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Greens Leader, Adam Bandt, says revelations in the Oxfam report that Australian billionaires have doubled their already obscene fortunes gives strength to the Greens’ proposal for a 6% annual tax on billionaires’ wealth.
Over the course of the pandemic, while people endured lockdowns and hardship, billionaires doubled their wealth to $255 billion, equivalent to the wealth of 7.7 million Australians, held by just 47 people.
Greens leader, Adam Bandt MP said:
“The Greens are the only party taking progressive tax reform to this election.
“While everyone else was doing it tough during the pandemic, Australia’s billionaires made out like bandits and it’s time they paid tax on their obscene wealth.
“The numbers are clear: we need a billionaires tax and a corporate super-profits tax.
“If billionaire corporations paid their fair share of tax, we could fix the housing crisis and get free dental and mental health into Medicare.
“In balance of power after this election, the Greens will kick the Liberals out and push the next government to introduce a billionaires tax.”

Greens Leader, Adam Bandt, says workers deserve to be safe at work, backing ACTU calls to ensure worker safety.
Bandt, a former industrial relations lawyer, rejected the claim by some employers that the demands were a threat to business, saying that ensuring workers’ safety is the best way to keep businesses going as the virus continues to spread.
Greens leader, Adam Bandt MP said:
“If a workplace is unsafe, workers have the right to stop work.
“Governments should have thought more about worker safety before letting Omicron rip.
“It’s workers who keep our economy and supply chains going and it is vital that all workers are protected.
“Free RAT tests, upgraded masks and improved ventilation should be a priority in workplaces.
“Keeping workers safe is key to securing supply chains and supporting businesses through Omicron.”

As part of a major national rollout of mental health services, a Head to Health centre is now open in Darwin. People living in the Darwin region seeking assistance for their mental health will have access to critical additional services providing quality support.
Minister for Health and Aged Care, Greg Hunt, Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister for Mental Health and Suicide Prevention, David Coleman and Senator for the Northern Territory, Dr Sam McMahon, today welcomed the official opening of Darwin’s new Head to Health centre at 16 Scaturchio Street, Casuarina.
“We know that the pandemic has had a significant impact on the mental health and wellbeing of many Australians,” Minister Hunt said.
“Making sure people have access to quality mental health services no matter where they live is a Morrison Government priority.
“The Government’s investment in Head to Health centres like this one in Darwin will boost mental health and wellbeing access and support. It will save lives and improve lives.”
The services provided at the Casuarina centre are recovery focused, trauma informed and person-centred.
Assistant Minister David Coleman said, “Head to Health centres are designed to provide a welcoming, low stigma, ‘no wrong door’ entry point for adults to access mental health information, services and supports.
“For local residents, better access to a multidisciplinary team operating over extended hours, without needing a prior appointment or paying a fee, makes it easier to ask for and get help, Assistant Minister Coleman said.
“The opening of this centre seeks to ensure people in Darwin and the region have access to culturally appropriate, high quality, person-centred care—where and when they need it. It is a place where people can come to rest, yarn and heal.
“The centre will provide a safe place for people experiencing high levels of distress, or who are at heightened risk of suicide.”
Senator for the Northern Territory, Dr Sam McMahon welcomed the opening of the new centre and said, “It will help people get the support they need by providing care where there aren’t any available services appropriate to their needs or while they are waiting to be connected to longer-term care.”
“Our Government is committed to improving mental health services across Australia and here in the Northern Territory.  To do so, we have invested considerable funding to improve services now and into the future,” Dr McMahon said.
“This centre will integrate with other services to address fragmentation and offer seamless care pathways, with an emphasis on ensuring consumers and carers do not need to retell their story.”
Minister Hunt said the new Head to Health Darwin centre will also play an essential role in the community by supporting local GPs, private and public hospitals and emergency departments by providing accessible mental health care.
Assistant Minister Coleman confirmed the Morrison Government’s commitment to working towards zero suicides and transforming the mental health system to ensure that all Australians can access the right care and essential services whenever and wherever they need.
The service has been commissioned by the Northern Territory Primary Health Network and will be operated by Neami National in partnership with Larrakia Nation.
As part of the 2019–20 Budget, the Government committed $114.5 million to fund the trial of eight ‘Head to Health’ Adult Mental Health Centres, with one centre to be established in each state and territory, including $14 million for Darwin Head to Health.
An additional $487.2 million was announced under the 2021–22 Budget to expand the program to an additional 32 sites (eight new centres and 24 satellites) and provide ongoing funding for the initial eight trial sites.
The Morrison Government is providing unprecedented funding and support for mental health, investing a record $2.3 billion in the National Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Plan, delivering significant reform of the mental health system and ensuring all Australians have access to high quality, person-centred care.
Australians looking for support throughout the COVID-19 pandemic can access the Beyond Blue Coronavirus Wellbeing Support Service any time via telephone at 1800 512 348 or online at coronavirus.beyondblue.org.au.
Anyone experiencing distress can also seek immediate advice and support through Lifeline
(13 11 14), Kids Helpline (1800 55 1800), or the Government’s digital mental health gateway, Head to Health.
If you are concerned about suicide, living with someone who is considering suicide, or bereaved by suicide, the Suicide Call Back Service is available at 1300 659 467 or www.suicidecallbackservice.org.au

