Category: Australian News

Australian Greens Disability spokesperson Senator Jordon Steele-John said the Government’s failure to extend the $550 COVID-19 supplement to people receiving the Disability Support Pension (DSP) and Carer Payment in Yesterday’s $130 billion stimulus package was an indictment on their attitude to disabled people and carers.
“It’s clear that this government is still not taking the needs of disabled people and their families seriously enough in their response to the COVID-19 pandemic,” Steele-John said.
“The Disability Support Pension and Carer Payment exist in recognition of fact that disabled people and carers have higher everyday costs and face significant barriers to entering the workforce. Those costs and barriers have increased, not decreased, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Disabled people and carers are also having to factor in higher costs for transport, medical supplies and support workers, as well as unplanned costs for personal protective equipment to stay safe when venturing out into the community.
“To be quite honest, I’m shocked that people receiving the disability support pension and carer payment have been left out of a such a massive stimulus package.
“Everyone on the disability support pension and the carer payment needs to be able to access the $550 supplement to help them get through this crisis.”

The Federal Government’s Job Keeper payment rules fail many in the arts, entertainment and creative industry which employs many casuals and seasonal workers, the Greens say.
Greens Spokesperson for the Arts Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said while the payment is welcome, she is extremely worried for casual employees who won’t meet the threshold 12-months employed to qualify for the Job Keeper payment.
“The casualisation of our workforce particularly in those hardest hit industries – hospitality tourism and arts and entertainment – means employees in these sectors work seasonally and festival to festival and there is a large churn. They shouldn’t miss out because they haven’t had their positions for 12 months,” Senator Hanson-Young said.
“The Government has shown a lack of understanding about how these sectors operate and their work structures.
“The Greens will fight to amend these rules so employees can be kept on regardless of whether they have been there for 12 months. We will try to make sure people who have lost their job during this crisis get the support they need.
“Hospitality, tourism and arts and entertainment industries are intertwined and will be crucial to our economic recovery.
“We need to keep people connected to their regular workplaces to give these hardest-hit sectors the best chance to rebound after this crisis.”

The Australian Government has approved a number of temporary changes to medicines regulation to ensure Australians can continue to access the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) medicines they need, as the COVID-19 outbreak unfolds.
We are also closely monitoring the impact of the pandemic on the supply of medicines, especially those manufactured overseas, so we can take early action to address any potential supply interruptions.
New temporary measures will improve access to medicines, reduce the burden on GPs and support social distancing and self-isolation.
The measures include:

• Continued dispensing arrangements for the ongoing supply PBS subsidised medicines without a prescription will be extended to 30 June 2020.

• A home delivery service for PBS and Repatriation Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (RPBS) medicines is now in place.

• Ongoing work with pharmacists, GPs and the States and Territories to allow medicine substitution by the pharmacist in the event of a shortage.

• Restrictions on the quantity of medicines that can be purchased to prevent unnecessary medicine stockpiling.

