Latest news with #MaryAnneThomas
ABC News
2 days ago
- Health
- ABC News
Health Minister has 'some concerns' over Mildura Base Public Hospital
Victorian Health Minister Mary-Anne Thomas has told a parliamentary inquiry she has "had some concerns" about Mildura Base Public Hospital (MBPH). MBPH has consistently had among the highest emergency department (ED) backlogs in the state, according to recent length of stay data from the Victorian Agency for Health Information. A total of 266 patients, or 3.28 per cent of all patients at MBPH, waited for more than 24 hours for treatment at the emergency department from January to March this year. MBPH had the worst percentage of lengthy emergency department stays in Victorian public hospitals in February and March. Its recent quarterly length of stay trend is more than eight times the statewide average. Ms Thomas told a Victorian parliamentary inquiry on Tuesday why she had extended the tenure of the government-appointed delegate to the MBPH board, Therese Tierney, in February. Ms Thomas said the government planned to open four new sub-acute beds this week to "help improve patient flow through the emergency department". A hospital spokesperson said the four beds would be moved from MBPH's maternity ward to meet demand at the emergency department. MBPH board chair Frank Piscioneri said the hospital needed more support from the state government to improve wait times. "There is a demand for the hospital services, ED and also in the wards [that] has increased dramatically over the last few years," Mr Piscioneri said. "We're at capacity from a staffing point of view … and it's got to the stage now where the answer to all of this is an increase in the infrastructure — being increased beds in the ED and obviously in the wards. "The board has met repeatedly with ministers and government representatives, yet there has been no meaningful progress. "Our capacity challenges are becoming more urgent by the day." Health Infrastructure Minister Melissa Horne told the inquiry on Friday her department had not been commissioned to upgrade the MBPH emergency department. She said she had no access to the hospital's services plan or a master plan commissioned for the hospital by the state government in 2021. Member for Mildura Jade Benham called on the government to release the master plan, and invest in 30 additional hospital beds. The ABC revealed in May a concept drawing of a new Mildura Base Public Hospital had been published online by architecture firm HSPC Health Architects. But the full master plan document has not been publicly released. Health department secretary Jenny Atta told the inquiry on Friday the government had not set a date for the release of the master plan. "The department would release a master plan once there was an investment decision, and the most up-to-date information could be taken into account and released with that plan." If you're unable to load the form, click here.
The Independent
2 days ago
- Business
- The Independent
Wrong embryo implanted in second such IVF clinic mix-up
Monash IVF, a top Australian IVF provider, mistakenly implanted a patient with her own embryo instead of her partner's at a Melbourne clinic on June 5. This is the second such mix-up for Monash IVF, following an April disclosure of a similar incident in Brisbane in 2023, raising concerns about industry oversight. The company stated it is supporting the couple involved and has extended an existing independent investigation and is installing extra verification safeguards. Shares of Monash IVF have dropped 25 per cent following the incident, and analysts predict potential reputational damage and market share losses. Victorian health minister Mary-Anne Thomas has deemed the incident "completely unacceptable" and confirmed that the Victorian Department of Health is investigating the company.
