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ABC News
28-04-2025
- Politics
- ABC News
Health, climate and community sport: What older voters in the Tasmanian seat of Bass are talking about this election
In the northern Tasmanian city of Launceston about a dozen women have gathered to pack birthing kits to send to women in developing countries. The women here are engaged, with a lot to say about Australian politics and the upcoming federal election. "My biggest concern is the climate," Carol Fuller, 78, says. Carol Fuller volunteers with organisations that promote gender equality and stand against gendered violence. ( ABC News: Ashleigh Barraclough ) " I have two grandchildren, and I wonder what sort of a world they're going to inherit, or certainly their children are going to inherit, and nobody seems to be taking it seriously. " The birthing-kit-packing session was organised by the Launceston chapter of Zonta, an international volunteer organisation advocating for the rights of women. Ms Fuller is its president, on top of her duties as chair of the Launceston White Ribbon committee, a gender-based violence prevention organisation. Photo shows Tasmanian federal electorates 2025 graphic. All eyes will be on whether the Liberals can flip Lyons on election night, but could there be other surprising contests in Tasmania? Labor is hoping for a Braddon surge, while one of its ministers could be looking over her shoulder. She's voting in the marginal electorate of Bass, which covers Launceston, north-east Tasmania and Flinders and Cape Barren islands. Her day-to-day life is devoted to caring for others, particularly underprivileged women, which is reflected in her ethos towards the election. "The other thing I'm concerned about, in terms of women, is the growing statistic of homeless women of our generation who weren't as lucky as us to have an education and a career, and therefore superannuation and a secure old age," Ms Fuller says. In her own family, she's witnessing the financial struggles many Australians are currently experiencing. Carol Fuller spoke last year at Launceston's candlelight vigil, which honoured those affected by domestic violence. ( ABC News: Ashleigh Barraclough ) "My daughter, who has two teenage kids, is working part-time and has just separated from her husband," she says. "She's paying rent that she can't afford, plus helping to pay a mortgage in order to keep some equity in the house that they bought. " So she's getting her inheritance early so that for this period of life she can manage to survive. " With Concerns about support for younger generations Rose Parker, 65, is a retired teacher who now works with young offenders and those struggling to attend school. "I think the inequity between non-government and government school funding is just appalling," she says. "We should not have homeless people, we shouldn't have kids who can't go to school because they can't eat properly, we shouldn't have parents — who I deal with — who go in and shoplift food to eat and to sell it on because they don't have any money. " These are our children we're talking about. " Rose Parker is frustrated by the gap between the rich and poor in society. ( ABC News: Ashleigh Barraclough ) The major parties often warn against electing a minority government — which happens when the winning party doesn't secure enough seats to govern without the support of minor parties or independents — but that's not something Ms Parker is worried about. She referenced the success former Labor prime minister Julia Gillard saw in passing legislation while in minority. "I'm really looking forward to loads of Greens, and loads of independents, and loads of loud voices," she says. Photo shows A man rests with his hands on the floor of a gym, with dumbbells near him and a woman walking past. Online "masculinity" content is mainstream and wide-ranging — far broader than the toxic Andrew Tate style manosphere or incel culture touched on in the hit Netflix series Adolescence. At Tuesday's session packing birthing kits, Zonta is joined by a few members of Soroptimists International, an organisation advocating for human rights and gender equality. Tracey Wicks, 62, is the president of the Soroptimists' Launceston chapter and works as an end-of-life doula and mental health social worker. "Women supporting women — that's what Zonta and that's what Soroptimists are about," she says. Housing, education, health and gender equality are some of her biggest priorities. "When we look at family violence, the thing is, if we want better men, we've got to raise better boys," she says. "I think that healthy relationships needs to be part of education. "A lot of these kids and a lot of our boys are looking at social media for influencers." Reliable health system a priority for older voters The West Launceston Bowls Club plays an important role in supporting members' mental and physical health. ( ABC News: Ashleigh Barraclough ) At the West Launceston Bowls Club, the members have just wrapped up a session on the green and gather at the bar. Club president Phil Waddington, 81, says health is the biggest issue for his generation. He's personally had good experiences in the