mixed blood plasma from South East Asia into Australia's blood plasma supply https://static.wixstatic.com/media/ddd792_c49c6b6e8e9a429194055b6b70fa279a~mv2.pngCSL and Dr Maher lie under oath about foreign blood plasma being processed in Australia along with Australian plasma https://static.wixstatic.com/media/ddd792_685640bb5bd943218204d1541b6ee8cb~mv2.pngAlliance of bias. A report of government funded discrimination against Haemophiliacs and infected blood victims https://ddd792de-b24d-47fe-8177-91b7438b0894.usrfiles.com/ugd/ddd792_4ac055e13e0e43df9787d08f8f345c8f.pdfThe infected blood inquiry published evidence from an Australian Haemophilia newsletter that demonstrates the connection with disgraced British Haematologist Professor Arthur Bloom here https://www.infectedbloodinquiry.org.uk/sites/default/files/Oral%20Evidence%20Docs%20-%20Row%202301%20-%202500%20%28MD%29%20Part%201/Oral%20Evidence%20Docs%20-%20Row%202301%20-%202500%20%28MD%29%20Part%201/HSOC0023206%20-%20Haemophilia%20Foundation%20of%20Australia%20letter%20-%2001%20Jan%201987.pdfJennifer Ross of the Haemophilia Foundation Australia did the exact same things as her child murdering British friend Professor Arthur Bloom did and scolded the media for reporting on HIV risk in the blood supply in the 1980s https://static.wixstatic.com/media/ddd792_6bd281e2ecda4a0b9bf226be96ff3607~mv2.pngStuart Loveday from government funded hepatitis groups letter published by UK Infected Blood Inquiry https://www.infectedbloodinquiry.org.uk/sites/default/files/3501%20-%203800%203/3501%20-%203800%203/WITN3939021%20-%20Letter%20from%20Stuart%20Loveday%20Executive%20Officer%20of%20the%20Hepatitis%20C%20Council%20of%20NSW%20to%20Mr%20Elton%20Humphrey%20-%2030%20Jan%202004.pdfPlease help me keep fighting and surviving by donating to my GoFundMe here https://gofund.me/77abc074And please support the petition for a Royal Commission of Inquiry into the Australian Red Cross/CSL infected blood scandal here https://www.infectedbloodaustralia.com/registration

Clinton Maynard is joined by Dr Michael Bonning, President of AMA (NSW), about the national crackdown on disposable vapes that began tonday The nationwide enforcement against disposable vape imports has led to a prohibition, according to Health Minister Mark Butler, who referred to it as the "most significant loophole in Australian healthcare history." In a $737 million initiative to eliminate recreational smoking, the government has imposed a ban on the importation of these products, regardless of nicotine content. The updated regulations dictate that vapes can only be legally available at pharmacies with a valid prescription.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Earlier in the year, Health Minister Mark Butler announced sweeping measures to crack down on the use of vapes in Australia. Several of these measures centred around vaping and school students, with growing concern around what's been described as a ‘new generation of nicotine addicts'. This week the Federal Government has released its timeline for rolling out these new reforms. In the deep dive, we'll explain what these new reforms are and how successful they're likely to be. CreditsHosts: Zara Seidler and Sam KoslowskiProducers: Emma Gillespie and Ninah Kopel Subscribe to The Daily Aus newsletterBuy our new book No Silly QuestionsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Van Badham and Ben Davison shine on a spotlight on the attempts by corporate giants BHP, Qantas and Doordash to keep the labour hire, forced casualisation and sham contracting loopholes open at this week's senate committee hearings. Van lays out what is wrong with capitalism in Australia and why being in your union, join at australianunions.org.au/wow, has never been more important with over $9,000,000,000 that could become wages if the loopholes close. Jason Clare, federal Education Minister, and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese today launched a $10M campaign to recruit more teachers.  Ben and Van discuss why its a good start but that getting the 98% of public schools that are currently underfunded up to the minimum standard will do more to address the workload, wage and classroom issues that are creating teacher shortages.  You can send the PM a postcard at https://www.foreverychild.au/postcard to show your support for every child being able to access a quality public education. Albo had a busy day as he also joined Health Minister Mark Butler to announce a boost to the Medicare bulk billing incentive.  The tripled incentive will help 11,600,000 Australians get better access to bulk billing doctors. Van and Ben discuss why they focus on these core material stories that impact millions of working people when so much of the media is now dominated by culture war issues. The good news is from our friends at Labor for Farrer and is about spiders! Plus Van gives a shoutout to our Cadre and Extend the Reach supporters.  Head over to www.buymeacoffee.com/weekonwednesday if you'd like to help us grow our audience.

