Minister Butler doorstop, Canberra – 10 August 2026

MARK BUTLER, MINISTER FOR HEALTH AND AGEING, MINISTER FOR DISABILITY AND THE NDIS: This morning I’m delighted to talk about the latest bulk billing data that shows that we’re making great progress in our target to reach a bulk billing rate by the end of this decade of 90 per cent. Bulk billing for pensioners and concession card holders is now comfortably over 93 per cent, which is great for those Australians with a low or fixed income. The really pleasing result from this morning's data is that bulk billing for Australians who don't have that concession card is also climbing sharply by more than 10 per cent just since last October. There are some regions like northern Tasmania, the Northern Territory, the Illawarra, where bulk billing rates for those Australians is up by more than 20 per cent and in Bendigo by more than 33 per cent, which is just extraordinary. 
 
What this all means is millions and millions of additional free visits to the doctor every single year, and a position where Australians feel like they can go to the doctor when they need to, rather than when they can afford a gap fee. Happy to take questions. 
 
JOURNALIST: When do you anticipate the NDIS legislation will pass the parliament? 
 
BUTLER: That ultimately is a matter for Senate scheduling, not something I get involved in. The Senate inquiry report isn't due until the end of this week. I imagine it will be scheduled for debate after that in the second week of these sittings. I say again, it's important that this legislation pass. 
 
As Minister McAllister has said, every week that we wait or every week that other parties delay consideration of this legislation in the Senate is another week where we see more money not going to participants on the NDIS and instead going off into fraud or other sharp practice. We have to pass this legislation to get the NDIS back on track to clear up some of the eligibility rules, to fight the fraud and the integrity issues that we know are there in the scheme and to put this thing back on track and secure it for the long term. 
 
JOURNALIST: Are you confident you'll be able to strike an agreement or a deal with the Coalition, and what discussions are happening with them? 
 
BUTLER: We've had some really constructive discussions with the opposition really since the announcements that I made earlier this year. Angus Taylor has been very encouraging including in his budget reply speech about the need to get the NDIS back on track. I've had good constructive discussions with the Shadow Minister, Melissa McIntosh, and I think we plan to have some further discussions over the course of this week. 
 
JOURNALIST: Just on the gambling reforms, where is Labor willing to make some concessions to get this legislation through the parliament? 
 
BUTLER: Importantly, we need to know the position, particularly of the opposition. They indicated late last week that they were still formulating a formal position before us. I think the acting Opposition Leader at the time, Jane Hume said that she wanted to see, or they wanted to see more of the evidence from the Senate inquiry before they put a formal position to the government. We've indicated through Minister Wells and others that obviously we're keen to talk with them about coming to an agreement that we'll see these landmark reforms passed by the Parliament this fortnight. 
 
JOURNALIST: What about inducements? Is that one of the main areas that you're looking at conceiving them in? 
 
BUTLER: I don't want to go into those details. We need to know the position of the opposition. There have been good constructive discussions, as Minister Wells has said, between her and the opposition, but also with the Greens and crossbench senators as well. We're committed to getting these laws through the parliament over the course of this fortnight. It is a landmark set of reforms that will be great for our nation. Ultimately we need the cooperation of the opposition to do that. 
 
JOURNALIST: Minister, what's the latest on the migration reforms Tony Burke was due to hand down in a speech last weekend? Is he hoping to give that speech in this sitting fortnight? 
 
BUTLER: I'm not going to go into Minister Burke's scheduling arrangements. We've indicated though that we've made great progress in migration, bringing the net migration numbers down by almost a half, by making sure that we get more people into the country where we really need them. We've tripled the number of visas granted to construction workers to help with the housing agenda that we have. In spite of that, we have indicated we want to do more to get that net migration number down a little bit more. 
 
Obviously, there's careful design work that needs to go into that. Minister Burke is leading that work. 
 
JOURNALIST: Is the caucus and cabinet divided on the reforms? 
 
BUTLER: Not at all. 
 
JOURNALIST: Japan's former ambassador to Australia has written a column in The Australian this morning about remarks the Prime Minister made about gifts that the Japanese prime minister gave him a couple of months ago, and the comments he made about them, particularly around melons. Was the Prime Minister- did he misspeak? Was it inappropriate, the comments he made in that interview some time ago? 
 
BUTLER: I haven't seen the column from a former ambassador. I'll just say again, our relationship with Japan is one of our most important economic and security relationships. It's very close. It involves constant communication between our two countries two at the highest level. I know Prime Minister Albanese feels the deepest respect for that relationship. 
 
JOURNALIST: Clearly the Japanese have taken offence here, the Prime Minister and this former ambassador who is close with Prime Minister Takaichi. Would it be worth the Prime Minister, even if he doesn't think he was making a crude joke, to apologise just to keep that relationship on a firm footing? 
 
BUTLER: I think you'll see that the joke was made by the host. That's pretty clear from the podcast. Our relationship with Japan continues to be very close and continues to involve very regular communication between our governments at the highest levels. 
 
JOURNALIST: The Prime Minister followed on with the joke by making hand gestures in front of his chest. Was that appropriate? 
 
BUTLER: I'm not going to add to the commentary that's been there, certainly not to a column by a former ambassador. Our relationship is an incredibly important and robust one that serves the interests of both countries. 
 
JOURNALIST: Was the Prime Minister mocking the Japanese prime minister? 
 
BUTLER: I don't have anything to add to what I've already said. 
 
JOURNALIST: Has the Cabinet and the Prime Minister updated what sort of podcast you're going to go on? Is this a lesson for all politicians? 
 
BUTLER: That's a matter for commentators. Podcasts are an important part of modern communications as well as obviously broadcast TV and the more traditional media, and I think all people in public life are part of that. 
 
Thanks very much.