These temporary changes will ensure Australians can access the medicines they need throughout the coronavirus outbreak.
Continued dispensing
Emergency measures to allow continued access to essential medicines through the PBS will be extended to 30 June 2020.
These temporary “continued dispensing” arrangements allow people to obtain their usual medicines at PBS prices, even if they cannot get a new prescription from their doctor.
Under strict conditions, pharmacists will be able to give patients up to one month’s supply of their usual medicine without a script, at the usual PBS consumer co-payment.
The patient must previously have been prescribed the medicine and the pharmacist must be satisfied it is urgently needed.
These measures were originally put in place in January in response to the widespread bushfires and were due to end on 31 March 2020, however will be extended following consultation with doctors and the community pharmacy sector.
Home Delivery of Medicines
A new Home Medicines Service has been established to provide home delivery of PBS and Repatriation Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme medicines, for vulnerable people and people in isolation.
This will complement the Government’s investments in telehealth, which allow people to see their doctor remotely, and if necessary obtain a script remotely. Vulnerable people will also be able to have their scripts filled remotely and delivered to their home.
The Government is fast tracking the roll out of electronic prescribing and dispensing through medical and dispensing software to make this even easier.
Substitution
The Australian Government is implementing changes to allow community pharmacists to substitute dose strengths or forms of medicines without prior approval from the prescribing doctor, if a medicine is unavailable at the time of dispensing.
These changes will relieve pressure on busy doctors and allow patients to receive their medicines from their pharmacist without delay.
The changes will allow, for example, a pharmacist to dispense different strengths of a product (such as two 20mg tablets in place of a 40mg tablet), or a different dose form of the same medicine (such as a capsule instead of a tablet).
The changes will be implemented through the Scheduling Policy Framework and Poisons Standard, with implementation by States and Territories and the Government through the TGA. The Australian Government continues to consult on the implementation and the potential expansion of these substitution measures.
Measures to prevent stockpiling
New measures were also introduced on 19 March to prevent medicines stockpiling.
Pharmacists are required to limit dispensing and sales of certain prescription and over-the-counter medicines to a one-month supply for prescription medicines, and to a maximum of one unit per purchase of certain over-the-counter non-prescription medicines
Pharmaceutical wholesalers participating in the Community Service Obligation arrangements are also required to manage the supply of medicines to community pharmacies where there are significant stock shortages, to ensure equitable distribution of medicines to all Australians.
More information is available on the Department of Health Website:
https://www.health.gov.au/resources/publications/covid-19-national-health-plan-home-medicines-services-information-for-consumers
https://www.tga.gov.au/media-release/covid-19-limits-dispensing-and-sales-pharmacies

The Australian Government has partnered with the private hospital sector to ensure the full resources of our world class health system, are ready and focussed on treating patients as required, through the coronavirus pandemic.
Our Government has guaranteed the viability and capacity of the private hospital sector, in an agreement that will ensure over 30,000 hospital beds, and the sector’s 105,000 skilled workforce, is available alongside the public hospital sector.
This will strengthen our Australian COVID-19 response, and preserve the sector’s capacity to resume hospital services after the epidemic.
The Commonwealth will offer agreements to all 657 private and not-for-profit hospitals to ensure their viability, in return for maintenance and capacity during the CoVID-19 response.
State and territory governments will also complete private hospital COVID-19 partnership agreements in the coming days.
In an unprecedented move, private hospitals, including both overnight and day hospitals, will integrate with state and territory health systems in the COVID-19 response.
These facilities will be required to make infrastructure, essential equipment (including ventilators), supplies (including PPE), workforce and additional resources fully available to the state and territory hospital system or the Australian Government.
They will also continue to support the needs of long-stay public hospital National Disability Insurance Scheme participants, and aged care patients and general needs patients.
In conjunction with Commonwealth, State and Territory Health Ministers, private hospitals will support the COVID-19 response through services including but not limited to:

• Hospital services for public patients – both positive and negative for COVID 19.
• ategory 1 elective surgery.
• Utilisation of wards and theatres to expand ICU capacity.
• Accommodation for quarantine and isolation cases where necessary, and safety procedures and training are in place, including:
  • Cruise and flight covid-19 passengers.
  • Quarantine of vulnerable members of the community.
  • Isolation of infected vulnerable COVID-19 patients.

This is a landmark decision. Our Government is underwriting the future of the private hospital sector to:

• Ensure health network capacity during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Provide workforce retention that includes medical, nursing, clinical and ancillary staff to preserve the private hospital sector.
• Allow activities such as non-urgent elective surgery to resume and accelerate at the appropriate time, once the COVID-19 pandemic recedes.

Our government recognises the fundamental and heroic role of our medical and nursing staff and this agreement further strengthens our health system. It gives us the capacity to respond to COVID-19 now, and the ability to preserve our hospital network for our nation’s health needs once we emerge from the crisis.
I personally want to thank our medical, nursing and allied health and support staff for their skill, dedication and compassion.
Health professionals will be provided appropriate training and equipment to ensure patient care is safe, and the health and safety of the workforce is maintained.
The arrangements will be reviewed throughout the course of the COVID-19 pandemic to ensure ongoing appropriateness.
Ultimately our fundamental priority is the health and well-being of all Australians.