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Federal Health Minister Mark Butler speaks with Matthew Pantelis on the start of 60 day dispensing of prescriptions.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Amnesty International, Afghan interpreters and Afghan women have called on the Australian government to do more to help Afghans escape the country on the two-year anniversary of the Taliban takeover; Health Minister Mark Butler says the government is determined to deliver confidence to the community pharmacy sector as cheaper medicines are introduced.

Earlier this year, the federal government declared war on vaping. Health Minister Mark Butler announced a blanket ban on disposable vapes, vowing to rid Australia of the e-cigarettes that have ignited a health crisis among teens. It's the biggest smoking reforms this country has seen in more than a decade, but there are now concerns that Australia's world-first blanket ban on vaping without a prescription could actually make the problem worse. This week, our papers published private correspondence from some members of a government advisory body, who expressed concerns the government's blanket ban would fuel the black market and end up criminalising more people unnecessarily. Today, federal health reporter Natassia Chrysanthos and Good Weekend senior writer Tim Elliott on Australia's vaping problem - and whether the Albanese government's harsh crackdown is a mistake.Subscribe to The Age & SMH: https://subscribe.smh.com.au/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Earlier this year, the federal government declared war on vaping. Health Minister Mark Butler announced a blanket ban on disposable vapes, vowing to rid Australia of the e-cigarettes that have ignited a health crisis among teens. It's the biggest smoking reforms this country has seen in more than a decade, but there are now concerns that Australia's world-first blanket ban on vaping without a prescription could actually make the problem worse. This week, our papers published private correspondence from some members of a government advisory body, who expressed concerns the government's blanket ban would fuel the black market and end up criminalising more people unnecessarily. Today, federal health reporter Natassia Chrysanthos and Good Weekend senior writer Tim Elliott on Australia's vaping problem - and whether the Albanese government's harsh crackdown is a mistake.Subscribe to The Age & SMH: https://subscribe.smh.com.au/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Pharmacy Guild has stepped up its calls for the government to scrap its plan to cut prescription costs. A new report it's commissioned has revealed the changes lead to 20-thousand job losses, and hundreds of pharmacies to close. But the Health Minister Mark Butler says the findings are part of a "scare campaign".