ABC News
2 days ago
- Health
- ABC News
Second IVF bungle admitted by major Australian clinic
Samantha Donovan: First this evening, a major Australian in vitro fertilisation clinic has admitted once again to mistakenly transferring the wrong embryo to a patient. It's the second time in three months that Monash IVF has admitted to making an error. In the earlier incident, a Queensland woman unknowingly gave birth to somebody else's baby. The news has prompted an outcry, with those currently going through IVF calling for better regulation of the sector. Rachel Mealey reports. Rachel Mealey: It seems an unlikely place to admit to a mistake like this, but because Monash IVF is a listed company, it made the announcement to the Australian Stock Exchange. The statement said it had mistakenly implanted the wrong embryo in a patient. Victorian Health Minister Mary-Anne Thomas says the mistake is unacceptable. Mary-Anne Thomas: So it appears that Monash IVF, which is a private fertility service here in Victoria, has not followed the treatment plan that was agreed with a couple that are receiving treatment from them. Now this is completely unacceptable. Rachel Mealey: Today's admission comes just two months after Monash IVF said it was responsible for a Brisbane woman giving birth to a baby who was genetically unrelated to her. In the latest incident, a patient's own embryo had been implanted instead of one created from her partner's egg. Mary-Anne Thomas says the Victorian Health Regulator will begin an immediate investigation. Mary-Anne Thomas: This will be quite devastating for the couple at the heart of this. I mean, we all know that the IVF journey can be a very long, torturous one. It can be very expensive as well. And to not be respected, not have your treatment plan followed, I can't even really imagine how that couple are feeling right now. But I want them to know that my thoughts are with them. Rachel Mealey: The Federal Health Minister Mark Butler has also flagged more regulation of the IVF sector and says he's put the topic on the agenda for this week's Health Ministers' Meeting. Associate Professor Alex Polyakov is the Medical Director of Genea Fertility and a fertility specialist from the University of Melbourne. Alex Polyakov: I do know that all the labs in Victoria and in Australia in general would have very similar protocols for these things. There are two embryologists identifying all biological samples when they're transferred. We check with the patient when the embryo is about to be transferred. And so I still feel that the system, while it may appear to be broken, actually works very well. But unfortunately those two incidents came to light in a very short period of time. Rachel Mealey: He says the latest incident involves a same-sex couple who've both generated embryos, and that's added a layer of complexity to the case. Alex Polyakov: What I can understand from the media release from Monash is that they both had IVF and created embryos from both sets of eggs. And the embryos usually belong to a couple. And so then they express the preference for a particular embryo to be transferred to one of the partners. And that instruction may not have gotten through unaltered from the doctor to the lab or from the lab to the patient. And so the couple received their own embryo. It just wasn't from an egg that they specified. Rachel Mealey: Sarah Jefford is a fertility law expert. She says systems need to be reviewed to reassure anyone currently going through IVF. Sarah Jefford: I think the clinic and all fertility clinics really need to be concerned about making sure that their treatment is accurate. We're really playing with people's lives here and not just the patients themselves but any person born. And that there's not really a lot of room for error. I know that all clinics have their protocols for making sure they're using the right eggs and sperm and embryos. But when mistakes like this happen, they have lifelong consequences for everyone involved. Rachel Mealey: She says there's room for a national regulator within the sector. Sarah Jefford: At a national level, we don't actually have consistent laws around fertility treatment. Every state and territory has their own laws. And there is no national regulator in that respect. We do have the National Health and Medical Research Council which distributes ethical guidelines. But we also generally allow for clinics to manage their own protocols and treatment standards. We don't have anything at the national level that really regulates them. Samantha Donovan: That's fertility law expert Sarah Jefford. That report from Rachel Mealey.
ABC News
2 days ago
- Health
- ABC News
Monash IVF admits second embryo bungle