system. "As far as the Tasmanian hospital system goes for me, I think it's absolutely wonderful," he says. Phil Waddington and Angus Greig say health is the most important issue for their generation. ( ABC News: Ashleigh Barraclough ) His friend, Angus Greig, interjects. "But Phil has private medical cover, lots of people don't and then it's not as easy," the 83-year-old says. " One of my concerns is the waste of money on this stadium in Hobart, when all that money could be put into the hospitals, because there's a long waiting time for hip replacements and things like that. " Angus Greig plays in the club's division one team. ( ABC News: Ashleigh Barraclough ) The AFL has said if Tasmania wants to enter a team in the competition, it needs a roofed stadium. Tasmania, supported by the federal government, plans to build a new stadium in Hobart at Macquarie Point. The issue has divided Tasmanians, but Mr Waddington agrees with Mr Greig. "We all love football, but we don't love it that much to pay that much," he says. "As Angus said, the money can be well spent in the hospital system and for housing. "We have a stadium here in York Park!" Phil Waddington says the Tasmania and federal governments should not be spending money on a new Hobart stadium. ( ABC News: Ashleigh Barraclough ) Mr Waddington is supportive of On May 3, he plans to vote for the sitting MP for his electorate of Bass, the Liberals' Bridget Archer. Bowls clubs are often an important social space for older members of the community. ( ABC News: Ashleigh Barraclough ) He referenced how she has at times crossed the floor to vote against her party. "Bridget is a politician who is true to her beliefs," he says. "She's always got time for people in the area, when we had a little concern she had time for us." Phil Waddington says a synethic bowling green would make life easier for members of the club. ( ABC News: Ashleigh Barraclough ) The two men say bowls plays an important role in their lives. "It's not just the exercise, you've got the social side which is important when you're retired and have got nothing else," Mr Greig says. Mr Waddington says he would love to see political funding for a new synthetic bowling green for their club, as the upkeep of the grass is difficult. "If we could get the government or someone to put a synthetic green in here, therefore we can all play easily," he says.
ABC News
23-04-2025
- Health
- ABC News
Labor and the Coalition have pledged billions of dollars towards health this campaign. But what will it mean for you?
As an increasing number of Australians skip medical care because of the cost or languish on public wait lists, the major parties have headed into this election contest vowing to do more to make health care accessible and affordable. The vast majority of policies on offer promise to make it free or cheaper to see the doctor or access medicines, an unsurprising move in a campaign where cost-of-living issues are a major issue for voters. Catch the latest interviews and in-depth coverage on Both Labor and the Coalition have unveiled the bulk of their pitches, seeking to prescribe a fix for the inaccessible and unaffordable healthcare many Australians experience. So what's in it for you? Let's take a look. Billions for bulk billing The centrepiece of The move to expand the bulk-billing incentive to all Australians is part of a package costing $8.5 billion over four years, and Labor says that will be the single largest investment in Medicare since its inception more than 40 years ago. Anthony Albanese has regularly presented a Medicare card on the campaign trail. ( ABC News: Ashleigh Barraclough ) The bulk-billing incentive is a payment aimed at encouraging doctors to provide their services at no cost to their patients, and it currently only applies to a small cohort of the population like children and concession card holders. Labor's promising to expand that so it can be used for everyone. The Coalition has seen little to gain in a fight about health, swiftly matching the commitment "dollar for dollar." Questions have already been raised about It's still entirely up to GPs whether they bulk bill and accept the incentive, and those who don't are free to set their own fees. Bulk-billing rates have fallen in recent years, and this policy's aimed at addressing that. The crucial thing to note though is that the rates are calculated on visits, not people. Children and old people — who are more likely to be bulk billed — see GPs more often and therefore inflate the figures. There's also a Health Department figures show in 2023-24, less than half of Australians were always bulk billed when they saw a GP. Medicare has been central to Labor's campaign in this election. Urgent Care Clinics a 'secret weapon' Dubbed a "secret weapon" by Labor MPs and candidates out on the hustings, Urgent Care clinics have been a dominate feature of Labor campaigns this election. You only need to look at social media to see politician after politician spruik the local locations of the centres. It's become the topic many Labor MPs are leading off with while doorknocking: "Have you heard about the new urgent care clinic being built down the road?" Bulk billing aims to