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi sign two new economic partnership agreements during a bilateral meeting in Sydney this morning [[WEDNESDAY]]. The new migration and labour mobility partnership agreement will make it easier for students and business people to move between Australia and India, while also increasing cooperation to prevent people smuggling. Prime Minister Albanese has also announced the signing of a new Australia / India green hydrogen task force. He says it will ensure their two countries reach global emissions reduction targets. [[" The task force will comprise Australian and Indian experts in renewable hydrogen and report to the Australian Indian ministerial energy dialogue on the opportunities which are there for Australia and India to cooperate in this important area of renewable hydrogen. Investments like the task force will help power our industries in the future. And ensure that Australia and India meet our energy targets in the interests of both our respective countries but also in support of reduction of global emissions."]] ------------ The Indigenous voice referendum is back up for debate in federal parliament today [[WEDNESDAY]]. Parliament is set to vote on the final wording of the referendum question along with the changes to the constitution should the proposal succeed. Opposition leader Peter Dutton says the proposal will re-racialise our nation, a comment that Indigenous Affairs Minister Linda Burney has called disinformation. Deputy Liberal leader, Sussan Ley, denies her party has resorted to scare tactics. [["Absolutely not. Of course, debate should be respectful, and overwhelmingly it is. And we will always call out outliers, who behave in a disrespectful manner, who have divisive language, and who don't treat this referendum in the way that all referenda should be treated in Australia. We will always call that out. But overwhelmingly, I'm pleased to say that people are asking genuine questions. Unfortunately, they're not getting answers."]] ----------- Over 100 Australian academics are calling on the Albanese government to rethink its AUKUS nuclear-powered submarine deal, saying the move risks increasing tensions with China. The letter, states that the deal - which may cost up to $368 billion - is "likely to compound Australia's strategic risks, heighten geopolitical tensions, and undermine efforts at nuclear non-proliferation." Dr Alison Broinowski is an academic and former diplomat for the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, currently serving as the president of Australians for War Powers Reform - an anti-war campaign group. Dr Broinowski is one of the 110 academics to sign the open letter and she says the AUKUS deal could be seen by China as provocation and may lead to an arms race in the region. [["What this does is create a potential arms race in the region and it is a clear signal of aggression from Australia and the United States towards China which eventually the Chinese may feel that they have to respond to."]] ------------ Health Minister Mark Butler has announced that medication for children born with the most common form of dwarfism is covered by the government's Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme ((PBS)) from May 1st. Achondroplasia [[A-kon-dro-PLAY-zha]] is a rare condition which results in impaired bone growth and disproportionately short limbs. The federal government is to list the drug Voxzogo® on the P-B-S to help treat patients with achondroplasia whose growth plates are not yet closed. Without a subsidy, Voxzogo could cost more than $330,000 per year but Minister Butler says the P-B-S listing will allow families with eligible children to have access to the treatment more cheaply. "This is a terrific, exciting new treatment for achondroplasia which is the most common form of dwarfism around the world. We think there are about 140 young Australians who will benefit from this listing every single year. Instead of paying $330,000 a year, this treatment will be available at PBS prices: $30 a script or even $7 for concessional patients." -------- In sport, The Brisbane Lions A-F-L club has come out in support of the Indigenous Voice to Parliament today. The club says they conducted a voluntary survey within their organisation and - after gauging opinions from board members, staff and players - have decided to throw their support behind the proposal. This comes after last week's announcement [[May 18]] that the A-F-L commission would be backing the "yes" campaign in the upcoming referendum. The Lions follow Geelong, Richmond, Essendon, Collingwood and West Coast in publicly supporting the voice and have touted their proud history with Indigenous players. A statement from the club says "we commit to listening, learning and working together to create a Club that respects and welcomes everyone, from our First Peoples to our newest Australians."

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Disposable vapes will be banned under a major crackdown by the federal government, with Health Minister Mark Butler calling it “the biggest loophole in Australia's healthcare history”.  The emphasis will be on quote “the people selling” with tougher border controls, policing - and millions of dollars invested in nicotine cessation support programs. But this isn't the first time we've seen the government attempt to curb vaping. So will the new reforms be enough to stop a new generation of vapers in their tracks? Today, federal health reporter for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, Natassia Chrysanthos on Australia's vaping problem.Subscribe to The Age & SMH: https://subscribe.smh.com.au/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Disposable vapes will be banned under a major crackdown by the federal government, with Health Minister Mark Butler calling it “the biggest loophole in Australia's healthcare history”.  The emphasis will be on quote “the people selling” with tougher border controls, policing - and millions of dollars invested in nicotine cessation support programs. But this isn't the first time we've seen the government attempt to curb vaping. So will the new reforms be enough to stop a new generation of vapers in their tracks? Today, federal health reporter for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, Natassia Chrysanthos on Australia's vaping problem.Subscribe to The Age & SMH: https://subscribe.smh.com.au/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Recreational vaping will be banned and the tax on tobacco products will increase over the next three years under a massive smoking crackdown announced by Health Minister Mark Butler last week.   Rev. Bill Crews chats to General Manager of Development at the Lung Foundation Australia Christa Bayer about the government's "road map' when it comes to vaping.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Health Minister Mark Butler has announced more than $500 million in funding to reduce the burden of lung cancer in Australia and drive equitable cancer outcomes for First Nations people. Recreational vaping will be banned and the tax on tobacco products will also increase over the next three years in an effort to combat one of the biggest killers of Australians.

