Federal opposition leader Anthony Albanese has clarified Labor’s promise to provide free quick tests to all Australians if elected this year, saying people will have access to a “limited” number through Medicare.
Key points:
- Labor says it would limit how many free RATs would be available to each Australian
- The government claimed that Labour’s proposal could cost more than $ 13 billion
- Albanians also promised to improve Australia’s capacity to manufacture medical supplies
Sir. Albanese has repeatedly blamed the federal government for extensive lack of quick tests and accuses the coalition of not preparing adequately last year ahead of a massive rise in Omicron cases.
Earlier this month, the government announced that eligible cardholders, including retirees and low-income earners, would be able to pick up a limited number of free RATs at some participating pharmacies.
In a speech on ABC’s Insiders program, Mr Albanese said a Labor government would extend access to all Australians.
“This is not a radical proposal,” he said.
“They should be available through the Medicare form, you would have a limit, as there is, the government has set a limit for concession card holders.
He did not specify how many free test Australians would be able to claim, nor did he specify how much the policy would cost, but said Labor would “get all our policies forward fully costed”.
Under the existing government scheme, concession card holders can receive up to 10 free RATs over a period of three months, with a maximum of five in one month.
Shadow Health Minister Mark Butler said it was logical to apply a “numerical limit” to the number of free RATs individuals could receive, saying the number would be determined by expert advice.
He acknowledged, however, that Labor would rather not drag the case out for several months.
“It’s not something we have to debate in May in an election campaign, it’s something the government should act on now.”
Finance Minister Simon Birmingham claimed that Labour’s plan could cost more than $ 13 billion.
“It’s a thought bubble that Mr Albanese has invented, and Australians deserve detailed focused policies, such as what the government does,” Mr Birmingham said.
“What we do is ensure that rapid antigen testing is available to those who need it most and is freely available where it is most needed.
“Mr Albanese can or will not say how much his quick antigen test policy would cost, how many kits people would get, where they would get them from, and that sounds like a big scam, and it’s a policy that is falling. each other in the seams. “
Labor says Australia needs to be ‘more self-reliant’
Meanwhile, Mr Albanese has also promised to improve Australia’s sovereign capacity to manufacture medical supplies such as RATs, masks and personal protective equipment (PPE) if Labor wins the looming election.
“One of the lessons of this pandemic is that we need to be more self-reliant, and one of the things we want to do through the National Reconstruction Fund is support for Australian-made production,” he said.
If Labor is elected, Labor has promised to give top priority to Australian-made medical devices for public procurement, and the $ 15 billion National Reconstruction Fund that Labor has promised to set up would be asked to prioritize investment in medical technology.
Albanese said the government has been too dependent on the market and overseas producers, which has led to a shortage of essential goods.
“During this pandemic, we have not had enough PPE equipment, we have not had enough fans, we have not been able to produce and use rapid antigen tests here, we still do not produce mRNA vaccines, even though the Minister of Industry said that it would be produced within the next nine to 12 months, and that was 18 months ago, “he said.
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