incentivise doctors to treat patients at no extra cost. ( ABC: Michael Donnelly ) Just like Oprah's iconic "you get a car" moment, Labor is throwing urgent care clinics to punters like confetti, with almost 90 already delivered and a The clinics are designed to take pressure off emergency departments by treating people with illnesses or injuries which are urgent, but not life threatening. They're usually run by GPs who work alongside nurses and other health care professionals and are open outside of work hours. They're also walk-in and bulk-billed, so you don't have to pay out-of-pocket costs when you go. But the centres aren't without criticism. The Royal Australian College of GPs (RACGP) has raised The Coalition says it supports existing Urgent Care Clinics, but hasn't committed to the additional 50, instead working through its own proposed locations for future clinics. Labor, however, has run hard with a scare campaign that all the centres are at risk under a Dutton government — claims More money for women's health After decades of neglect, women's health is a major focus for the major parties. Labor has put forward a more than half-a-billion-dollar The use of long-term contraceptives like IUDs is low in Australia compared to other comparable countries, and that's partly because of the cost. This policy aims to change that, significantly boosting the Medicare rebate for IUD insertion from $91 to $215. The Albanese government is also promising to expand a network of endometriosis and pelvic pain clinics operating around the country, lifting the number from 22 to 33. The entire package has also been matched by the Coalition, which argues it started work on this area when it was in office. Both Labor and the Coalition are pledging to improve women's health care. ( Flickr: Alex Proimos ) Cheaper medicines At a time when American medical giants are coming after what they've described as an "egregious" Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS), the major parties are staring them down, promising to make medicines even cheaper from next year. Both Labor and the Coalition are promising to Pensioners and concession cardholders will continue to pay $7.70 for their PBS medicines, with the price frozen at its current level until 2030. The plan will cost $690 million over the next four years and will save Australians a combined $200 million a year. An independent body recommends what is listed on the PBS, with about 930 prescription medicines currently on the scheme. The government then subsidises those medications to make them cheaper for Australians to buy. Workforce By the government's own concession, the health workforce There are critical shortages across the board, but the major parties are mainly focusing on primary care this election. A decline in GPs is adding pressure to the workforce. ( Adobe Stock ) The Coalition's workforce strategy is aimed at tackling GP shortages, with a pledge to incentivise more junior doctors to train in general practice and 150 additional training places. There's also a move for 200 training places specifically in regional, rural and remote health. Labor's also come forward with a policy — unveiled as part of that $8.5 billion bulk-billing pledge — to expand the GP workforce to 2,000 a year (an extra 400 a year) from 2028. It also includes salary incentives so more trainee doctors choose to become GPs when it's time to specialise. Public hospital funding With a five-year national funding agreement due to wrap up right after the election, Labor has secured an interim one-year deal with the states over hospital funding before heading in to caretaker mode. The federal government has given the states and territories a $1.7 billion increase in funding for this year, lifting the Commonwealth's contribution to public hospital funding by 12 per cent to a total of about $34 billion next financial year. The states and territories have an agreement with the Commonwealth, where hospitals are funded based on how many and what type of patients they treated the previous year — and that's then adjusted for cost increases (things like wage growth, rent hikes or equipment.) The federal government picks up a portion of hospital costs: it's currently on the glide path from 40 to 45 per cent. And to put the brakes on spending, the federal government caps annual funding growth at 6.5 per cent on the previous year. That means if the cost of hospitals rises by more than that, the states and territories have to pick up the rest of the bill. Health Minister Mark Butler has indicated that cap is no longer fit-for-purpose, saying every jurisdiction will "bust through" it next year. The Coalition supports the recent round of additional funding, and whoever wins the next election will negotiate a new five-year agreement with the states and territories. Mental health Mental health has been a focus for the major parties this campaign, but unlike many of the other health policies, there's a point of difference. Labor's promising $1 billion for While a key plank of the Coalition's policy is to It has also promised to expand existing headspace centres and services for young people with complex needs. Experts argue the major parties are