Health Minister Mark Butler has announced more than $500 million dollars in funding to reduce the burden of lung cancer in Australia and drive equitable cancer outcomes for First Nations people. Recreational vaping will be banned and the tax on tobacco products will also increase over the next three years in an effort to combat one of the biggest killers of Australians. - Ο υπουργός Υγείας Μαρκ Μπάτλερ ανακοίνωσε χρηματοδότηση ύψους άνω των 500 εκατομμυρίων δολαρίων για τη μείωση της επιβάρυνσης από τον καρκίνο του πνεύμονα στην Αυστραλία και την επίτευξη δίκαιων αποτελεσμάτων για τους κατοίκους των Πρώτων Εθνών. Ο ατμισμός για ψυχαγωγικούς σκοπούς θα απαγορευτεί και ο φόρος στα προϊόντα καπνού θα αυξηθεί τα επόμενα τρία χρόνια, σε μια προσπάθεια να καταπολεμηθεί μία από τις κύριες αιτίες θανάτων στην χώρα.

In this latest Hindi bulletin: Three huge changes introduced to Australia's 'broken' immigration system; Health Minister Mark Butler rebuffs fears PBS changes will lead to medicine shortages; In sports, Arsenal coach Mikel Arteta delivers honest verdict on Manchester City defeat after title blow and more.

Federal Health and Aged Care Minister Mark Butler speaks with Matthew Pantelis about prescription changes, Medicare, aged care and SA emergency departments on code white.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A government inquiry paper advocates for a national long-COVID database, a research program, and access to anti-viral medication. Health Minister Mark Butler pledged $50 million to research COVID-19, an area that some experts believe is still poorly understood.

The regional South Australian Liberal senator says rural, regional and remote Australians will feel let down by a government visa decision prioritising filling workforce gaps in metropolitan areas first. In Question Time earlier this week, Agriculture Minister Murray Watt representing Health Minister Mark Butler said the Albanese government had cut the national visa backlog from 1 million to 600,000 cases.

This Week In Wellness research by the Obesity Policy Coalition has found that over ¾ of the tested ready made foods for toddlers exceeded the World Health Organisations proposed guidelines for sugar consumption in a result that Health Minister Mark Butler described as “shocking”.   https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-12-08/toddler-food-products-failing-sugar-guidelines-research/101749342 The post TWIW 180: 75% of toddler foods fail sugar guidelines appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

This Week In Wellness research by the Obesity Policy Coalition has found that over ¾ of the tested ready made foods for toddlers exceeded the World Health Organisations proposed guidelines for sugar consumption in a result that Health Minister Mark Butler described as "shocking". https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-12-08/toddler-food-products-failing-sugar-guidelines-research/101749342