Samantha Donovan: Hello, welcome to PM. I'm Samantha Donovan, coming to you from the lands of the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin Nation in Melbourne. Tonight, an IVF clinic admits another bungle, transferring the wrong embryo to a patient. Also accused triple murderer Erin Patterson rejects testimony from several witnesses at her trial, and older men learning to cook for the first time in their lives. John Seymour: I think a lot of men, including me, have realised that the time has come to do more around the house. Meals just don't magically arrive on the table. You have to learn. Samantha Donovan: First this evening, a major Australian in vitro fertilisation clinic has admitted once again to mistakenly transferring the wrong embryo to a patient. It's the second time in three months that Monash IVF has admitted to making an error. In the earlier incident, a Queensland woman unknowingly gave birth to somebody else's baby. The news has prompted an outcry, with those currently going through IVF calling for better regulation of the sector. Rachel Mealey reports. Rachel Mealey: It seems an unlikely place to admit to a mistake like this, but because Monash IVF is a listed company, it made the announcement to the Australian Stock Exchange. The statement said it had mistakenly implanted the wrong embryo in a patient. Victorian Health Minister Mary-Anne Thomas says the mistake is unacceptable. Mary-Anne Thomas: So it appears that Monash IVF, which is a private fertility service here in Victoria, has not followed the treatment plan that was agreed with a couple that are receiving treatment from them. Now this is completely unacceptable. Rachel Mealey: Today's admission comes just two months after Monash IVF said it was responsible for a Brisbane woman giving birth to a baby who was genetically unrelated to her. In the latest incident, a patient's own embryo had been implanted instead of one created from her partner's egg. Mary-Anne Thomas says the Victorian Health Regulator will begin an immediate investigation. Mary-Anne Thomas: This will be quite devastating for the couple at the heart of this. I mean, we all know that the IVF journey can be a very long, torturous one. It can be very expensive as well. And to not be respected, not have your treatment plan followed, I can't even really imagine how that couple are feeling right now. But I want them to know that my thoughts are with them. Rachel Mealey: The Federal Health Minister Mark Butler has also flagged more regulation of the IVF sector and says he's put the topic on the agenda for this week's Health Ministers' Meeting. Associate Professor Alex Polyakov is the Medical Director of Genea Fertility and a fertility specialist from the University of Melbourne. Alex Polyakov: I do know that all the labs in Victoria and in Australia in general would have very similar protocols for these things. There are two embryologists identifying all biological samples when they're transferred. We check with the patient when the embryo is about to be transferred. And so I still feel that the system, while it may appear to be broken, actually works very well. But unfortunately those two incidents came to light in a very short period of time. Rachel Mealey: He says the latest incident involves a same-sex couple who've both generated embryos, and that's added a layer of complexity to the case. Alex Polyakov: What I can understand from the media release from Monash is that they both had IVF and created embryos from both sets of eggs. And the embryos usually belong to a couple. And so then they express the preference for a particular embryo to be transferred to one of the partners. And that instruction may not have gotten through unaltered from the doctor to the lab or from the lab to the patient. And so the couple received their own embryo. It just wasn't from an egg that they specified. Rachel Mealey: Sarah Jefford is a fertility law expert. She says systems need to be reviewed to reassure anyone currently going through IVF. Sarah Jefford: I think the clinic and all fertility clinics really need to be concerned about making sure that their treatment is accurate. We're really playing with people's lives here and not just the patients themselves but any person born. And that there's not really a lot of room for error. I know that all clinics have their protocols for making sure they're using the right eggs and sperm and embryos. But when mistakes like this happen, they have lifelong consequences for everyone involved. Rachel Mealey: She says there's room for a national regulator within the sector. Sarah Jefford: At a national level, we don't actually have consistent laws around fertility treatment. Every state and territory has their own laws. And there is no national regulator in that respect. We do have the National Health and Medical Research Council which distributes ethical guidelines. But we also generally allow for clinics to manage their own protocols and treatment standards. We don't have anything at the national level that really regulates them. Samantha Donovan: That's fertility law expert Sarah Jefford. That report from Rachel Mealey. Now to the murder trial of Erin Patterson, who's accused of killing three of her husband's relatives in 2023 by serving them a meal containing death cap mushrooms. She's pleaded not guilty to three charges of murder and one of attempted murder. On her sixth day of evidence, Ms Patterson has been disputing testimony from other witnesses including the surviving lunch guest, her own son and medical professionals. And reporter Kathleen O'Connor is at the court in Morwell in eastern Victoria. Kathleen, what evidence has Erin Patterson been disagreeing with as she's cross-examined by the prosecution? Kathleen O'Connor: Sam, Erin Patterson challenged the evidence from medical experts, Ian Wilkinson, her son, the child protection employee and her husband on day six of her evidence. She began disputing testimony