Millions of Australians to benefit from cheaper medicines for chronic health conditions. Push for superannuation payments on paid parental leave. And in tennis, Australian 13th seed Alex de Minaur races his way to the third round of the U-S Open.
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TRANSCRIPT
- Millions of Australians to benefit from cheaper medicines for chronic health conditions...
- Push for superannuation payments on paid parental leave...
- Australian 13th seed Alex de Minaur races his way to the third round of the U-S Open.
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Millions of Australians living with ongoing health conditions can get cheaper medicines under the first stage of the federal government's 60-day dispensing policy.
From today, consumers with chronic conditions will be able to get two months' worth of medicine for the price of one.
Health Minister Mark Butler says the policy will give cost of living relief to people with a heart condition, Crohn's disease, high cholesterol, osteoporosis, high blood pressure and many other conditions.
Mr Butler also says it will alleviate G-Ps from issuing routine repeat scripts.
"Good for hip pocket, good for health, but it will also free up millions of consults for GPs who are currently occupied issuing routine repeat scripts rather than dealing with more serious health conditions in the community."
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The Greens are pushing for superannuation payments on paid parental leave in exchange for their support for the government's tax changes aimed at wealthy retirees.
Greens spokesperson for women Larissa Waters says the party will support Labor's legislation to increase tax on high super balances if the government adds superannuation to Commonwealth-paid parental leave.
Senator Waters says women are "retiring into poverty" as they tend to disproportionately bear caring responsibilities.
The opposition have already ruled out their support for the super tax concessions.
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A new report into the cause of 20 million fish deaths has sparked demands to overhaul New South Wales' water guardian and enforce laws in the Darling-Baaka River system.
The New South Wales chief scientist and engineer's report has warned a repeat of the mass fish deaths in Menindee in March remains likely as the dead bodies decompose amid a drying climate.
Professor Hugh Durrant-Whyte says causes were well-documented in previous reports into the river system - however many recommendations from those reports have not been implemented.
He also says this lack of action represents what he deems a clear contributing factor to ongoing system decline and fish deaths.
The chief scientist and engineer's top recommendation was to enforce environmental protections and has urged introducing legally enforceable obligations to protect the health of the entire catchment's ecosystem.
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Healthcare workers who have not received a COVID-19 vaccination will return to Queensland hospitals as the government begins consultations to scrap the pandemic-enforced rule.
Health Minister Shannon Fentiman says the decision to mandate COVID-19 vaccinations for Queensland Health and Ambulance staff no longer applies due to high jab rates and natural immunity in the community.
The decision to scrap the rule was made by Chief Health Officer Doctor John Gerrard, with some 1,100 workers stood down due to the directive during the pandemic - equating to approximately one per cent of health staff in the state.
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Two former leaders of the U-S far-right Proud Boys group have been sentenced by a federal judge this week following their involvement in the 2020 storming of the U-S Capitol.
U-S District Judge Timothy Kelly sentenced 38-year-old U-S Army veteran Joseph Briggs to 17 years in prison, whilst his co-defender former U-S Marine Zachary Rehl is facing 15 years.
Both of the men were convicted of seditious conspiracy for storming the U-S Capitol in a failed bid to overturn Donald Trump's 2020 election defeat.
Defence attorney Norman Pattis says the sentencing is both disappointing and disproportionate.
"I think these cases are grotesquely overcharged, you know when the government came out asking for 33 years and 30 years, they got half of what they asked for. They charged twice of what the case was worth. We would have charged for misdemeanor years ago and that would have been the appropriate result"
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To tennis,
Australia's Alex de Minaur has raced his way through to the third round of the U-S Open, defeating China's Yibing Wu in just 86-minutes.
A quarter-finalist in 2020, de Minaur crushed Wu in three rapid sets with only 10 unforced errors - winning seven out of the 18-break points he set up throughout the match.
The 13th seed will face Chile's world number 25 Nicolas Jarry on Sunday [[AEST]] for a place in the last 16 of the season's final major.
