GREG JENNETT, ABC NEWS: Okay, let's bring them in now, our political panel joining us today. Assistant Health Minister Ged Kearney – Ged’s in Melbourne. Welcome back to Afternoon Briefing, Ged. And the Shadow Health Minister, Anne Ruston, is with us once again from Adelaide. Good to see you too, Anne.
Why don't we start out quickly on something in the portfolio area of interest you both share? Ged, Mark Butler told us earlier in the week about steps being taken to alleviate shortages of hormone therapy treatments. I don't fully understand, though, the extent of this. It sounds like, if anything, it's getting worse. Why is that?
GED KEARNEY, ASSISTANT MINISTER FOR HEALTH AND AGED CARE: Yes. Can I just say, firstly, what an honour it is to be on your last show, Greg?
JENNETT: Thank you, Ged.
KEARNEY: A great honour. It's always been a pleasure. Yeah, this is- I- this is a really frustrating thing for a lot of menopausal, post-menopausal women, like myself, who rely on hormone replacement therapy to control the overriding symptoms of menopause. The global supply shortage is incredibly frustrating, and it's a little bit out of our hands really about that supply, and we're really not quite sure how long it's going to last. But we have taken measures here in Australia to try to alleviate that. We've allowed other drugs in that can replace Estradiol in particular. So, if women are using Estradiol, there are replacement drugs that their doctors can order for them. There are other ways that you can take that apart from the patches because it seems to be that the patches are the main issue. So, there is oral tablets, you can have vaginal pessaries, there are gels - so there are other ways that you can actually have that treatment. There’s a range of options for women, and we want women to know that so please have a conversation with your GP and with your pharmacist to make sure that you can get the treatment that you need.
JENNETT: Okay.
KEARNEY: We are doing everything we can, Greg, to try to alleviate this shortage that is very frustrating.
JENNETT: I'm sure it is. Anne Ruston, what do you observe about the management of the shortage? Is all that can be done being done?
ANNE RUSTON, SHADOW HEALTH MINISTER: Well, I think the frustration here is that we've known about this shortage for quite some time and it appears as if this government waits until it's at crisis point before it actually does anything about it. And Ged just made the comment about alternative products that are available, but we also realise that there are so few of these hormone replacement therapies that are available through the PBS. It's all well and good to put them through the TGA, but we need to make sure that women have got affordable access to this.
And so, I think that the Government's been very flat-footed in how it's responded to this, in exactly the same way it was really flat-footed in the way it responded to the shortage of saline. I mean, we do need to be better prepared. And we also need to make sure that we aren't continuing to have a system that keeps get pushed to the bottom of the pile, as we're seeing in Australia, because of the lack of response to how we actually assess the access of medicines and technologies into Australia. So, whilst I acknowledge that this has occurred as a result of a global shortage I think we've been very flat-footed how we've responded to something that we've known about for a very long time.
JENNETT: Yeah, it is-
KEARNEY: Well, Greg, can I just interrupt there for a minute?
JENNETT: Go on, Ged. Sure.
KEARNEY: Because we are planning to do something about this. I mean, one thing that we have learned during COVID and post-COVID is how reliant we are on global supply chains, and we have introduced several policies to try to mitigate that for Australia's future. Our Future Made in Australia policy is about manufacturing things here in Australia, and of course, the Opposition voted against that…
JENNETT: Right.
KEARNEY: …but it's about shoring up things. We are, for the first time in a long time, producing mRNA vaccines here in Australia, shoring up our vaccine supply chain for the future. I totally respect Anne, but I do reject that premise that we are doing nothing about that…
JENNETT: I understand.
KEARNEY: We are doing things that the Opposition have actually voted against, that will bolster the future.
JENNETT: Okay, let's move on. Both the Teals are pushing to change the definition effectively of a small business, raising it up to somewhere around 25. Anne Ruston, why don't we kick this one off with you as it intersects with industrial law is the idea mostly in raising this argument? Does that number align with what you think is an appropriate definition of a small business?
RUSTON: Well, the first thing I'd say is that the Teals have voted so many times with the Greens, and we know that the Greens are no friend of small business - in fact, they're no friend of business at all. And I'd say that the one thing that- you know, not the one thing, one that we are extremely proud of as the Coalition is that we stand with small business every step of the way and we believe that small businesses are the absolute backbone of our economy.
