Major NDIS funding shakeup could hurt vulnerable Australians
A major shake up to NDIS funding could leave vulnerable Australians without vital physiotherapy support.
Travel subsidies are being cut by 50 per cent and experts warn up to half of all providers may be forced to walk away from the scheme.
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Sky News AU
11 hours ago
- Sky News AU
Major NDIS funding shakeup could hurt vulnerable Australians
A major shake up to NDIS funding could leave vulnerable Australians without vital physiotherapy support. Travel subsidies are being cut by 50 per cent and experts warn up to half of all providers may be forced to walk away from the scheme.
Sky News AU
15 hours ago
- Sky News AU
Australian tourists warned as Thailand overhauls cannabis laws, re-criminalises drug for recreational use
Aussie holidaymakers have been warned not to be caught out unaware after Thailand made sweeping changes to its cannabis laws, re-criminalising all non-medical sales of the drug. Thailand's Health Minister Somsak Thepsuthin signed a bill prohibiting the use of cannabis excluding medical reasons on Tuesday, with a prescription now needed to purchase the substance. The move comes just three years after Thailand became the first country in Asia to legalise cannabis use, which bolstered tourism and farming and fostered a booming local market. "Cannabis will be classified as a narcotic in the future," Mr Thepsuthin said on Tuesday. The government faced fierce backlash for the decriminalisation call with consumer advocates arguing the industry was under-regulated and lacked comprehensive governance rules. Secretary-general of the Office of the Narcotics Control Phanurat Lukboon said studies undertaken by his agency last year found that addiction rates had ballooned since cannabis was decriminalised. Smartaveller warned Australians heading to the country to 'exercise a high degree of caution' and advised travellers not to use or purchase cannabis. 'The use of cannabis is limited to medicinal purposes only,' the updated site read. Medicinal Cannabis will now also have to be below 0.2 per cent in weight and must come with a 'prescription.' The Thai government said the changes would come into effect when the law was published in the Royal Gazette, although did not disclose when this would be. The penalty associated with breaching the order is also yet to be announced. The Thai cannabis trade is estimated to be worth over $1.2 billion according to the Thai Chamber of Commerce, with the industry now thrown into limbo and uncertainty. Tens of thousands of stalls and business selling cannabis have sprung up across Thailand in recent years with the majority located in the country's tourism centres. The ruling Pheu Thai Party repeatedly pledged to re-criminalise the drug, yet faced fierce protest from its coalition partner the Bhumjaithai Party who advocated for fewer laws governing the sector. However the Bhumjaithai Party quit the ruling coalition last week after it was revealed in a leaked phone recording Thai PM Paetongtarn Shinawatra had inflamed border tension with Cambodia's former leader, which allowed the government to pursue the reforms. Government spokesman Jirayu Houngsub said the recreational use of cannabis had caused substantial social issues in the country. "The policy must return to its original goal of controlling cannabis for medical use only," Jirayu said in a statement.
Sky News AU
18 hours ago
- Sky News AU
Aussie travellers warned as Thailand announces changes to cannabis laws
Australians have been urged to be cautious in Thailand after its health minister signed an order banning the use of cannabis, except for medicinal purposes, three years after decriminalising the act. Health Minister Somsak Thepsutin announced on Tuesday that Thailand would be tightening its restrictions on the sale of cannabis, now requiring users to obtain a prescription first. Smartraveller has urged Australians to 'exercise a high degree of caution' when visiting Thailand, especially if using the substance. 'The use of cannabis is limited to medicinal purposes only,' the site read, adding it must be below 0.2 per cent in weight and users 'must have a prescription'. The Thai government order did not specify when the new law would come into effect and is yet to disclose the punishment associated with violating the law. The move comes three years after the Thailand government announced it would decriminalise the use and sale of cannabis, prompting an increase in tourism and a spate of cannabis-related shops. Thailand was the first Asian country to decriminalise the use of cannabis however changed its tune after reports that addiction had increased. 'Cannabis will be classified as a narcotic in the future,' Mr Thepsutin said. The Pheu Thai Party, which is in power in Thailand, announced it would scale back its decriminalised stance despite facing resistance from former coalition partner, the Bhumjaithai Party. Last week, the Bhumjaithai Party cut ties with the Pheu Thai Party following a leaked phone call between Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra and former Cambodian leader Hun Sen. Originally published as Aussie travellers warned as Thailand announces massive changes to its cannabis laws