from the only surviving lunch guest, Ian Wilkinson, about what colour and size plates were used at the lunch. Ms Patterson told the jury today in Wilkinson's evidence about the colour of the plates that were used at the lunch was not true. There's been a few different accounts from various witnesses about the plates throughout the trial. Mr Wilkinson previously telling the jury that the four guests ate from grey plates, while their host ate from an orangey tan coloured one and that it was also smaller than the rest of her guests. Ms Patterson denied that she owns any grey plates. Crown Prosecutor Dr Nanette Rogers asked Ms Patterson, do you say that Ian Wilkinson has given incorrect evidence in relation to the plates? And she responded, yes, I do. Crown Prosecutor Dr Nanette Rogers then told Ms Patterson, I suggest that after you had plated the food, you carried the smaller plate over to the dining table for yourself and after you knowingly served death cat mushrooms to four of your lunch guests, to avoid any error of accidentally consuming a poisoned beef wellington, you took the extra precaution of using a smaller, different coloured plate for yourself. Ms Patterson disagreed with that. She says she wouldn't have had enough matching plates for each person at the lunch and denies that she even had a smaller plate than the rest of her guests. Erin Patterson also disputed evidence from medical professionals claiming that she was never told some things. They allege that they told Ms Patterson particularly about the health risk to her children. Samantha Donovan: And the prosecution alleges Ms Patterson lied to medical professionals about how much of the beef wellington lunch she'd eaten. What she told the court today. Kathleen O'Connor: We heard a lot about this today. Dr Nanette Rogers accused Ms Patterson of serving herself a non-poisonous beef wellington and lied to medical professionals about only eating a small amount in her meal in an effort to explain to authorities why her symptoms were not as serious as the symptoms for the four of the other lunch guests. Ms Patterson denied those claims. The prosecution questioned Ms Patterson for most of the day about the various testimonies from medical professionals. We've heard from over the course of the trial about when the accused first presented to hospital. Ms Patterson told the court she remembers telling nurses and doctors that she only ate around a quarter or a third of the meal, not half. Which is what a number of medical professionals say Ms Patterson told them at the time. Ms Patterson also told the court that she can't be sure of how much she ate. She didn't measure it because she didn't have a measuring tape, but says it wasn't half. Ms Patterson also told the court that she wasn't told that her life was at risk by medical professionals after they learnt that she'd eaten the beef wellington meal when she first appeared at hospital the day after the lunch. And she also says that she never refused medical treatment. Ms Patterson will return to the Witness Box again on Wednesday, Sam. Samantha Donovan: That's our reporter Kathleen O'Connor at the Patterson murder trial in Morwell in eastern Victoria. To Los Angeles now where 2,000 extra National Guardsmen are being sent in by the President Donald Trump to quell the protests against his immigration policies. There are standoffs between troops and protesters in several parts of the city. And the state of California has filed a court case against the Trump administration claiming the calling up of the National Guard troops is unconstitutional. Dijana Damjanovic prepared this report. Dijana Damjanovic: The contingent of police, National Guard and other authorities in Los Angeles is huge as authorities try desperately to contain the mayhem. And political tensions are also surging. The Democratic California Governor Gavin Newsom has dared Tom Homan, the man Donald Trump has charged with the task of carrying out deportations, to follow through on threats to arrest him. Gavin Newsom: Come after me, arrest me, let's just get it over with. Tough guy. The hell are they doing? These guys need to grow up, they need to stop. And we need to push back. And I'm sorry to be so clear, but that kind of bloviating is exhausting. So Tom, arrest me. Dijana Damjanovic: When asked if he backed the threat to arrest the Californian Governor, President Trump made it clear his answer is yes. Donald Trump: He's an incompetent governor. Look at the job he's doing in California. He's destroying one of our great states. And if I didn't get involved, if we didn't bring the Guard in, we would bring more in if we needed it. Dijana Damjanovic: The chaos in Los Angeles began on Friday when immigration raids were carried out as part of the President's aim to enact, in his words, the biggest deportation operation in US history. Federal immigration authorities arrested more than 40 people across the city. The backlash has been fierce in Los Angeles, where more than one third of the population is born outside of the US. As protests grew, Donald Trump ordered 2,000 National Guard troops in on Saturday, a move Democratic leaders in California described as making the situation worse. Then, in the past 24 hours, the President has ordered in another 2,000 National Guard troops and 700 Marines. Dozens of protesters