As Omicron case numbers grow, the Australian Government will make temporary changes to Telehealth to give GPs and specialists additional flexibility to support their patients safely, including the continued supply of PPE and online support. An additional $24 million has been committed to fund these changes and builds on the $34 billion provided since the pandemic began.
Telehealth has been a vital support during the pandemic providing greater flexibility in healthcare delivery at the most critical time and it continues to be a fundamental part of the pandemic response.
The Government will introduce temporary specialist inpatient telehealth MBS items (video and phone) and initial and complex specialist telephone consultation items, and longer telephone consultations for GP’s (level C) until 30 June 2022.
These services will be made available nationally rather than targeted to Commonwealth-declared hotspots as they were previously, recognising the high infection rate and need to provide healthcare support across the community.
Enabling specialist medical practitioners to provide telehealth consultations to hospital in-patients as a temporary measure will support continuity of care for patients when their doctor cannot attend the hospital due to COVID-19 restrictions.
Helping GPs and specialists manage their patients with mild symptoms will relieve pressure on Australia’s hospital system, ensuring people who need hospital care can get it, and our hard-working hospital staff can sustain their incredible efforts through the current Omicron surge.
These short term telehealth measures will also help to minimise risks for patients who would otherwise have to travel for a face-to-face consultation, especially people living in rural and remote Australia, vulnerable and older patients.  They will also benefit people who are immunocompromised, under the care of a psychiatrist, living with cancer or pregnant.
The Government will also expand the MBS item for GPs caring for COVID positive patients in the community through face-to-face consultations to include patients that have tested positive through a rapid antigen test (RAT). This aligns with National Cabinet’s decision on 5 January 2022 that RAT tests no longer need to be confirmed by PCR.
To support GPs and others providing face to face care for COVID-positive patients, the Government is also providing comprehensive packages of personal protective equipment (PPE) to GPs, Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services and GP Respiratory Clinics.
Over the next three months, over 20 million units of PPE will be provided for primary care, including nine million p2/n95 masks for GPs and three million for pharmacists across Australia. These are being prioritised for rural, regional and remote areas where access to PPE can be challenging. Shipments began before Christmas and are continuing nationwide.
The Australian Government has also worked with Healthdirect to develop a national assessment, triage and notification infrastructure. This will connect people who test positive with the appropriate level of care and advice based on guidelines developed by the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (soon to be available in multiple community languages). This is expected to commence in Queensland on 17 January 2022 with other states to follow.
Through this service, Healthdirect – which already provides the National Coronavirus Hotline, symptom checker and a range of online resources – will be the point of contact for anyone with a positive COVID result to receive assessment, information on what to do and connect them to appropriate care.
This is supported by community care pathways developed across jurisdictions to ensure GPs have the information they need to manage patients, and that people recovering at home can be referred to social support services if they face challenges during their isolation period.
These measures join the $180 million Living with COVID package for primary care announced last year, which extends the reach and role of GP Respiratory Clinics. Patients with COVID positive results can safely attend these clinics for assessment and management, rather than presenting at emergency departments in non-urgent circumstances.
Like regular practices, GP Respiratory Clinics will guide and support people to monitor their symptoms at home and seek additional medical assistance when appropriate.
Throughout the pandemic the Australian Government has worked closely with state and territory governments and peak organisations to respond to changing circumstances. We have listened to our frontline workers and made changes to help them help their patients.
All these changes support GPs and specialist medical practitioners to manage the significant increase in Australians with mild to moderate symptoms of COVID-19.
They will ensure continuity of care for Australians, whether they have COVID or other conditions, relieve pressure on the hospital system during the current Omicron surge, and help communities all over the country to get through the present challenges as soon as possible.
Information relating to COVID-19 is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week by phoning the National Coronavirus Helpline on 1800 020 080 or visit www.aus.gov.au.

The Morrison Government is investing more than $21 million to help turn vital medical research into better prevention, diagnosis, and treatment for patients.
The grants announced today will support projects targeting a range of health issues affecting Australians, including cardiovascular disease and diabetes. They are:

• $10 million from the Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) Targeted Translation Research Accelerator to create a Cardiovascular Disease Research Centre, the Australian Stroke and Heart Research Accelerator
• $10 million from the MRFF Targeted Translation Research Accelerator to create a Diabetes Research Centre, the Australian Centre for Accelerating Diabetes Innovations
• $1.76 million in industry-led fellowships for researchers and clinicians from the MRFF Researcher Exchange and Development within Industry (REDI) initiative.

Australian medical researchers are among the best in the world. Our Government’s investments will help take their innovations from bench to bedside and ensure that their research is pursued, to make a real difference to people’s lives while also boosting our economy and creating jobs.
The MRFF funding to establish the research centres for cardiovascular disease and diabetes will be used to accelerate the development of new therapies towards clinical practice and improved patient care.
This investment will be supplemented by substantial co-contributions from the sector, with more than $11 million in cash and $23.3 million of “in kind” support committed by the research centres’ partner organisations, leveraging the Government’s own $20 million commitment.
Both national research centres are uniquely placed to foster collaborations across academia, industry, and community and consumer groups, enabling considerable advances towards tangible products and solutions for sustainable health and economic benefits.
The Australian Stroke and Heart Research Accelerator will help to transform the field of cardiovascular disease research in Australia by bringing a new sector-wide focus on clinical impact and clinical entrepreneurship.
The Australian Centre for Accelerating Diabetes Innovations will deliver novel interventions for debilitating diabetes complications, building an ecosystem of translation, commercialisation and clinical impact for the diabetes sector.
I am also pleased to announce the next cohort of REDI Fellowships to support Australian researchers, clinicians, and professionals in medical technologies, biotechnologies and pharmaceuticals gain real world experience and skills by being deployed into industry settings.
REDI is a four-year initiative supported by the MRFF and delivered by MTPConnect.
The ten researchers and clinicians selected as REDI Fellows will be working on priority research projects covering a broad range of fields, from robot-assisted electrode insertion to precision cancer diagnostics and new antibiotics targeting drug-resistant “superbugs”.
The MRFF is a $20 billion endowment fund which is providing a sustainable, long term boost to Australia’s medical research sector.