Television interview with Minister Butler, Sunrise – 8 August 2025

NATALIE BARR, HOST: Now, the government promises our PBS discounts are here to stay, but that could cripple our own manufacturers, who may be forced to hike costs in response to the surging tariffs. For more, I’m joined by Health Minister Mark Butler and Liberal Senator Jane Hume. Good morning. Mark, is the government forced to decide between Australian drug manufacturers and protecting cheaper medicines on the PBS?
 
MARK BUTLER, MINISTER FOR HEALTH AND AGEING, MINISTER FOR DISABILITY AND THE NDIS: No, we're going to fight for our PBS. We’re going to fight for the jobs that Australian manufacturers here, particularly in Melbourne, down in Melbourne CSL, have provided to Australian families for years, exporting great medicines, blood and plasma products, to the United States under the US Free Trade Agreement. The US actually exports more pharmaceuticals to Australia. We have zero tariffs on those imports that we take from American companies and we're making the case that should continue in reverse. We should be able to continue to export our terrific blood and plasma products and medicines to Americans without what might be a 250 per cent tariff, not just on Australia but on every country around the world seeking to export pharmaceuticals to the Americans.
 
BARR: Jane, where does the free trade agreement lie with Trump threatening tariffs on our companies?
 
SENATOR JANE HUME: Nat, the Coalition is on a unity ticket with the government on the PBS. The PBS is sacrosanct. We must keep it. It's delivered better health outcomes to Australians for decades. But we also want to make sure that our pharmaceutical industry thrives. That's why it's so important that the government's negotiations continue. And we look at ways to expedite the process of approvals on the PBS, as the Americans want, as the Coalition want, and indeed as the government wants.
 
Now, Mark commissioned a report into how to do this in 2022. It's been sitting on his desk since May 2024. Now we're hearing that you want a report on how to implement the recommendations, Mark. My message to you on behalf of the Coalition is hustle your bustle. We want to support you in this. The Coalition are here to work with you, but we haven't got any time to waste here, so let's get on with the job.
 
BARR: Thank you both. We will see what happens because the Trump administration are obviously changing by the week on this issue.