TRANSCRIPT
- The Albanese government says mental health investment to address workforce shortages...
- US President Donald Trump again reiterates his desire for the US to take over the Gaza Strip.
- In cricket, an early career end for batting prodigy Will Pucovski.
The Albanese government says their $1 billion investment recognises a critical workforce gap in mental health care that needs to be addressed.
It comes as New South Wales has confronted mass resignations among psychiatrists who are in a pay dispute with the state government, and are among the lowest paid in the country.
More than 200 psychiatrists in New South Wales' public health system resigned in January in protest.
The Prime Minister pointed to how their funding includes 1200 training places, while Health Minister Mark Butler reiterated Labor's extra funding to state hospital systems.
"But we are determined to build the mental health workforce. As Professor McGorry has said, demand for mental health support is continuing to increase. We're establishing new models of care that will start on the 1st of January next year, that we funded in a previous budget, the National Early Intervention Service for people who have relatively mild to moderate needs, but need a very quick early intervention to stop that spiralling into something more serious."
Minister Butler added that a Labor government did not currently have capacity to add free dental to Medicare.
The Opposition leader did not confirm whether he'd match the Prime Minister's $1 billion investment in mental health, saying Labor were rebranding Coalition policy.
The Albanese government's funding includes $225 million to deliver 21 new Medicare Mental Health centres, and hundreds of millions of dollars towards youth mental health services and training for mental health professionals.
This comes as the Coalition government announced $400 million for the expansion of Headspace and mental health services at the end of last month, and promised to restore the number of sessions young people can receive from 10 to 20.
Peter Dutton told ABC Breakfast mental health is an issue the Coalition has taken very seriously, saying clinicians have asked for more services to deal with complex matters.
Thousands of New South Wales doctors have begun a strike from today with many gathering outside a major hospital in western Sydney to protest pay and working conditions in the state.
The union which announced the strike last week is pushing for a 30 per cent pay rise in one year, and 3 per cent in the years following, to bring rates in-line with other states.
The government has countered with a 10.5 per cent increase over three years and an offer of 3 per cent now to be backdated if the strike is cancelled.
Dr Mark Priestley is a senior medical officer at Westmead hospital and the state councillor for the Australian Salaried Medical Officers' Federation.
He says the government has not done enough in the past year to to bring New South Wales in-line with other states.
"We want parity with other states so that our junior doctors don't leave to go elsewhere, and we want simple conditions within the award so that an obstetrician who comes to deliver a baby can get paid for coming in after hours. We want simple things that any man in the street, any patient would expect and exists in other states."
Dr Priestley warned New South Wales could see a mass shortage of doctors as has occurred in the psychiatry sector.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says his government is working in a considered, organised way to manage the fallout from the United States' global tariffs.
Australian shares suffered their biggest one-day fall since COVID-19 on Monday with nearly $110 billion in value being wiped off the ASX 200, sparking fears for superannuation and share portfolios.
Mr Albanese says despite living in uncertain times, his government was the first to respond to the tariffs decision, adding they will continue to engage constructively with the Trump administration.
"The decision of the US administration, as I said last Thursday, is an act of self-harm, but it's also because it's the world's largest economy. It has implications for the global economy. What we are doing is preparing for that, but we are dealing with this in a considered organised way because that is what a considered government does."
This comes as the Opposition leader criticised the government for their response to the tariffs, telling ABC Breakfast that he would have been able to secure a better deal.
US President Donald Trump has reiterated his desire for the United States to take over the Gaza Strip, in a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Mr Trump proposed this idea multiple times during the first weeks of his administration and has been globally condemned as a plan for ethnic cleansing.
Part of his plan includes moving Palestinians around to different countries, which is something Mr Netanyahu also supported.
President Trump once again referred to Gaza as an important piece of real estate, adding that Gaza could be turned into a freedom zone.
"And I think that it's something that we would be involved in. But, you, know, having a peace force like the United States there controlling and owning the Gaza Strip would be a good thing. Because right now, all it is is for years and years, all I hear about is killing and Hamas and problems."
A fragile ceasefire in Gaza was shattered in March, after Israel launched attacks on Gaza in which they say they were targeting Hamas militants.
And in cricket,
Former batting prodigy Will Pucovski has officially retired from cricket, admitting he is still suffering symptoms from repeated concussions.
The Victorian last played Sheffield Shield in March 2024, when he was hit on the helmet by a delivery from Tasmania speedster Riley Meredith.
It was the 13th known concussion of his sporting career.
Pucovski's official announcement comes after a medical panel recommended he retire.