and rioters have been arrested, and the crisis has spread to other parts of the state. Lester Munson: I think it's yet another political drama here in the US between President Trump and the Republicans against, in this case, Governor Gavin Newsom and the Democratic Party. Dijana Damjanovic: Analyst Lester Munson, based in the state of Virginia, is a non-resident fellow for the United States Study Centre in Sydney. Lester Munson: This is over the red-hot issue of immigration, and the Trump administration's pledge to deport people who are in this country against the law, or as you might say, illegal immigrants. Dijana Damjanovic: Lester Munson says this most recent spat between Gavin Newsom and Donald Trump is bringing Governor Newsom's own presidential ambitions to the fore, and the governor has one eye on the future. Lester Munson: He's got to oppose President Trump in as plausible a way as he possibly can, and to the greatest extent he possibly can while still maintaining some sort of contact with common sense. I'm watching him exploit this opportunity to make a name for himself, to be on television, to challenge President Trump, and to kind of put himself forward as the spokesperson for his party. And the events on the ground in Los Angeles are certainly providing a terrific opportunity for him to do exactly that. Dijana Damjanovic: Meanwhile, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says his government has contacted the United States about an incident at the Los Angeles riots in which Australian Channel 9 correspondent Lauren Tomasi was hit in the leg by a rubber bullet. Samantha Donovan: That report from Dijana Damjanovic. This is PM, I'm Samantha Donovan. You can hear all our programs live or later on the ABC Listen app. Ahead, special classes teaching older men how to cook. The world's two biggest economies, the US and China, are again holding talks in an attempt to end the bitter trade war that threatens to derail the global economy. The American president, Donald Trump, launched heavy tariffs on Chinese imports after returning to the White House earlier this year. And China, of course, responded with its own tariffs on US imports. Our business correspondent David Taylor has this report on how the talks are going. David Taylor: Officials from China and the US have been sitting at the same table, figuring out how to co-exist in a highly competitive global economy. FNArena financial commentator Danielle Ecuyer. Danielle Ecuyer: Well, that's really interesting because we have some rather big trade talks going on at the moment in London. David Taylor: Talks at Lancaster House, a UK government mansion, were held yesterday and are set to resume Tuesday morning local time. After agreeing a 90-day pause on the heaviest of their tariffs, Washington and Beijing are trying to strike a deal for beyond that time. Danielle Ecuyer: Both of those countries have a lot to lose from these tariffs, whether it's America losing access to the rare earths, which they need for the defence industry, for the tech industry, or whether it's China, which is really encountering a huge collapse in their exports, and also the fact that they're experiencing quite heavy deflation, which is also a negative. So I think it's probably mutually beneficial that these trade talks come to at least some form of resolution around some of these major issues. David Taylor: Since the talks in Geneva, the US has accused China of moving too slowly on its commitments, particularly around rare earth shipments. Rare earths have become indispensable in the manufacture of high-tech products, including smartphones, wind turbines, electric vehicles, flat screens, lasers, as well as missiles, fighter planes and satellites. Justin Wolfers: A critically important issue for the United States is access particularly to rare earth minerals. David Taylor: University of Michigan professor Justin Wolfers is watching the talks carefully. Justin Wolfers: Trump says the Chinese have slow-walked that access. I don't have dirt under my fingernail, so I couldn't tell you one way or the other. It seems utterly plausible in the context of the history of that relationship that they would have done that. The point is, outside of the four corners of the agreement, each feels aggrieved with the other when they just had a meeting to sort out their differences. David Taylor: Just on that, though, the US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick described the talks between China and the United States in Britain early Australian time today as, quote, "fruitful". What do we take from that? Does that matter? Does that mean anything? Justin Wolfers: Here's how you figure this out. If nothing happened, he would have said they were fruitful, and if a lot happened, he would have said they were fruitful. So therefore, the fact that he said they were fruitful tells you nothing. David Taylor: US President Donald Trump put out a positive spin on the talks, saying that they were going well, and he was, quote, only getting good reports from his team in London. We're doing well with China. China's not easy, Trump said, offering no details on the substance of the discussions. But as Justin Wolfers points out, so far there's been little to no progress at all in terms of trade negotiations between the US and its major trading partners around