TRANSCRIPT
Welcome to SBS News In Easy English. I'm Catriona Stirrat.
The Prime Minister says the federal government is going through the budget carefully to find a way to fund its Medicare pledge.
The Coalition says it will match the government's pledge to ensure nine in 10 visits to the doctor will be free within the decade.
The $8.5 billion plan includes funding for an additional 18 million bulk-billed GP visits per year, nursing scholarships, and increased GP training opportunities.
Opposition leader Peter Dutton says the Coalition will fund the pledge by cutting thousands of public servant jobs.
Mr Albanese says the funding for the Medicare pledge will be accounted for.
"We accounted for much of this money as well, in the mid year economic forecast. We have gone through the budget line by line. We didn’t do what the Coalition did, which was on Sunday say: Oh yeah, we’ll just make this big commitment without knowing what it is, without seeing any of the detail before it’s even been announced."
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The Vatican has lead a prayer service for Pope Francis's health, as the Catholic leader remains in hospital in a slightly improved medical condition.
The 88-year-old's medical team is reporting that he has even made a gentle return to work, despite still having pneumonia in both lungs.
The Vatican says there has been a "slight improvement" in the pontiff's condition.
World leaders including French President Emmanuel Macron and U-S President Donald Trump have publicly expressed well wishes to the religious leader, who has been under hospital care for over a week.
Catholic faithful from around the world gathered in St Peter's Square overnight for an emotional vigil, including Shannon Docherty and Lee Mullen, who were visiting from Scotland.
"I think it's quite sombre, just because of how elderly he is, I suppose, yeah, do you agree, yeah, quite sombre."
"He's been quite a modern pope, I would say, so he has, which has been good for the Catholic Church, so it would be a shame to lose him, but let's hope the the next pope carries on his legacy."
Doctors have reported concern over the Pope's condition, noting his age, fragility and pre-existing lung disease.
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The World Food Programme is reporting that the Israel-Hamas ceasefire has allowed the charity to feed one million people in the past month.
Improved access has allowed hundreds of trucks to bring in more than double the monthly average of food to people in Gaza, than before the truce.
The programme's Country Director Antoine Renard says 60 kitchens across the Strip have handed out nearly ten million meals, with 25 bakeries now operating throughout the area.
"Yet at the same time it's only a month into the ceasefire. It is very fragile. We need to make sure that it is sustained because the situation remains very dire. Most of the population in Gaza are living still in rubble, tents are coming, but the flow of assistance needs to be sustained.”
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Beaches and national parks are set to become more accessible to people in wheelchairs and with complex disabilities.
Federal Social Services and NDIS Minister Amanda Rishworth has announced $17.1 million dollars in funding over four years, to upgrade infrastructure to improve access to public spaces.
The scheme will include funding for all-terrain wheelchairs, improving walkways and specialty matting for outdoor areas including sand on some beaches.
The funds will go in part to a range of surf life saving clubs to manage accessibilty.
Bern Walker is the Access Project Officer for Accessible Beaches Australia.
Ms Walker says the organisation welcomes this as a key step towards inclusion.
"Surf life saving clubs and local councils play a pivotal role in implementing accessibility features to their beaches, which is why it is so important that they have the adequate funding to do so."
That was SBS News In Easy English. I'm Catriona Stirrat.
