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The Advertiser
42 minutes ago
- The Advertiser
'Good day for patients': cheaper medicines on the way
Anthony Albanese says he still has his eye on cost-of-living pressures as a promised reduction in medicine costs nears fruition. As parliament resumed on Monday, the prime minister touted his government's promise to bring down the maximum amount Australians will pay on medicines on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme from $31.60 to $25. The change to the PBS co-payment cap, which sets the maximum out-of-pocket costs pharmacists can charge customers for approved scripts, is set to be introduced to the House of Representatives on Wednesday. With the opposition signalling their support for the bill, it's likely to be waved through parliament in the coming weeks, with the changes due to take effect on pharmacy shelves from January 1, 2026. "Now, there's an old saying. Nothing comes down in price," Mr Albanese said in question time. "Well, this is coming down in price. Not just that, but we've frozen the cost of scripts for pensioners and concession card holders to just $7.70; not just for this term, but for the end of the decade. "Real cost-of-living relief, taking pressure off Australians and backing in Medicare for the future." Although the government has declared fixing stalled productivity growth as the priority of its second term, Mr Albanese and Treasurer Jim Chalmers reiterated their commitment to ease cost-of-living pressures, with many Australians still feeling the after-effects of high inflation. "Cost-of-living relief is at the core of everything we do," Dr Chalmers said. "It's the same when it comes to legislation to protect penalty rates, slash student debt, the medicines policy we're introducing this week as well, the minimum wage, paid parental leave, the super guarantee, cheaper batteries, prac payments. "All of this is about recognising that even though we've made that progress in the economy, there's more to do to help ease the cost of living." First promised by the Albanese government ahead of the May election, the cheaper medicines bill has been forecast to cost the budget $690 million over four years. It marks the second cut to the cap introduced by the Albanese government in three years, after it slashed the maximum price of PBS prescriptions from $42.50 to $30 in 2023. Without the government's interventions, some 20 million Australians would have been paying up to $50 for essential medicines like insulin, blood thinners and osteoporosis injections, said Trent Twomey, national president of the Pharmacy Guild of Australia. "Indeed, it is a good day for patients," he told reporters. The government's move to strengthen the PBS comes amid concerns the scheme will be targeted as a bargaining chip in US trade negotiations to ward off threatened pharmaceutical tariffs. The US pharmaceutical lobby has been pushing President Donald Trump to place tariffs on Australian pharmaceutical imports in retaliation to the "egregious and discriminatory" PBS. Health Minister Mark Butler said the government's position on the PBS was "unshakeable". "We won't be negotiating the elements of our PBS with any other country. It's one of the great cornerstones of Australia's healthcare system," he said. Australia eased its biosecurity restrictions on US beef imports last week, but the prime minister has denied the move was linked to trade talks, noting it followed a 10-year review of Australian biosecurity rules. Parliamentarians also formally paid their respects to Pope Francis, with Mr Albanese and Opposition Leader Sussan Ley delivering condolence motions to the late pontiff, who died in April. "I am not a Catholic, but I found inspiration in the way Pope Francis lived out his faith with humility, strength and compassion," Ms Ley said. "His example was a powerful reminder that service to others is at the heart of everything we do, especially in public life." Anthony Albanese says he still has his eye on cost-of-living pressures as a promised reduction in medicine costs nears fruition. As parliament resumed on Monday, the prime minister touted his government's promise to bring down the maximum amount Australians will pay on medicines on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme from $31.60 to $25. The change to the PBS co-payment cap, which sets the maximum out-of-pocket costs pharmacists can charge customers for approved scripts, is set to be introduced to the House of Representatives on Wednesday. With the opposition signalling their support for the bill, it's likely to be waved through parliament in the coming weeks, with the changes due to take effect on pharmacy shelves from January 1, 2026. "Now, there's an old saying. Nothing comes down in price," Mr Albanese said in question time. "Well, this is coming down in price. Not just that, but we've frozen the cost of scripts for pensioners and concession card holders to just $7.70; not just for this term, but for the end of the decade. "Real cost-of-living relief, taking pressure off Australians and backing in Medicare for the future." Although the