Australian Greens Senator for NSW and Animal Welfare spokesperson Dr Mehreen Faruqi has said that all greyhound and horse racing should cease immediately in Australia.
Senator Faruqi said:
“It’s galling that greyhound and horse racing is allowed to continue in this public health crisis.
“Organised sports, cinemas, restaurants and shops are shutting down but the government is turning a blind eye to these cruel industries.
“We need an immediate moratorium on racing. Animal cruelty is not an essential service.
“So many in our community are self-isolating and making sacrifices at the moment, but it seems there is one rule for the gambling-fuelled racing industry and another rule for the rest of us.
“It’s time for racing to be stopped in its tracks and for the industries to look after the horses and greyhounds they have responsibility for.
“It’s the health of the community and animals that should be top priority, not gambling profits,” she concluded.

The Greens are calling on Communications Minister Paul Fletcher to urgently respond to requests for assistance for regional media as more and more newspapers close across the country.
Greens Spokesperson for Media and Communications Senator Sarah Hanson-Young wrote to Minister Fletcher last week.
“Every day that passes without action from the Minister is another day it gets harder to save these essential local media outlets and the jobs of local journalists,” Senator Hanson-Young said.
“I understand Minister Fletcher has been in talks with a number of organisations about the situation they are facing, but he is yet to make any public representations about government assistance.
“Regional Australians deserve to know if their local newspaper and radio station which is the lifeblood of many communities, is going to survive through this crisis.
“The $40m Regional and Small Publishers Jobs and Innovation Package should immediately be used to support struggling regional media outlets. The Minister doesn’t need to find more money, this package can be transitioned to keep jobs and the presses going.
“For many regional and rural Australians, their local newspaper is their main source of news and information, some communities have already lost that with the closure of papers like the Barrier Daily Truth in Broken Hill and Sunraysia Daily in Mildura. If papers continue to close their doors it will be because the Minster has failed to act quickly enough to help save them.”
Copy of the letter to the Minister is here.

The Morrison Government is today announcing temporary changes to the foreign investment review framework that are designed to protect Australia’s national interest as we deal with the economic implications arising from the spread of the coronavirus.
Effective from this date of announcement, all proposed foreign investments into Australia subject to the Foreign Acquisitions and Takeovers Act 1975 (the Act) will require approval, regardless of value or the nature of the foreign investor.
This is not an investment freeze. Australia is open for business and recognises investment at this time can be beneficial if in the national interest.
The temporary change will be achieved by reducing to $0 the monetary screening thresholds for all foreign investments under the Act. By temporarily reducing the foreign investment thresholds, the Australian Government will ensure appropriate oversight over all proposed foreign investment during this time.
To ensure sufficient time for screening applications, the Foreign Investment Review Board (FIRB) will be working with existing and new applicants to extend timeframes for reviewing applications from 30 days to up to six months.
In doing so, the Government will prioritise urgent applications for investments that protect and support Australian business and Australian jobs.
Even in these uncertain times, Australia continues to welcome foreign investment, which remains vital to our long-term economic success and stability. The Government recognises that foreign investment will play an important part in helping many businesses get to the other side – securing jobs and supporting our economic recovery.
However, these measures are necessary to safeguard the national interest as the coronavirus outbreak puts intense pressure on the Australian economy and Australian businesses.
These are temporary measures that will remain in place for the duration of the current crisis.
The Treasurer will continue to review foreign investment proposals against the national interest on a case-by-case basis. Where appropriate, conditions will be applied proportionately to address identified risks on a non-discriminatory basis.
The changes the Government is announcing today have the full support of the FIRB and its chairman, Mr David Irvine AO.
Further administrative details to give effect to this announcement will be published on the FIRB website in due course.

