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The Guardian
26-03-2025
- Health
- The Guardian
From mental health to threatened species: the glaring omissions in the 2025 federal budget
While much of the federal budget conversation will centre around what's in it for you – and for good reason – what's not in the budget is equally as important. And, given it's a small, pre-election budget, there are quite a few omissions. Here's who is missing out on a piece of the pie this time around. While the surprise of tax cuts sweetened the budget news for many, those on income support payments were overlooked. In particular were those on jobseeker payments, which remain on levels below the poverty line. The government's own Economic Inclusion Advisory Committee released its 2025 report earlier in March recommending the jobseeker rate be increased to 90% of the aged pension. But despite a number of advocacy groups pushing for a boost to the payments, it was nowhere to be seen in Tuesday's release. Another area hurting the bottom lines of many Australians is housing – whether they're renting or buying. Unlike last year's budget, this one did not raise the commonwealth rent assistance rates, which helped shave off around 1.3% in rental increases across the country. Peak health bodies pointed to the lack of initiatives in the budget to support mental health. Dr Elizabeth Moore, the president of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists, said there had been no meaningful investment in growing the psychiatry workforce and matching mental health funding to the level of community need. The executive director of the Australian Association of Psychologists, Tegan Carrison, said the government's claim the budget contains the largest investment in Medicare since its creation 'continues to ignore one of the key aspects of health – mental health'. The peak medical body, the Australian Medical Association, highlighted the lack of investment in preventative health, adding it was particularly disappointed in the lack of a sugar sweetened beverage tax, despite the recommendations of the parliamentary inquiry into diabetes. The Public Health Association of Australia said the budget maintains the 'decades-long tradition of spending on treatments and hospitals, rather than investing in preventive health measures that stop people getting sick in the first place'. In the face of commonwealth spending on public hospitals increasing by 12% in one year, CEO and adjunct professor Terry Slevin said, 'The only rational response is to reduce demand by investing in making people healthier, through real commitments in prevention.' Despite being widely canned by the university sector, students, Labor and the Greens since its implementation, the jobs-ready graduates (JRG) scheme will have to wait until the next term of government for any reform. The scheme, introduced by the Morrison government in 2021, increased fees for some courses, including humanities, to fund fee cuts in other courses as well as 39,000 extra university places. Universities Australia estimates JRG has reduced university funding by about $800m a year and driven arts degrees to $50,000. Its CEO, Luke Sheehy, said the budget was a 'missed opportunity' to address the student funding system. 'JRG has unfairly altered fees for students and reduced funding to universities,' he said. 'We want to work with the next federal government as a priority to set new funding rates and it's imperative that the next federal budget funds this work properly and fully.' Innovative Research Universities executive director, Paul Harris, said JRG remained the 'elephant in the room' that needed to be addressed. 'The primary driver of student debt is the cost of doing a degree and these costs are still rising for Australian students,' he said. The arts sector is often overlooked in federal budgets and Labor's 2025 budget did not reverse that trend. There was one major announcement – $8.6m to extend the Revive Live program, which supports the continuation of Australia's live music venues and festivals. The National Association for the Visual Arts was supportive of the package but said future budgets should provide 'comprehensive, equitable support for all art forms'. The Save Our Arts campaign suggested the government could look at increasing local content quotas for multinational streaming services with Australian subscribers as well as new laws to protect Australian creatives from AI. The Australian Conservation Foundation calculated that less than one cent out of every dollar allocated went to protecting nature. Foundation chief executive, Kelly O'Shanassy, said there was no new funding for threatened species beyond a $3m commitment from existing resources for a captive breeding program for the endangered Maugean skate. 'With rampant habitat destruction and the accelerating impacts of climate change, numerous ecosystems are on the brink and people's livelihoods are at risk, yet investment in nature protection and climate action remains a tiny fraction of commonwealth spending,' O'Shanassy said. The budget included $250m over five years for a 'saving Australia's bushland' program, promised to help meet a target of protecting 30% of land by 2030. The Biodiversity Council said it was estimated 20 times that amount would be needed to meet the 30% goal. It said estimates suggested $2.3bn a year would be needed to protect the country's more than 2,000 threatened species from extinction. The federal government provided $14m in funding for the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner, which is responsible for privacy and freedom of information in the government, in Tuesday's budget, but the portfolio documents for the agency reveal that while there will be a slight boost in base funding in this current financial year at $40m, that is reduced in the next few years, down to $26m in 2028-29. The commissioner, Elizabeth Tydd, revealed in Senate estimates in February the organisation had already shed 23% of its workforce, going from 200 staff to 138. The current headcount is 179, according to the document, and will go down to 176 in the next financial year. This comes despite increased responsibility for the agency, including overseeing the government's digital ID – for which the agency received $5.3m in funding for – but also the extra roles of investigating the growing number of privacy breaches affecting Australians, and dealing with the workload of reviewing freedom of information decisions.