government has declared fixing stalled productivity growth as the priority of its second term, Mr Albanese and Treasurer Jim Chalmers reiterated their commitment to ease cost-of-living pressures, with many Australians still feeling the after-effects of high inflation. "Cost-of-living relief is at the core of everything we do," Dr Chalmers said. "It's the same when it comes to legislation to protect penalty rates, slash student debt, the medicines policy we're introducing this week as well, the minimum wage, paid parental leave, the super guarantee, cheaper batteries, prac payments. "All of this is about recognising that even though we've made that progress in the economy, there's more to do to help ease the cost of living." First promised by the Albanese government ahead of the May election, the cheaper medicines bill has been forecast to cost the budget $690 million over four years. It marks the second cut to the cap introduced by the Albanese government in three years, after it slashed the maximum price of PBS prescriptions from $42.50 to $30 in 2023. Without the government's interventions, some 20 million Australians would have been paying up to $50 for essential medicines like insulin, blood thinners and osteoporosis injections, said Trent Twomey, national president of the Pharmacy Guild of Australia. "Indeed, it is a good day for patients," he told reporters. The government's move to strengthen the PBS comes amid concerns the scheme will be targeted as a bargaining chip in US trade negotiations to ward off threatened pharmaceutical tariffs. The US pharmaceutical lobby has been pushing President Donald Trump to place tariffs on Australian pharmaceutical imports in retaliation to the "egregious and discriminatory" PBS. Health Minister Mark Butler said the government's position on the PBS was "unshakeable". "We won't be negotiating the elements of our PBS with any other country. It's one of the great cornerstones of Australia's healthcare system," he said. Australia eased its biosecurity restrictions on US beef imports last week, but the prime minister has denied the move was linked to trade talks, noting it followed a 10-year review of Australian biosecurity rules. Parliamentarians also formally paid their respects to Pope Francis, with Mr Albanese and Opposition Leader Sussan Ley delivering condolence motions to the late pontiff, who died in April. "I am not a Catholic, but I found inspiration in the way Pope Francis lived out his faith with humility, strength and compassion," Ms Ley said. "His example was a powerful reminder that service to others is at the heart of everything we do, especially in public life." Anthony Albanese says he still has his eye on cost-of-living pressures as a promised reduction in medicine costs nears fruition. As parliament resumed on Monday, the prime minister touted his government's promise to bring down the maximum amount Australians will pay on medicines on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme from $31.60 to $25. The change to the PBS co-payment cap, which sets the maximum out-of-pocket costs pharmacists can charge customers for approved scripts, is set to be introduced to the House of Representatives on Wednesday. With the opposition signalling their support for the bill, it's likely to be waved through parliament in the coming weeks, with the changes due to take effect on pharmacy shelves from January 1, 2026. "Now, there's an old saying. Nothing comes down in price," Mr Albanese said in question time. "Well, this is coming down in price. Not just that, but we've frozen the cost of scripts for pensioners and concession card holders to just $7.70; not just for this term, but for the end of the decade. "Real cost-of-living relief, taking pressure off Australians and backing in Medicare for the future." Although the government has declared fixing stalled productivity growth as the priority of its second term, Mr Albanese and Treasurer Jim Chalmers reiterated their commitment to ease cost-of-living pressures, with many Australians still feeling the after-effects of high inflation. "Cost-of-living relief is at the core of everything we do," Dr Chalmers said. "It's the same when it comes to legislation to protect penalty rates, slash student debt, the medicines policy we're introducing this week as well, the minimum wage, paid parental leave, the super guarantee, cheaper batteries, prac payments. "All of this is about recognising that even though we've made that progress in the economy, there's more to do to help ease the cost of living." First promised by the Albanese government ahead of the May election, the cheaper medicines bill has been forecast to cost the budget $690 million over four years. It marks the second cut to the cap introduced by the Albanese government in three years, after it slashed the maximum price of PBS prescriptions from $42.50 to $30 in 2023. Without the government's interventions, some 20 million Australians would have been paying up to $50 for essential medicines like insulin, blood thinners and osteoporosis injections, said Trent Twomey, national president of the Pharmacy Guild of Australia. "Indeed, it