Television interview with Minister Butler, Sunrise – 3 October 2025

NATALIE BARR, HOST: Six Australians on a Gaza aid flotilla have been detained by Israel with the group among 500 people across 47 vessels that have since been intercepted by the Israeli Navy. One boat that been intercepted is the Marionette, where one Australian is on board. Israel's Foreign Minister says the remaining boat remains at a distance and will be stopped if it tries to near the coast. For more, I'm joined by Health Minister Mark Butler and Liberal Senator Jane Hume. Good morning to you. Mark, Israel says these six detained Australians will remain detained. How's the government and the DFAT supporting them?
 
MARK BUTLER, MINISTER FOR HEALTH AND AGEING, MINISTER FOR DISABILITY AND THE NDIS: We've put in a formal request to the Israeli authorities, Nat, to have clear information about how many Australians have been detained and obviously to have consular access to those Australians as well. We have provided clear advice, I have to say, for Australians not to take part in these attempts to break the naval blockade because of obvious safety risks that are involved here. I get that Australians want to see aid flow, particularly basic aid like food and medicines to civilians in Gaza, but for those who are detained, of course, we'll be providing proper consular assistance to them.
 
BARR: Yeah, Jane, the people on the boat say Israel is breaching international law by this, but Israel says that the flotilla was being provocative. Where do you stand?
 
SENATOR JANE HUME: Well, I think we can all respect the sincere concerns of Australians that are on that flotilla. However, this is not the way to go about it. The concerns that people have for the humanitarian crisis in Gaza are very real and perfectly understandable. If people would like to help, they should go to, maybe it's Oxfam or Save the Children or UNICEF. There are organisations that are fit for purpose to help with the humanitarian crisis. Putting yourselves in danger, getting on a flotilla of boats, putting yourself in a war zone that is partly run by a terrorist organisation is not the wisest course of action, something that we would recommend against vociferously.
 
BARR: Yep. Moving on, state premiers are demanding the federal government cough up an extra $47 billion in funding for their hospitals. New South Wales Premier Chris Minns even warned some people would be turned away from emergency departments if a hospital funding deal isn't struck. Mark, that is strong language. This is your portfolio. Where do you stand?
 
BUTLER: We've put a very generous offer on the table, Nat. $215 billion of funding from the Commonwealth, which is $20 billion more than they'd usually get from us because we know hospitals are under pressure -
 
BARR: And they want 50.
 
BUTLER: But now I get premiers always want more money, they always want more money from the Commonwealth, but they also recognise what else we're doing in health. We're opening more Urgent Care Clinics between now and Christmas. We're putting more cancer medicines just this week on the PBS and making those PBS scripts much cheaper. And also in four weeks, our record investment in bulk billing will start to take effect. There is a shared commitment between states and the Commonwealth to deliver the best quality health care system. I'm sure when we get to negotiate, we'll reach a deal with states that reflects that shared commitment.
 
BARR: OK, Jane, so the states want about nearly 50 more. The Federal Government, as you've heard, is offering about 20 more. You've got Minns, Malinauskas, Allan saying this is woefully low. Where do you stand?
 
HUME: It sounds to me like the states just want the deal that was promised. Apparently, Mark promised 42.5 per cent hospital funding back two or three years ago, and that hasn't come to fruition. I think your viewers should be rightly concerned if premiers like Chris Minns are saying that people will be turned away from emergency departments, particularly because there are so many elderly Australians right now taking up those hospital beds, around 2,500 elderly Australians taking up hospital beds. They're medically fit to leave, but the aged care packages that the federal government have been promising simply haven't been delivered. So this hold-up is being caused by decisions that the federal government are making.
 
Now, Mark's a good bloke. I'm sure if anybody can fix it, he can. But there's an awful lot of balls in the air here, and at some point, you've got to break the impasse, Mark, because the states are relying on you, but more importantly, sick Australians are relying on you too.
 
BARR: Okay, so you're going into negotiations. We'll see where that figure ends up, and obviously we'll chat about that. Mark Butler, thank you very much, and Jane Hume we'll see you next week.