TV interview with Minister Butler, Sunrise – 11 February 2025

NATALIE BARR, HOST: Health Minister Mark Butler joins us live in Canberra. Good morning. Are you confident our PM can do a deal with Donald Trump?
 
MINISTER FOR HEALTH AND AGED CARE, MARK BUTLER: We know our PM will be strongly making the case for Australia's national interest and, in this sense, that Australia's national interest is deeply entwined with America's interests. We know that the steel and aluminium that we send to the US feeds right into their supply chains and underpins well-paying jobs in America as well. You can be confident that our Prime Minister will be making the case very strongly for an exemption on tariffs on Australian exports of steel and aluminium. That will be a case we have to make consistently and strongly. It took some time for the former government to make that case to then-President Trump some years ago. Prime Minister Albanese will be going into bat very strongly for Australian jobs.
 
BARR: Yeah, interesting you bring up the former government because in 2018 it worked, didn't it? We had Joe Hockey out there playing golf with him. And then they did a deal with Turnbull. And we're exempt. Do you need to bring Joe Hockey back?
 
BUTLER: We'll be making exactly the same case because the case hasn't changed. We're a reliable partner to the US, our interests are deeply entwined, including in the case of steel and aluminium. We'll be making exactly the same case that was made several years ago. And the PM will be going strongly into bat for Australia's interests.
 
BARR: Trump's a bit different though. He seems to do deals on the golf course. What do you reckon Kevin can do?
 
BUTLER: I'm not sure quite how good a golfer Kevin is, but what I do know is he's deeply respected in Washington.
 
BARR: What about handball?
 
BUTLER: He's an excellent handballer! I'm not quite sure of golf. But what I do know is that he's deeply respected in Washington, across the aisle. His role as a former prime minister brings gravitas to his role as ambassador, and he's often called upon for his deep understanding of world affairs. Ambassador Rudd will be a great asset to Australia in this case. But ultimately, the call with the Prime Minister is an incredibly important call that was scheduled before President Trump made that announcement about steel and aluminium tariffs. But it's going to be a call where obviously Prime Minister Albanese will be going into bat very strongly for Australian jobs.
 
BARR: Also, this morning there are calls for an expansion of Australia's bulk billing incentives. We hear from so many people about just how difficult it is to actually find a GP that bulk bills. So many Aussies still avoiding serious medical issues because of the cost. Why is it still so hard to find a doctor that bulk bills in this country?
 
BUTLER: This is probably my most significant concern as Health Minister. Bulk billing was in freefall when we came into government because the Medicare rebate had been frozen for so long. As you know Nat, we invested in bulk billing heavily in the 2023 Budget. That stopped the freefall, and it means that bulk billing has risen in every state and territory. It delivered an additional 6 million free visits last year to the doctor, but too many people are saying it's hard to find a bulk billing doctor. There's more we need to do. What we've done has made a difference, there's no question about that. But I know we need to do more, and we'll be talking, obviously, as we come to the election about other plans to strengthen Medicare. Your viewers would be surprised, I'd think, to think that the Labor Party that created Medicare and has fought for it for 40 years, wouldn't be taking to the election a very strong Medicare policy.
 
BARR: Okay. Thank you very much. Health Minister Mark Butler there.