The Guardian
25-03-2025
- Business
- The Guardian
Chalmers delivers 2025 budget speech
Show key events only 6.35am EDT 06:35 What we learned, Tuesday 25 March (budget day) For a budget we thought we were skipping due to the election, it's been somewhat eventful. Here's what made the headlines: The Albanese government announced a tax cut 'top up' as the centrepiece of its pre-election budget. It will give the average worker about $538 extra in their pay packets per year from mid-2027. You can read all about that here. The Coalition has said it won't back Labor's tax cuts but refuses to say whether it will be announcing any income tax cuts of their own. Treasurer Jim Chalmers says the budget is 'responsible' and his tax cuts are fiscally responsible. There's been plenty of reaction so far, some positive, some not so much. The ACTU has welcomed the tax cuts and ban on non-compete clauses, while the business council has supported the cuts but said the government should have done more to boost the private sector. And earlier today there were some dramatic scenes around parliament over the government's last-minute legislation to protect the salmon industry in Tasmania (a bill which environmentalists say will further harm an endangered species of fish – the Maugean skate). They passed the House about 6pm. Thank you so much for joining me on the blog this evening, I'll be back for more with you bright and early tomorrow morning (with plenty of caffeine) for more action from Parliament House. Updated at 6.44am EDT 6.25am EDT 06:25 Psychiatrists say no meaningful investment to solve workforce crisis The nation's peak body for psychiatrists has expressed its disappointment in this budget being no difference from previous ones in offering the mental health system 'crumbs'. Dr Elizabeth Moore, the president of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists (RANZCP), said: The word 'psychiatry' has only been mentioned once in tonight's budget papers to refer to a pre-existing program. There has been no meaningful investment in growing the psychiatry workforce. It is particularly striking – especially as workforce shortages continue to bite and bring the system to its knees in parts of the country. We need to grow the mental health workforce and match mental health funding to the level of community need, or the system will keep collapsing under pressure. Updated at 6.44am EDT 6.19am EDT 06:19 Minor climate change and environmental spending in budget Not much new in the budget from a climate change and environment perspective, but there is some funding for cuddly looking mammals and elusive fish in captivity. The Maugean skate – the endangered species at the centre of a political storm over the future of salmon farming in Tasmania's Macquarie Harbour – has been promised $3m over three years to support an expanded captive breeding program. Giant pandas at the Adelaide Zoo get $3.8m in federal funding over five years to support their lifestyle and wellbeing. On a more substantial scale, there is $250m over five years to help meet a government target of protecting 30% of the country's land and 30% of its territorial waters by 2030. This funding – which was announced by the environment minister, Tanya Plibersek, on Saturday – goes to the land part of that goal. It was broadly welcomed by conservation organisations, though some said it was not enough to do the job. Several campaign groups said it was no substitute for the introduction of stronger laws to boost nature protection – but that commitment has been kicked into next term. Updated at 6.42am EDT 6.17am EDT 06:17 Greens say Labor's budget 'underwhelming in the extreme' The Greens senator Nick McKim was up earlier in the press gallery, describing the treasurer's budget as 'disappointing and underwhelming in the extreme'. To give you an insider perspective of what happens in Parliament House as soon as media are let out of their device-less cages at 7.30pm, a conga line of interest groups appear in the Press Gallery to give their opinions on the federal budget. The Greens joined that line too because it means they might get their budget reactions included in any late night television packages. But back to McKim's comments – the Greens' Treasury spokesperson said the budget was 'far more notable for what it doesn't contain than what it does'. On the surprise tax cuts announced tonight, McKim said they were 'tiny' and 'tardy', amounting to about 73c a day in the first year in 2026-27. 'You'd be lucky to get a Chupa Chup for that and you'd have to shop around to find one at that price,' he said, suggesting a number of Greens policies, including their proposed billionaires' tax, would have been more ambitious. People are going to have to wait a long, long time for a very, very small tax break and, in the meantime, if you're a fossil fuel CEO, if you're a wealthy property speculator, you're popping the champagne corks tonight. Updated at 6.26am EDT 6.15am EDT 06:15 6.07am EDT 06:07 Continuing from our last post: The Australian Medical Association also pointed out some other 'missed opportunities' in the budget. McMullen said not creating an independent health workforce agency – a body dedicated to ensuring Australia's medical workforce is distributed where it's needed – was a 'missed opportunity'. She said the AMA will also be pushing the next government to address the growing crisis in the private health sector, including hospital closures, contract disputes between insurers and hospitals and growing evidence that more and more policyholders are downgrading their cover as premiums become less affordable. McMullen said the additional funding for public hospitals would go some way to helping our increasingly public hospitals improve performance but the elected government would need to expedite finalising the National Health Reform Agreement. While the recent investment from the federal government and action to address issues in some states and territories is welcome, the delay to a new National Health Reform Agreement was