Premier Peter Malinauskas has doubled down in his defence of the LIV Golf Tour amid backlash over the event's links to the Saudi Arabia government. The SACE Board has defended a technical error that allowed senior students to access a literacy tool during exams, saying “spelling and punctuation is not as important”.Australians will not be asked to roll up their sleeves for a fifth Covid-19 vaccine just yet, Health Minister Mark Butler says.War veterans and those currently serving have been implored to reach out and support each other following the tragic death of Heather Anderson at aged 28.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Associate Professor Charlotte Hespe believes that to understand the mess general practice is in currently, it's helpful to look backwards.The Sydney-based GP is also chair of the RACGP NSW / ACT faculty, and head of general practice and primary care research at the University of Notre Dame.“Medicare is actually a system that's designed to be a ‘sick care' system, and that's probably one of the problems we're facing at the moment,” she says. “It was an amazing transformation of healthcare service when it was designed back in the 1970s.“But the problem it was designed to solve was actually about access for sick care – and that's the system that we got. And as Einstein would say, we cannot solve the problems that we're facing with the same thinking that we used when we created them.“So, unless we actually redesign our system to become a health care system, then it's doomed to fail.”The RACGP needs a strong leader at the helm if the college is to navigate its way out of the crisis – especially when the college is dealing with government, Professor Hespe says.“I don't think we've managed that relationship terribly well,” she says. “We've had a tendency to be a little bit subservient, and I think we've accepted advice to not cause too much disruption and not to be too noisy, when I actually think now is not the time to be subservient.“Thankfully, [Health Minister] Mark Butler appears to realise there is a problem, but we need to be fleas in his doggy coat so he can't forget about us.”So how does she intend to marshal her army of fleas?“My vision for the RACGP is absolutely about the college being respected by all of us – as being our professional home, the place that listens and helps us get the right things done. With 43,000 people, you're not always going to meet everybody's needs, but we need to understand the things that we can do and how we prioritise them and the most important at the moment is sustainability.”