Australian governments met again today as the National Cabinet to take further action to slow the spread of coronavirus to save lives and to save livelihoods.
We will be living with this virus for at least six months, so social distancing measures to slow this virus down must be sustainable for at least that long to protect Australian lives and help Australia to keep functioning.
National Cabinet noted the latest statistics and medical advice in relation to coronavirus.
Our public health measures are taking effect, with over 211,000 tests undertaken and 3,966 confirmed cases in Australia.
The rate of increase in the virus curve is slowing, but overall numbers are still increasing. While the majority of cases in Australia are connected to travellers returning to Australia from overseas, there has been some sustained community transmission in areas of Sydney and Melbourne.
National Cabinet noted the extensive work underway to procure more masks, ventilators, gloves, gowns and hand sanitiser from both international suppliers and domestic manufacturers. National Cabinet further noted that the Commonwealth had announced a package of $1.1 billion to boost mental health services, domestic violence support, Medicare assistance for people at home and emergency food relief.
National Cabinet welcomed the new coronavirus app and WhatsApp channel that were released today by the Commonwealth Government. The app is now available on Apple and Android devices. The WhatsApp channel can be accessed by entering aus.gov.au/whatsapp into your internet browser.
These new platforms provide a trusted source of information for Australians looking for important advice on how they can protect themselves and others, current restrictions on social gatherings, how they can access support and the latest data on Australian cases.
The app also allows Australians to voluntarily register if they are self-isolating to provide governments with important information to protect public health and safety.
National Cabinet noted that there have been significant measures put in place that restrict gatherings including limits on retail premises. In some jurisdictions, retail outlets need to be prepared for further measures and adapt to different ways of engaging customers such as online and home delivery services.
Indoor and Outdoor Public gatherings
National Cabinet agreed to limit both indoor and outdoor gatherings to two persons only.
Exceptions to this limit include:

• People of the same household going out together;
• Funerals – a maximum of 10 people;
• Wedding – a maximum of 5 people;
• Family units.

Individual states and territories may choose to mandate and/or enforce this requirement.
National Cabinet’s strong guidance to all Australians is to stay home unless for:

• shopping for what you need – food and necessary supplies;
• medical or health care needs, including compassionate requirements;
• exercise in compliance with the public gathering requirements;
• work and study if you can’t work or learn remotely.

National Cabinet agreed that playgrounds, skate parks and outside gyms in public places will be closed. Bootcamps will be reduced to two persons, including the trainer.
These measures will be in place from midnight tomorrow night.
Social Distancing – further measures
National Cabinet discussed further restrictions on activities and venues. Overseas experience indicates further restrictions on personal movement and businesses will be required should the severity of the outbreak worsen in Australia.
States and territories agreed they would implement further measures specific to their own region, including closing categories of venues, where medical advice supported this action. These measures would be risk-based and targeted at non-essential activities.
Australians will still be able to access the goods and services needed to safely and sustainably live their lives.
Advice for Senior Australians including those with existing health conditions
The care and wellbeing of senior Australians remains a priority in this uncertain time.
All Australians respect and value the contribution that older Australians make to our community.
Coronavirus has more serious impacts on older Australians, those over 70 years of age and Australians with existing health conditions or comorbidities.
National Cabinet’s strong advice is for self-isolation at home to the maximum extent practicable for Australians:

• over 70 years of age;
• over 60 years of age who have existing health conditions or comorbidities;
• indigenous Australians over the age of 50 who have existing health conditions or comorbidities.

These groups should limit contact with others as much as possible when they travel outside.
Commercial and residential tenancies
As part of its work on helping businesses hibernate, National Cabinet agreed that short-term intervention is needed for commercial tenancies. Work on this has begun, but there is more to do, including for residential tenancies.
National Cabinet agreed to a moratorium on evictions over the next six months for commercial and residential tenancies in financial distress who are unable to meet their commitments due to the impact of coronavirus.
Commercial tenants, landlords and financial institutions are encouraged to sit down together to find a way through to ensure that businesses can survive and be there on the other side. As part of this, National Cabinet agreed to a common set of principles, endorsed by Treasurers, to underpin and govern intervention to aid commercial tenancies as follows:

• a short term, temporary moratorium on eviction for non-payment of rent to be applied across commercial tenancies impacted by severe rental distress due to coronavirus;
• tenants and landlords are encouraged to agree on rent relief or temporary amendments to the lease;
• the reduction or waiver of rental payment for a defined period for impacted tenants;
• the ability for tenants to terminate leases and/or seek mediation or conciliation on the grounds of financial distress;
• commercial property owners should ensure that any benefits received in respect of their properties should also benefit their tenants in proportion to the economic impact caused by coronavirus;
• landlords and tenants not significantly affected by coronavirus are expected to honour their lease and rental agreements; and
• cost-sharing or deferral of losses between landlords and tenants, with Commonwealth, state and territory governments, local government and financial institutions to consider mechanisms to provide assistance.