disappointing. The federal government's promised investment, originally estimated at $13bn, into our public hospitals is little more than a nice idea if states and territories fail to reach an agreement with the federal government. McMullen said hospitals were being increasingly affected by rising rates of chronic disease and the government had also missed the opportunity to tackle obesity and chronic disease through a tax on sugary drinks. Updated at 6.19am EDT 6.06am EDT 06:06 Australian Medical Association says 'structural reform of Medicare rebates' still needed Australia's peak medical body says the budget contains 'welcome investments in Medicare' but structural reforms to the universal healthcare system is still needed. The Australian Medical Association's president, Dr Danielle McMullen, said it was reassuring to see the additional $8.5bn for Medicare that was promised by both parties confirmed in the budget, together with funding to address GP workforce issues and medical workforce shortages. But while this investment will help address affordability issues for many who don't currently qualify for bulk billing incentives, structural reform of Medicare rebates is needed to ensure today's patients get the care they need. We are calling for a new seven-tier general practice consultation item structure that is designed to meet the challenges of the growing burden of complex and chronic disease – one that supports patients to spend more time with their GP as part of a comprehensive approach to care. Updated at 6.18am EDT 6.02am EDT 06:02 Budget includes $17m over two years to support Ukraine The federal government will pitch in with more aid to Ukraine as part of a wider increase to defence spending. The budget includes an extra $17m over two years from 2024-25 to support the war effort, including for communications systems, artillery components, firearms and other equipment. As flagged on Monday, the 2025-26 budget fast-tracks $1bn in planned defence spending, lifting the total amount allocated over the forward estimates to $10.6bn. It is part of an additional $50.3bn in spending this decade, which will take funding for defence past 2.3% of GDP in the early 2030s. Australia and its allies have been under pressure from Donald Trump to lift defence spending to 3% of GDP in part to combat China's influence. In a joint statement, the defence minister, Richard Marles, the defence industry minister, Pat Conroy, and the veterans' affairs minister, Matt Keogh, said: There is no greater responsibility for the Albanese Labor government than keeping Australians safe and securing our nation's future during a time of global uncertainty. Ukraine's president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, with Anthony Albanese in 2023. Photograph: Ukrainian Presidential Press Service Handout/EPA Updated at 6.17am EDT 5.57am EDT 05:57 Updated at 6.12am EDT 5.53am EDT 05:53 Updated at 6.10am EDT 5.50am EDT 05:50 Updated at 6.07am EDT 5.45am EDT 05:45 Updated at 5.47am EDT 5.42am EDT 05:42 Updated at 5.50am EDT 5.37am EDT 05:37 The Albanese government will increase the federal public service by 3,400 roles over the next year, adding to the more than 40,000 roles created since Labor first came to power. The latest federal budget papers also include another hit to the bottom lines of consultancy and labour hire firms with Labor committing to slash another $719m in external resourcing by 2028-29, totalling $4.7bn since 2022. Labor has increased its average staffing level by 3,436 jobs for 2025-25, the latest federal budget papers show, with the total number of roles now expected to reach 213,439 jobs. The 2025-26 federal budget shows a total of 11,800 permanent roles have been created since May 2022 to replace work previously undertaken by consultants and contractors. The converted jobs make up about 28% of the 41,411 jobs added to the public service since Labor took office. You can read more here: Updated at 5.43am EDT 5.35am EDT 05:35 Updated at 5.43am EDT
Yahoo
21-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Vulnerable Aussies at ‘breaking point'
Vulnerable Australians are at risk of falling through 'growing cracks' in the mental health system as the country's peak psychiatry body calls on the major political parties to step up and commit to addressing gaps in care for those with the most severe mental illnesses. Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists (RANZCP) president Elizabeth Moore claimed vulnerable Australians were missing out on care, with major political parties remaining quiet on the issue of specialist care for those with the most severe and complex mental illnesses ahead of the looming federal election. 'Hundreds of vulnerable Australians are missing out on the care they need, but no party has stepped up with a real plan to fix it,' Dr Moore said. One in five Australians between the ages of 16 and 85 experienced a mental health disorder in the 12 months to February last year, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics. However about 20 per cent of people delayed or didn't see a health professional for mental health due to the cost during the 2023-24 financial year, data released in November found. The cost of a first appointment with a psychiatrist at their rooms (not in hospital) – or for patients who haven't seen the specialist in the past 24 months – is about $480, according to the Department of Health and Aged Care's medical costs finder. Patients typically pay about $243 out of pocket, with $237 paid by Medicare. The cost of appointments between 30 and 45 minutes for patients is about $400; however, patients typically pay about $142 out of pocket. Dr Moore said psychiatry waitlists were continuing to grow across the country, leaving emergency departments overwhelmed while people present with 'more complex conditions that take longer and cost more to treat'. 'Public hospitals are under constant pressure, and private hospitals offering psychiatric services are shutting their doors,' Dr Moore said. 