Health News at Your Fingertips

Chalmers reminds us all about the rapid test shortages – in case you’d forgotten. Albanese says Labor will have more to say about healthcare and Medicare during the election campaign. He says:

Healthcare should be given on the basis of need, rather than the basis of whether you can afford it or not.

Labor leader Anthony Albanese and opposition finance spokesman Jim Chalmers are holding a press conference.

Chalmers says Labor won’t stand in the way of government moves to ease cost of living pressures, but says they haven’t see a lot of detail on their plans so far.

Albanese says the government “can’t be trusted” when it comes to the budget because it doesn’t deliver on its promises. He also questions why there is more funding for car parks.

Labor MP Andrew Leigh has had to get a personal protection order after threats against him. He told the ABC that women cop worse vitriol (his colleague Kristina Keneally also had to get an order after threats). He also said it’s hitting both sides of politics, with a rise in extremism and the ability for groups to build support online.

Satyajit Das points out that politicians cannot actually control everything, no matter their promises:

Tasmania has recorded 1,726 new Covid cases. In hospital, 21 Covid-positive patients are being treated for unrelated conditions, and six are being treated specifically for Covid.

Mike Bowers has been watching those condolence motions:

Those condolences are continuing, and once they’re done the Senate will adjourn for the day. They’ll be back tomorrow, while many of us are in budget lockup (I keep accidentally calling it lockdown). It’s the last day of the Senate sitting; the House has one more sitting day before the election.

“Like an unfinished poem”, Kitching’s life will always be somewhat open ended, Birmingham says.

“She had so much more to contribute and would have made a greater difference,” he says, remembering Kitching as “someone who cared deeply for our nation, its values, and the way those values are embodied and promoted throughout the world”.