is a good day for patients," he told reporters. The government's move to strengthen the PBS comes amid concerns the scheme will be targeted as a bargaining chip in US trade negotiations to ward off threatened pharmaceutical tariffs. The US pharmaceutical lobby has been pushing President Donald Trump to place tariffs on Australian pharmaceutical imports in retaliation to the "egregious and discriminatory" PBS. Health Minister Mark Butler said the government's position on the PBS was "unshakeable". "We won't be negotiating the elements of our PBS with any other country. It's one of the great cornerstones of Australia's healthcare system," he said. Australia eased its biosecurity restrictions on US beef imports last week, but the prime minister has denied the move was linked to trade talks, noting it followed a 10-year review of Australian biosecurity rules. Parliamentarians also formally paid their respects to Pope Francis, with Mr Albanese and Opposition Leader Sussan Ley delivering condolence motions to the late pontiff, who died in April. "I am not a Catholic, but I found inspiration in the way Pope Francis lived out his faith with humility, strength and compassion," Ms Ley said. "His example was a powerful reminder that service to others is at the heart of everything we do, especially in public life." Anthony Albanese says he still has his eye on cost-of-living pressures as a promised reduction in medicine costs nears fruition. As parliament resumed on Monday, the prime minister touted his government's promise to bring down the maximum amount Australians will pay on medicines on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme from $31.60 to $25. The change to the PBS co-payment cap, which sets the maximum out-of-pocket costs pharmacists can charge customers for approved scripts, is set to be introduced to the House of Representatives on Wednesday. With the opposition signalling their support for the bill, it's likely to be waved through parliament in the coming weeks, with the changes due to take effect on pharmacy shelves from January 1, 2026. "Now, there's an old saying. Nothing comes down in price," Mr Albanese said in question time. "Well, this is coming down in price. Not just that, but we've frozen the cost of scripts for pensioners and concession card holders to just $7.70; not just for this term, but for the end of the decade. "Real cost-of-living relief, taking pressure off Australians and backing in Medicare for the future." Although the government has declared fixing stalled productivity growth as the priority of its second term, Mr Albanese and Treasurer Jim Chalmers reiterated their commitment to ease cost-of-living pressures, with many Australians still feeling the after-effects of high inflation. "Cost-of-living relief is at the core of everything we do," Dr Chalmers said. "It's the same when it comes to legislation to protect penalty rates, slash student debt, the medicines policy we're introducing this week as well, the minimum wage, paid parental leave, the super guarantee, cheaper batteries, prac payments. "All of this is about recognising that even though we've made that progress in the economy, there's more to do to help ease the cost of living." First promised by the Albanese government ahead of the May election, the cheaper medicines bill has been forecast to cost the budget $690 million over four years. It marks the second cut to the cap introduced by the Albanese government in three years, after it slashed the maximum price of PBS prescriptions from $42.50 to $30 in 2023. Without the government's interventions, some 20 million Australians would have been paying up to $50 for essential medicines like insulin, blood thinners and osteoporosis injections, said Trent Twomey, national president of the Pharmacy Guild of Australia. "Indeed, it is a good day for patients," he told reporters. The government's move to strengthen the PBS comes amid concerns the scheme will be targeted as a bargaining chip in US trade negotiations to ward off threatened pharmaceutical tariffs. The US pharmaceutical lobby has been pushing President Donald Trump to place tariffs on Australian pharmaceutical imports in retaliation to the "egregious and discriminatory" PBS. Health Minister Mark Butler said the government's position on the PBS was "unshakeable". "We won't be negotiating the elements of our PBS with any other country. It's one of the great cornerstones of Australia's healthcare system," he said. Australia eased its biosecurity restrictions on US beef imports last week, but the prime minister has denied the move was linked to trade talks, noting it followed a 10-year review of Australian biosecurity rules. Parliamentarians also formally paid their respects to Pope Francis, with Mr Albanese and Opposition Leader Sussan Ley delivering condolence motions to the late pontiff, who died in April. "I am not a Catholic, but I found inspiration in the way Pope Francis lived out his faith with humility, strength and compassion," Ms Ley said. "His example was a powerful reminder that service to others is at the heart of everything we do, especially in public life."