the world, since he unleashed heavy tariffs on so-called Liberation Day. Justin Wolfers: I mean, they're at zero right now. One, if you're a very, very generous grader and include a non-binding agreement with the Brits that the Americans may have already breached. So they're still saying we're here to make deals. It looks very likely that the 90th day will come, and they'll have between fewer than a dozen deals and quite likely zero. David Taylor: The Australian dollar continues to hold its own amid the trade dramas, currently trading around 65 US cents. Samantha Donovan: David Taylor reporting. It's estimated about a third of Australian households have solar panels on their roofs, but fly over a major population centre and you'll see plenty of empty roof space that could be generating power. Now there's a push for the nation's biggest city to exploit that resource. A new report by the think tank the Committee for Sydney has found 75% of the city's energy needs could be generated by putting solar panels on commercial roof space, and that power could help bring down prices for renters and those who live in dwellings where solar systems can't be installed. Isabel Moussalli has more. Isabel Moussalli: Sydney resident Noah Fowler used to work for a solar company, but renting an apartment means rooftop solar is out of reach for him. So you can imagine the frustration with getting high electricity bills. Noah Fowler: I know it's a no-brainer, but when it comes to landlords or it comes to Strata, there's just so many different hurdles that pop up. Also, lack of real estate doesn't make it a simple solution. So, yeah, it's kind of a trickier one when you're coming from an industry where you're telling people to do it, but coming home and not being able to have it, I'm just like, ugh. Isabel Moussalli: Boosting that access is the goal of a new report by think tank Committee for Sydney, which was developed with local energy distributors and consultants. Sam Kernaghan: Sydney has massive renewable energy potential that's virtually untapped. Most importantly, there's a real disconnect in terms of equity of access to that renewable energy opportunity. Isabel Moussalli: That's report author Sam Kernaghan. Sam Kernaghan: A renewable energy zone is a coordinated way of delivering new generation and transmission in regional New South Wales and across the eastern seaboard. And we took that same idea, we took that inspiration to apply to metropolitan Sydney. We think there's a real opportunity for Sydney to generate much, much more energy than it is today, and the distribution network is already in place here in Sydney. So there's an opportunity to take advantage of existing infrastructure. Isabel Moussalli: He explains about 30% of Sydney-siders have rooftop solar. With state and federal incentives, that number is growing. But the report found if every residential and industrial rooftop had solar panels, that would meet 75% of Sydney's annual energy needs. Sam Kernaghan: So that's seven times what Sydney's currently generating. We may not get there in full. 100% coverage is definitely a stretch. But this finding shows what's possible. Isabel Moussalli: It's made a range of recommendations, including improving access to community batteries and trialling new models for energy generation and storage. Sam Kernaghan: We looked at incentives, particularly for industrial landlords, to oversize their solar on rooftops because currently they only install about 10% to 20%. So things like risk underwriting mechanisms, again, to change their behaviour, we ask them to invest some of their own capital. But to get this going, we also need something as simple as an urban renewable energy roundtable, a way of bringing together all the key stakeholders. Isabel Moussalli: Tania Urmee is a professor in the School of Engineering and Energy at Murdoch University. She commends the report's focus on energy equity, like improving access for rentals, apartments and low-income households. But she says reaching this goal will require more infrastructure and boosting the workforce. Tania Urmee: I think there's a lot for our government to do, that policy is needed. And we could be the powerhouse in the world for renewable energy and we should take those opportunities as soon as we can. Samantha Donovan: Professor Tania Urmee from Murdoch Uni. That report from Isabel Moussalli. Well, for some older men, their only cooking experience is putting a sausage or steak on the barbecue. But when their wife falls ill or dies, suddenly they're finding themselves in a foreign part of the house, the kitchen. A grassroots program in Canberra is teaching men over 60 to cook and helping them connect with other men in retirement. Angus Randall filed this report. Noah Fowler: What we're doing at the moment is we're just going to put all the scraps on the table and we're going to clean them as we go. Angus Randall: At a community kitchen in Canberra's south, the air is thick with onion, garlic and dad jokes. John Seymour: I realised I didn't know very much about cooking and I needed to learn. Angus Randall: John Seymour's wife Heather had been the head chef in their house, but when she fell ill, he had to step up and learn how to cook. John Seymour: I think a lot of men, including me, have realised that the time has come to do more around