But, you know, for the Teals, after nearly three years of voting with the Greens and completely ignoring the plight of small business at the 11th hour just to come out with some sort of knee-jerk reaction in relation to somehow trying to suggest that they support small business, I think is a little bit too little, too late and a pretty disingenuous response to the huge cost of doing business, challenges that small businesses, in fact, all businesses, are feeling at the moment with the crisis in the economy that we're seeing in Australia. So…
JENNETT: Yeah.
RUSTON: …I suppose I'm a little sceptical about the motivation behind this.
JENNETT: Well, you're allowed to be sceptical in this game. Ged Kearney, what's your own attitude towards an alteration? Jim Chalmers, as I listen to him, is talking about a process. He's not actually ruling out an examination perhaps in the second half of next year, should you be returned as a government, of course.
KEARNEY: Well, that's right. As a government, of course, we are open to any suggestions that are evidence-based and have a good reason for them. I believe the Fair Work Ombudsman, Greg, has been asked to look at this particular issue and will report back next year - sometime next year I believe, I'm not sure exactly when…
JENNETT: Yeah.
KEARNEY: …and we’ll consider the Fair Work Ombudsman's report when it comes through.
JENNETT: All right. Can I go to something that happened this week, and I know it hits home in your electorate Ged Kearney? Australia switched its historical position on a vote at the United Nations General Assembly concerning recognition of a Palestinian state and Israeli withdrawal from occupied territories. Ged, the allegation from Jewish leaders is that this is nakedly political, you can respond to that, but does it get us closer to Australian recognition of a Palestinian state?
KEARNEY: It's always been the position of the Labor Government to have a two state solution to the crisis in the Middle East. And the Foreign Minister, Penny Wong, made it very clear that she would support any resolutions that move us closer to a two state solution in the interests of peace, a peaceful outcome. I think it's pretty disappointing when people like the opposition leader who are in quite, you know, a very amazing position of influence to take this issue and make it a very political and local political one.
We're watching a humanitarian tragedy unfold before our very eyes…
JENNETT: Mm.
KEARNEY: …and we want to see peace, we want to see it end. We voted with 150 other countries for this resolution, this is not just Australia.
JENNETT: Yeah.
KEARNEY: This is literally the world thinking this is the way forward. And when Peter Dutton draws it down to just a political issue because he thinks it might win him a few votes here and there, I think is incredibly disappointing and says a lot about him and his politics.
JENNETT: All right. A pretty open question to you, Anne - really pick it up there - I mean, what is your response to that counter attack from Ged?
RUSTON: Well, I think Peter Dutton and the coalition have been really clear. The behaviour of terrorists on 7 October 2023 still remains the core issue before us, as hostages are still being held by that terrorist organisation. And I think all that we've seen happen this week is that it just plays into the hand of terrorists, that somehow that Australia is going to be weak on standing firm, on saying there can be no peaceful resolution of this whilst hostages are still being held by a terrorist organisation. And I think the fact there is a great concern amongst the Coalition, many in the Australian community, that this is a divergence from standing with one of our most important allies, the US, in terms of a position around making sure that we drive for peace in this area of the world. But you can only drive for peace if you're not negotiating with terrorists. And I think it was a very sad reflection on this government. I think it showed a very weak response by this government to change its position in the UN. And I think it was a slap in the face for the Jewish community all around the world, but particularly here in Australia, that this government would stand with a terrorist organisation instead of standing with our ally, the US.
JENNETT: Point made Anne Ruston. And Ged Kearney I do see you shaking your head, but I have to assure you time is really tight for us today.
KEARNEY: Okay.
JENNETT: And as much as I'd like a free flowing discussion to follow up, I won't. I'll thank you both for your involvement for many years, really, not just this year. It's been terrific and I hope our paths cross again.
KEARNEY: Yeah. It's been a great pleasure, Greg.
RUSTON: Good luck with whatever you do.
KEARNEY: Good luck. I'll see you at the Press Club. Merry Christmas.
JENNETT: For sure. Thank you. a happy festive season to all.
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