'For many Australians, help remains too far away, too long a wait, too expensive or simply unavailable. Passionate mental health advocate Andy Arnold has shared his tips for reaching out for help. 'Despite repeated warnings, mental health continues to be treated as a subset of general health policy, with no plan to strengthen specialist mental health services.' RANZCP has called on the major political parties to address industry shortages and make specialist care more affordable, branding it a 'core service, not an optional extra'. 'We need more than vague commitments and piecemeal funding – our mental health system is at breaking point, and without urgent action to bolster all parts of our mental health system, Australians will continue to fall through its growing cracks,' Dr Moore said. The peak body has also called for funding to be boosted for child and adolescent mental health services and released a scorecard on what Labor, Liberals and Greens have – or haven't – committed to in regards to specialist care. While it showed Labor had partially committed to addressing psychiatrist shortages and funding for child and adolescent mental health services, the parties had largely avoided the topic of increased Medicare rebates and the introduction of new Medicare Benefits Schedule item numbers to 'reflect the complexity of psychiatry services'. RANZCP's key MBS ask if for the Medicare rebate to be increased to 100 per cent for Aussies who need to see a psychiatrist. 'Our call to Minister Butler and the federal government is clear – help us help you in providing accessible, affordable and the best possible mental health care to every Australian, regardless of their background or postcode,' Dr Moore said. Other MBS demands include a new psychiatry 'complex care' item for patients with severe mental health conditions and a new billing item for private practice psychiatry registrars to allow billing without the need for a referral. ED 'default' RANZCP Emergency Department Steering Group chair Jacqueline Huber says emergency departments have become the 'default' for people seeking mental health treatment due to the 'chronic' underfunding of community services. 'What we really need is attention to services that treat the most unwell in our community,' Dr Huber told NewsWire. 'Those with psychotic illnesses or in severe psychosocial distress because those are the people most likely to come to the emergency department to seek care. 'We are asking both inpatient and community care to be better funded for those with the most severe mental ill health in our community.' She said states of 'being unwell' varied, and 'we're not addressing the very acute and very unwell end of the spectrum'. 'If people can't afford a psychiatrist or psychologist, their symptoms are likely to escalate and their distress can become so acute that they could become suicidal and of course come to the emergency department,' Ms Huber said. Major party commitments Labor has announced a suite of measures in the mental health sector over the last few years, including $708m towards extending vocational training for specialist mental health registrars outside traditional metropolitan teaching hospitals. It's understood about $117m of that figure is for psychiatrists. Other measures include an additional $40.5m to be invested to increase the psychiatry workforce over four years, with the government last year announcing it would up the number of postgraduate psychology spots at universities as well as bring about more psychology internships and supervisors. The government also put forth $69m last month for support for those affected by suicide and distress while rolling out the National Suicide Prevention Strategy 2025-35 and committed to restoring bulk-billed video telehealth psychiatry sessions in 2022. A free mental health counselling service is also set to be rolled out under Medicare from January next year. The service would allow Aussies to access support over the phone and online for free. A spokesperson for Health Minister Mark Butler said the government was 'reforming the health system so that everyone can get the mental health care and support they need'. 'We are introducing new mental health services and building the workforce so people can get advice and support when they're in distress and professional care for more complex mental health needs,' the spokesperson said. 'The Albanese government is addressing the challenges faced by the psychiatry profession by investing over $200m to increase workforce and skillset through expanded training opportunities.' However, the spokesperson did not disclose or comment on any specific election sweeteners. The opposition matched Labor's $8.5bn election pledge to boost bulk-billed GP visits and raised it by another half a billion dollars, including $500m for bulk-billed mental health appointments. The Coalition would also lift the available Medicare rebated mental health sessions from 10 to 20. However, Mr Butler earlier claimed reinstating the 10 additional sessions could create a 'bottleneck in the system'. Opposition health spokeswoman Anne Ruston said the Coalition would 'restore full access to Medicare-subsidised mental health support on a permanent basis as Australia's mental health experts have been calling for' if elected. 'We will make further announcements in due course as we near the election,' Ms Ruston said. The Greens previously announced they would introduce 'free' mental healthcare by removing the cap on subsidised psychologist sessions, bring in new local health clinics to allow Aussies to see psychologists for free, and create more pathways for mental healthcare plans. Don't go it alone. Please reach out for help. Lifeline: 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue: 1300 22 4636 or Kids Helpline: 1800 55 1800 or Headspace: 1800 650 890 or 13YARN: Speak to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander crisis supporter on 13 92 76 or visit Are you anxious? Take the Beyond Blue quiz to see how you're tracking and whether you could benefit from support