New Zealand and Australia are neck-in-neck on the COVID deathalizer, but Australia is surging ahead on Monkeypox cases as it becomes the world's latest pestering pestilence. While the politicians continue with their virtue theatre and persecution of their enemies they are forcing ordinary people closer to famine and war. Join Tim Wilms and Dieuwe de Boer on Trad Tasman Talk. Both Australia and NZ are past the peak of the Omicron BA5 wave with NZ's mask mandates including punishing school children for not wearing masks making no difference to its case and death rate compared to Australia. ATAGI has approved the Moderna vaccine for children 6 months to 5 years who are immunocompromised, disabled or have complex health needs. Teal Independent for Kooyong Dr Monique Ryan berated Coalition MPs to put their masks on in Parliament even though she and her supporters have been maskless indoors countless times. The Monkeypox outbreak was the focus of this week's Australian National Cabinet Meeting. With 58 cases in Australia (3 in NZ) exclusively among men who have sex with men Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly last week declared Monkepox a Communicable Disease of National Significance. Health Minister Mark Butler announced the Federal Government had secured 450,000 doses of the third-generation monkeypox vaccine Jynneos by Bavarian Nordic to be delivered this year and next for 'at risk' populations. The Victorian Government was busy in court this week prosecuting its political enemies. Neil Erikson's appeal against his 10-week prison sentence for disturbing a gay church service in May 2019 was heard in the County Court. Chief Judge Peter Kidd will deliver his judgment on August 29. National socialist Jimeone Roberts was sentenced to 150 hours of community service after being convicted of public nuisance for posting swastika stickers in Caulfield a Jewish area in Melbourne. Jacinda Ardern's response to inflation is to pump the economy with a cost of living relief payment which has even been sent to dead people. The Labour Party asked its supporters to donate part of their cost of living payment back to the party. Despite rising cash rates some banks in NZ are dropping their interest rates and increasing unemployment is viewed as the best way to crush inflation. The RBA raised interest rates by 50 bases points to 1.85% and the Albanese plans to end the fuel excise discount next month. The first parliamentary sitting fortnight of the new Australian Parliament saw Labor's promised 43% emissions reduction target by 2030 legislation pass the lower house. The Territory Rights legislation which would allow the ACT and the NT to legalize euthanasia also passed the lower house after a conscience vote. Despite only being on the job for less than three months Anthony Albanese is already on long service leave until September. In other Australian political news, Federal Court Justice Michael Lee ruled that both Mark McGowan and Clive Palmer defamed each other in 2020 awarding each $20k and $5k damages respectively while saying they wasted the court's time. The WA taxpayer was forced to fund McGowan's legal fees. NSW Deputy Liberal Leader Stuart Ayers has resigned after he admitted he tipped former Deputy Premier John Barilaro off about the New York Trade Commissioner position he was seeking. Victorian Liberal Opposition Leader Matthew Guy's Chief of Staff Mitch Catlin resigned over revelations he attempted to solicit 100k from a Liberal donor in fees for his private marketing company. The Unshackled Links:Website: https://www.theunshackled.netFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/TUnshackledTwitter: https://twitter.com/Un_shackledGab: https://gab.com/theunshackledMinds: https://www.minds.com/The_Unshackled/Telegram: https://t.me/theunshackledMeWe: https://mewe.com/p/theunshackledBitchute: https://www.bitchute.com/channel/theunshackled/Free eBook: http://theunshackledbattlefield.net/ Support Our Work: Membership: http://www.theunshackled.net/membershipDonate: https://www.theunshackled.net/donate/Paypal: https://www.paypal.me/TheUnshackledStore: https://www.theunshackled.net/store/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A review in how to manage tens of millions of Covid-19 vaccines nearing expiry is underway. About a quarter of the 255-million doses purchased by the Federal Government have been administered nationwide. Many remaining vaccines will need to be thrown out in the coming months. Health Minister Mark Butler has told Liam Bartlett on 6PR Mornings that international and domestic demand is low.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Anthony Albanese has bowed to pressure to hold an emergency national cabinet meeting on Monday as Covid cases spike over winter.News.com.au has confirmed that the Prime Minister has told state premiers he will reconvene the meeting on Monday morning.It comes amid a furore over the government's decision to axe pandemic payments and free RAT tests for concessions card holders.Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk stepped up her demands on Thusday for the Prime Minister to take action and hold a national cabinet when he returns from Fiji.“All we want is an update from the chief health officer,'' she told the Today Show.“Because we're just getting a bit of mixed messages at the moment. I think the country just wants to know how this wave is going.”Asked about the decision to halt the $750 pandemic leave payments for casuals without sick leave, the Queensland Premier pointedly said this was a matter for the Albanese government.“Look, I'm not going to get into that. That's a Federal Government responsibility,'' she said.Calls to continue $750 pandemic paymentsHealth Minister Mark Butler has admitted that the decision to axe the $750 pandemic payment for casual workers to isolate if they don't have sick leave was not based on health advice.In the first major test for the Albanese Government, a split has emerged in Labor ranks over the decision to axe the payment as ministers offer conflicting justifications for the decision.Aged Care Minister Anika Wells claimed on Thursday that current medical advice indicates funding should be funnelled into vaccinations and antiviral treatments.Her remarks were in response to NSW Opposition Leader Chris Minns breaking ranks to call for the payments to be reinstated.“It is best to put the money where the money is best targeted,” Ms Wells said.“The CMO says the best use of money is on vaccinations and antiviral treatments in aged care.”But just hours later, when Health Minister Mark Butler was asked directly if he had received any advice from the Chief Medical Officer on Pandemic Leave Disaster Payment, his replied “No”“This is a decision put in place by the former government,'' Mr Butler said.Mr Butler said “at some point we need to recognise that it is not the financial capacity to continue emergency payments forever.”A spokesman for acting Liberal leader Sussan Ley said the Health Minister and the Aged Care Minister clearly aren't on the same page when it comes to the pandemic response.