Albo goes big on medicine
ANTHONY Albanese has promised a Labor government will make medicines cheaper for millions of Australians.
Launching Labor’s election campaign in Perth on Sunday, the Opposition Leader vowed to reduce the cost of medication on the PBS by $12.50 making it cheaper for general patients.
It means the maximum price for PBS medicines will be $30.
“The price of medications have gone up under the Morrison government, just like the cost to see a doctor has gone up,” Mr Albanese said.
“Medicare will always be stronger under Labor.”
The pledge outstrips the Coalition’s promise to spend $150m on dropping the maximum price of medication to $32.50 from next year, making it $10 cheaper.
Labor’s plan could save someone taking one medication a month $150 a year, while people will be $120 better off under the Coalition.
Under his broader policy offering, Mr Albanese promised cheaper child care, and a plan to restore quality and humanity to aged care.
“You deserve dignity and respect in your later years, not neglect,” he said.
Mr Albanese said people in aged care deserved more carers, 24/7 nurses in nursing homes and more nutritious meals.
He also mentioned new reporting measures and a pay rise for workers.
“We will look after the young, we will look after the sick, we will look after our older Australians,” he said.
“No one held back and no one left behind.”
Mr Albanese made five key announcements during his lengthy speech.
He said Labor would make gender pay equity an objective of the Fair Work Act.
“We will set up expert panels on pay equity and the care and community sector to help improve pay and conditions for women in those sectors,” he said.
He said his government would fund more university places and 465,000 fee-free places at public TAFEs.
Labor will also create a new national authority called Jobs and Skills Australia to ensure the needs of the labour market were met.
Mr Albanese further announced Labor would build more electric vehicle charging stations across Australia to close the gaps in the network. As part of its National Reconstruction Fund, Labor will invest $1bn in developing value-added products from Australian resources. “We’ll take resources like lithium and nickel – essential elements of the batteries that will power the vehicles of the future – and instead of shipping them to another country to make batteries, we’ll have what we need to make them right here,” Mr Albanese said.
“Then we can sell them to the world.”
The Opposition Leader also revealed Labor would invest in infrastructure to boost productivity and create jobs.
He promised to improve regional roads and major highways, invest in better rail for freight and commuters, and ensure more Australians have access to high-speed broadband.