The Advertiser
42 minutes ago
- The Advertiser
Bumpy ride for Webjet after $9m false advertising fine
Travel giant Webjet has been slapped with a $9 million fine after admitting dozens of customers were slugged with hidden fees. The Federal Court ordered the flight comparison site to pay $9 million on Monday for making false or misleading statements about the price of flights and booking confirmations. In a case brought by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) in November 2024, Webjet acknowledged that between 2018 and 2023 it advertised airfares that excluded compulsory fees ranging from about $35 to $55. The fares were advertised on its website, in promotional emails and on social media posts. The Webjet fees represented 36 per cent of the ASX-listed firm's total revenue in the period from November 1, 2018 to November 13, 2023. "Seeking to lure in customers with prices that don't tell the whole story is a serious breach of the Australian Consumer Law," the commission's chair Gina Cass-Gottlieb said. "Retailers must ensure their advertised prices are accurate. They should clearly disclose additional fees and charges." The ACCC commenced its investigation after one consumer complained about an airfare advertised for $18, which ended up costing almost three times that amount after the compulsory fees were added. The Webjet fees comprised the "Webjet servicing fee" and "booking price guarantee" fee, which ranged from $34.90 to $54.90 per booking. They depended on whether the flights were domestic, to New Zealand and the Pacific or other international destinations. While Webjet's website, app and most emails contained information about the additional fees, they were in the fine print near the bottom and not clearly communicated to customers. In its social media posts, Webjet didn't disclose the additional fees at all. The commission said Webjet admitted liability and it would also foot the bill for some of the ACCC's legal costs. The online travel agency said in a statement on Monday it had come to an agreement with the commission in February. "As previously disclosed to the ASX, the parties reached agreement over the proceedings in February 2025. The Federal Court's approval formally disposes of the proceeding," Webjet said. Travel giant Webjet has been slapped with a $9 million fine after admitting dozens of customers were slugged with hidden fees. The Federal Court ordered the flight comparison site to pay $9 million on Monday for making false or misleading statements about the price of flights and booking confirmations. In a case brought by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) in November 2024, Webjet acknowledged that between 2018 and 2023 it advertised airfares that excluded compulsory fees ranging from about $35 to $55. The fares were advertised on its website, in promotional emails and on social media posts. The Webjet fees represented 36 per cent of the ASX-listed firm's total revenue in the period from November 1, 2018 to November 13, 2023. "Seeking to lure in customers with prices that don't tell the whole story is a serious breach of the Australian Consumer Law," the commission's chair Gina Cass-Gottlieb said. "Retailers must ensure their advertised prices are accurate. They should clearly disclose additional fees and charges." The ACCC commenced its investigation after one consumer complained about an airfare advertised for $18, which ended up costing almost three times that amount after the compulsory fees were added. The Webjet fees comprised the "Webjet servicing fee" and "booking price guarantee" fee, which ranged from $34.90 to $54.90 per booking. They depended on whether the flights were domestic, to New Zealand and the Pacific or other international destinations. While Webjet's website, app and most emails contained information about the additional fees, they were in the fine print near the bottom and not clearly communicated to customers. In its social media posts, Webjet didn't disclose the additional fees at all. The commission said Webjet admitted liability and it would also foot the bill for some of the ACCC's legal costs. The online travel agency said in a statement on Monday it had come to an agreement with the commission in February. "As previously disclosed to the ASX, the parties reached agreement over the proceedings in February 2025. The Federal Court's approval formally disposes of the proceeding," Webjet said. Travel giant Webjet has been slapped with a $9 million fine after admitting dozens of customers were slugged with hidden fees. The Federal Court ordered the flight comparison site to pay $9 million on Monday for making false or misleading statements about the price of flights and booking confirmations. In a case brought by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) in November 2024, Webjet acknowledged that between 2018 and 2023 it advertised airfares that excluded compulsory fees ranging from about $35 to $55. The fares were advertised on its website, in promotional emails and on social media posts. The Webjet fees represented 36 per cent of the ASX-listed firm's total revenue in the period from November 1, 2018 to November 13, 2023. "Seeking to lure in customers with prices that don't tell the whole story is a serious breach of the Australian Consumer Law," the commission's chair Gina Cass-Gottlieb said. "Retailers must ensure their advertised prices are accurate. They should clearly disclose additional fees and charges." The ACCC commenced its investigation after one consumer complained about an airfare advertised for $18, which ended up costing almost three times that amount after the compulsory fees were added. The Webjet fees comprised the "Webjet servicing fee" and "booking price guarantee" fee, which ranged from $34.90 to $54.90 per booking. They depended on whether the flights were domestic, to New Zealand and the Pacific or other international destinations. While Webjet's website, app and most emails contained information about the additional fees, they were in the fine print near the bottom and not clearly communicated to customers. In its social media posts, Webjet didn't disclose the additional fees at all. The commission said Webjet admitted liability and it would also foot the bill for some of the ACCC's legal costs. The online travel agency said in a statement on Monday it had come to an agreement with the commission in February. "As previously disclosed to the ASX, the parties reached agreement over the proceedings in February 2025. The Federal Court's approval formally disposes of the proceeding," Webjet said. Travel giant Webjet has been slapped with a $9 million fine after admitting dozens of customers were slugged with hidden fees. The Federal Court ordered the flight comparison site to pay $9 million on Monday for making false or misleading statements about the price of flights and booking confirmations. In a case brought by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) in November 2024, Webjet acknowledged that between 2018 and 2023 it advertised airfares that excluded compulsory fees ranging from about $35 to $55. The fares were advertised on its website, in promotional emails and on social media posts. The Webjet fees represented 36 per cent of the ASX-listed firm's total revenue in the period from November 1, 2018 to November 13, 2023. "Seeking to lure in customers with prices that don't tell the whole story is a serious breach of the Australian Consumer Law," the commission's chair Gina Cass-Gottlieb said. "Retailers must ensure their advertised prices are accurate. They should clearly disclose additional fees and charges." The ACCC commenced its investigation after one consumer complained about an airfare advertised for $18, which ended up costing almost three times that amount after the compulsory fees were added. The Webjet fees comprised the "Webjet servicing fee" and "booking price guarantee" fee, which ranged from $34.90 to $54.90 per booking. They depended on whether the flights were domestic, to New Zealand and the Pacific or other international destinations. While Webjet's website, app and most emails contained information about the additional fees, they were in the fine print near the bottom and not clearly communicated to customers. In its social media posts, Webjet didn't disclose the additional fees at all. The commission said Webjet admitted liability and it would also foot the bill for some of the ACCC's legal costs. The online travel agency said in a statement on Monday it had come to an agreement with the commission in February. "As previously disclosed to the ASX, the parties reached agreement over the proceedings in February 2025. The Federal Court's approval formally disposes of the proceeding," Webjet said.