“So the question is who is lying? What advice has the Government taken on pandemic support?,'' he said.“Or are they just not doing the work?.”As cases skyrocket over winter, the Albanese Government has axed the $750 payment in line with the previous government's plan to phase it out.”NSW Opposition Leader Chris Minns has called on the Prime Minister to reconsider the payment and support casuals who may be tempted to lie about their virus status rather than isolate for seven days.“The $750 isolation payment should be reinstated,'' Mr Minns said. “For our health and economy.“We need to make sure that people can meet their financial obligations, if someone's going to be at home for seven days without any financial recourse or any income coming in to meet those obligations.”In the first sign that he may be preparing to shift gears on the issue, the Prime Minister also told Sunrise he would hold talks on the issue when he returns from overseas.“Look, there are real challenges there. And certainly, when I return to Australia, we'll continue to address those issues. But we inherited those cut-offs across a range of decisions from the former Government,'' Mr Albanese said.- by Samantha Maiden, news.com.auSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Health Minister Mark Butler has clarified that the RAT subsidy that would be scrapped by the government on July 31 is false. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With COVID cases surging in a new wave and half the winter still ahead, the news from Health Minister Mark Butler isn't good. “We haven't reached the peak of the wave yet,” he tells the podcast. “Case numbers are going to continue to climb over the coming weeks […] and as a result, hospitalisations are going to continue to climb as well.” The response, he says, is “a question of balance”. People accept “that wearing a mask does reduce transmission”, but “we're not going to move into lockdowns. We're not going to see very broad-based mandates or government orders.”   Health authorities, as much as political leaders, recognise that “to get a balanced community response, you need to have a mix of targeted mandates”. “We've had them all through the course of this year. So, for example, visitors to aged care facilities, to health facilities, public transport, aeroplanes – either where there is very high risk of transmission or where there is a population at high risk of severe illness.” “You will continue to see those targeted mandates, I think, for some time. But beyond that, there is really strong advice, clear advice given to people about about using the common sense lessons that we've learnt over the last couple of years.” “What we don't want to end up with is a position where the community thinks government is being heavy handed or just continuing a situation which the community tolerated very well over [..] the first two years of the pandemic, but I think is starting to reach the end of their tether about.” He defends not extending payments to workers forced to stay at home with COVID. “They are hard decisions for government not to continue those emergency payments. But as a number of us, from the Prime Minister to the Treasurer and myself, have made clear over the last few days, we've taken the hard view that we simply can't continue emergency payments, very expensive emergency payments, forever with the budget that's one trillion dollars in debt.” “We've all hoped and maybe concluded that maybe this thing's over. And every time that's been the case, this virus has mutated again. It's become more infectious. It keeps coming back. And so we are moving into a different phase of the pandemic where we recognise that the virus is endemic in Australia. It's deeply established. We've got millions of people [who] have had it, hundreds of thousands of people have it today. And we need to find a response to the pandemic that reflects that, that we have moved out of an emergency phase.” The pandemic has put huge pressure on already faltering hospital systems. “We are going to have to have a good, long, hard talk to states about the position of the hospital system. The head of Prime Minister and Cabinet and his colleagues that head the premiers' departments, are working on that right now.” “But we also need to recognise that a lot of the pressure on our hospitals reflects the running down of general practice, the running down of aged care staffing arrangements, and as the Commonwealth has responsibility directly for those areas the best thing we can do in the immediate term to relieve pressure on our hospitals is to rebuild general practice, to strengthen Medicare and to put nurses back into nursing homes.” Health ministers have agreed to meet on a monthly basis, and “to have a very early meeting dedicated just to these [health] workforce challenges”. The problems facing the caring economy will be discussed at the September 1-2 jobs summit. “We know that the engine room of jobs growth really over coming years and decades will come from the health sector, the aged care, disability and early childhood sectors. So there will be a strong discussion, strong representation at the jobs summit around the care economy.”

Another 7.5 million Australians can get a fourth dose of a COVID-19 vaccine with everyone over the age of 30 now eligible. The timing of expanded eligibility is no coincidence. There's a new Omicron sub-variant - B.A5 - and it's threatening to become dominant. Health Minister Mark Butler says it's proving to be a tricky adversary.

The federal government has ordered an urgent review of Australia's COVID-19 vaccine contracts, ahead of today's meeting of Commonwealth, State and Territory Health Ministers. Health Minister Mark Butler says while he has no primary concerns, the review is to ensure the arrangements signed off on by the former government remain fit for purpose.

Health Minister Mark Butler has launched a new initiative to put the pandemic back on the national agenda, in a bid to bring down the alarming rates of infection and death that continues to plague the country.

Health Minister Mark Butler is attending a G20 meeting, which is thrashing out ways to better prepare and respond to global pandemics. He says the Labor Government will announce a Royal Commission or other 'deep' inquiry into the handling of the COVID-19 crisis, once the immediate challenge of winter is overcome.

Full podcast of Tasmania Talks with Mike O'Loughlin for Thursday 30th September 2021.