National Cabinet will meet again on Monday 30th March 2020.

To provide continued access to essential primary health services during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Australian Government is expanding Medicare-subsidised telehealth services for all Australians and providing extra incentives to general practitioners and other health practitioners.
These critical changes have been designed in partnership with key stakeholders in the sector including the Australian Medical Association, Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine, Council of Presidents of Medical Colleges, National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation, Royal Australasian College of Physicians, Royal Australian College of General Practitioners, Rural Doctors Association of Australia, Allied Health Professionals Australia, Australian Psychological Society, and the Australian Primary Health Care Nurses Association.
We are making telehealth a key weapon in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. Expanding the consultation services available by telehealth is the next critical stage in the Government’s response to COVID-19.
Services will include GP services and some consultation services provided by other medical specialists, nurse practitioners, mental health treatment, chronic disease management, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health assessments, services to people with eating disorders, pregnancy support counselling, services to patients in aged care facilities, children with autism, and after-hours consultations.
These changes represent the fourth stage of a series of primary care measures and will commence from 8am Monday 30 March.
Australia’s primary health workers are our frontline in leading the fight against this pandemic. Services via telehealth will limit unnecessary exposure of patients and health professionals to COVID-19, wherever treatment can be safely delivered by phone or videoconferencing.
This will take pressure off hospitals and emergency departments. Whole of population telehealth will allow people to access essential health services in their home and will support self-isolation and quarantine policies to reduce risk of exposure and spread of COVID-19. It will also help vulnerable doctors to continue to deliver services to their patients.
The Government will double the bulk billing incentive for GPs both for face-to-face and telehealth services during the course of the COVID-19 response.
Doubling the bulk billing incentive will facilitate sustainable support for providers, and ensure concession and other vulnerable patients who need services continue to be provided with free, timely and appropriate access.
Further changes will be introduced during the week that will allow GPs and other providers to apply their usual billing practices to telehealth consultations, while concessional and vulnerable patients will continue to receive services at no cost.
In addition, the Government will establish an incentive payment to ensure practices stay open to provide face-to-face services where they are essential for patients with conditions that can’t be treated through telehealth.
The Government will continue to work on a further expansion of non-GP specialist telehealth under stage 5 in collaboration with the profession.
Our number one priority is protecting and supporting Australians who are vulnerable to COVID-19.
We are ensuring there are no unintended barriers to services for vulnerable patients. At the same time, we need to support GPs to keep their doors open during these extremely difficult times. These initiatives will support both them and their patients.
Patients should talk to their regular doctors about their most appropriate course of care, whether it should be via telehealth or face-to-face.
The new arrangements will commence on Monday 30 March and will be in place until 30 September 2020, when they will be reviewed in light of the need to continue our battle against COVID-19.

The Greens welcome the announcement of additional funding for domestic violence counselling and referral services during this crisis, but warn more targeted funding is essential to create extra capacity.
“The scale of government assistance for frontline services supporting survivors of family and domestic violence does not meet the demand fuelled by self-isolation during the Covid-19 crisis,” said Greens Senate Leader and spokesperson on Women, Senator Larissa Waters.
“The extra funding for domestic violence counselling and referral is welcome, but more referrals to already stretched frontline services won’t create extra capacity. An additional $150 million to a referral and counselling phone line is inadequate when experts say housing (both crisis and long-term), legal support and policing is needed.
“Helping victims to understand their options and the services available to them is critical. But without extra funding for the already stretched services women are being sent to, more referrals just creates more unmet demand.
“It is utterly heartbreaking that google searches for domestic violence assistance are at a five-year peak and some services are already reporting an increase in demand.
“Experts have told the Government they urgently need additional funds for crisis accommodation, expanding Safe at Home programs and support for specialist staff to respond to increased demand.
“Governments must listen when these front line services say more funding will make a difference and invest to fix the domestic violence crisis,” she said.