Sky News AU
an hour ago
- Sky News AU
Opposition Leader Sussan Ley outlines what it would take for Coalition to dump net zero as debate divides both parties
Opposition Leader Sussan Ley has explained the key questions a Coalition energy policy must address, amid a heated debate within the Liberal and Nationals parties over net zero policy. Ms Ley told Sky News Political Editor Andrew Clennell she wanted to develop an energy policy which focussed on manufacturing and the aspirations of Australian business owners, while making power more affordable and reducing emissions. The Opposition Leader said a working group led by Shadow Energy Minister Dan Tehan will "flesh out" the partyroom's different perspectives and will assess expert advice on the issue. "We have to work through this policy process, and I'm not foreshadowing what the outcome will be. It will be underpinned by two fundamental things, playing our part to responsibly and transparently reduce emissions as we should, and also have a stable, reliable energy grid that provides affordable energy for households and businesses," she said. "I think most people would agree the government is failing on both of them. Cost is going up and emissions are going up too." On net zero, Ms Ley refused to contend with Nationals MP Barnaby Joyce's call to scrap the policy, but agreed there was an "over-reliance" on renewable energy, hinting at a possible decision to leave net zero behind in the future. Ms Ley said "we do have time" to come to a final call on net zero, noting the Coalition's election loss was "not quite three months ago" while the next election was three years away. She said Labor held the "levers" on the Australia's net zero approach, and that the Coalition would "hold them to account" for the "train wreck" the government had created on energy policy. "The government owns current energy policy and we will hold them to account for the absolute train wreck that it's become," Ms Ley said. Ms Ley was also asked about the Labor government's Economic Reform Roundtable in August, in which tax hikes have been rumoured to be put forward as a fix-all approach to the slump in productivity and rising budget deficits. The Opposition Leader said she was "hoping for some good ideas,but I'm not holding my breath", and confirmed shadow treasurer Ted O'Brien would be present during discussions. "We'll be talking to the people who are sitting in that room, but many of them have said privately to me that they're going to speak up during and after that meeting because the problem we have here is Labor's got advice to say, 'you're going to need to raise taxes because the budget is broken,'" she said. "But they haven't said they have a plan to do anything other than that. So what that tells me is already they're baking in an outcome from this productivity roundtable that is all about raising taxes." Ms Ley said in her view that the path to prosperity was through growth in the private sector. "It's not about making the expenditure of the government more efficient. It's about growing businesses, which of course energy is a critical part of," she said. "It's all about recognising that the pathway to prosperity is through growth. It's through the private sector. It's to the Australians we back every day who are out there giving back, taking risks, having a crack." The Opposition Leader was also pressed on the harrowing images emerging from Gaza after Israel was pressured to open more channels for aid to enter the war-torn enclave. Ms Ley expressed she was "distressed" by the images of starvation coming out of Gaza but urged that Hamas must return Israeli hostages to end the war. She said the Palestinian people "deserved so much better" after its Hamas leadership had "let them down for decades". The Opposition Leader declined to respond to reports that the images depicting starvation in Gaza were fake and insisted that there needed to be "partners in the peace process" representing Palestinians. Ms Ley was asked to respond to 2011 comments she made in which she sympathised with the Palestinian people, and that they had been "airbrushed out of history". "I am a friend to the Palestinian people, I'm not a friend of their leadership, I'm not a friend of Hamas, how could anyone be?" she said.