the house. Meals just don't magically arrive on the table. You have to learn, and I've learned a great deal. Angus Randall: He's taking part in a session run by Men's Kitchen, a volunteer-led program teaching men over 60 how to cook. For many, it's a brand new skill. Their wives did all the cooking. Dennis Granlund has had to learn how to run a house since his wife died 15 months ago. Dennis Granlund: She left a large binder of menus and recipes and so on that I refer to. She was a teacher in home economics, and so she had good cooking skills. I was the apprentice, but she was the chief chef. Angus Randall: The program takes men through the entire process, from shopping for ingredients to preparing and cooking, clean-up and, of course, eating. Volunteer instructor Sonja Berghuis has spent more than 30 years as a home ec teacher. Sonja Berghuis: I was quite surprised when I came my first week that when it came to even washing the vegetables, some of the gentlemen said, oh, I didn't realise that we needed to do that. I decided that this was something where I could give back to the community, use the skills that I have to help other people, which is something that I'm really passionate about, and it's good for my own wellbeing. Angus Randall: The program began in Sydney and has spread to Canberra and the Gold Coast. Local organiser Don White says older men are often isolated and the weekly classes can open up their world in more ways than one. Don White: Especially men that are by themselves or they've retired, they've lost their work relationships, a lot of them are quite lonely, so this gives them an opportunity to get together with other men, learn a few cooking skills. A lot of the men, in fact, their wives have said, go out and learn to cook. I've had enough. Your turn. Angus Randall: John Seymour can now whip up a Moroccan chicken dish and he's keen to learn more. John Seymour: The recipes have three hats, one hat, two hats and three, and I'm still at the one hat stage. Samantha Donovan: That's Canberra man John Seymour ending that report from Angus Randall and Sarah Grieb. Thanks for joining me for PM. I'm Samantha Donovan. The podcast of the full program is available on the ABC Listen app and that's where you'll find ABC News Daily with Sam Hawley each weekday morning too. Today's episode, more on the relationship between the American president, Donald Trump, and the billionaire Elon Musk. Can they reconcile? We'll be back at the same time tomorrow. Good night.
ABC News
19-05-2025
- Business
- ABC News
Victorian government injects millions into healthcare ahead of state budget
The Victorian government will inject more funding into the state's troubled healthcare system in a bid to make it cheaper and more accessible. With the 2025 state budget due to be handed down later today, the government has announced a $634.3 million package to open nine new or expanded hospitals. These include the Footscray Hospital, Frankston Hospital and Maryborough and District Hospital. More money will also be invested into Urgent Care Clinics across the state and pharmacists will be able to treat more conditions, with consultations free of charge. "We are working to ensure our hospitals have the funding that they need in order to meet the needs of Victorians," said Health Minister Mary-Anne Thomas. The Victorian government has been working hard to paint a rosy picture of the state's finances ahead of its release. But despite promising an operating surplus, experts have warned years of rising state debt is still a threat to the bottom line. "It's pretty obvious the Victorian budget is under pressure, we've seen debt is rising quite significantly," said the Grattan Institute's public policy and economics expert, Trent Wiltshire. It will be Jaclyn Symes's first budget as treasurer which the premier said will deliver a $600 million operating surplus down from the $1.6 billion forecast in December. "[Tuesday's] budget will confirm the first operating surplus of the state of Victoria since the pandemic," Premier Jacinta Allan said on Monday, while touring the yet-to-open Parkville station. "We committed to a budget surplus and that is what we are delivering." Shadow Treasurer James Newbury said it was misleading. "They were $1 billion out. If they get it a billion dollars wrong again this year, they're going to be in a $400 million deficit," he said. This year's budget is expected to focus on cost-of-living measures, helping families and working people. It has been labelled "responsible" by Ms Symes who said there will be a tapering off of the government's infrastructure investment and no new taxes. "We have been responsible. We've made tough decisions but we've made the right decisions because we have been focused on the priorities of Victorians," she said. While no new taxes have been promised, a controversial Emergency Services and Volunteers Fund passed parliament just last week. The state's net debt is expected to rise with the latest update suggesting it could reach $187 billion by 2027-28. Mr Wiltshire said it was clear the budget was under pressure and debt was rising significantly. "The government is still spending quite a bit on a whole range of things," he said. "I think they need to have a clearer strategy about what the state needs in terms of how we boost productivity." Despite rolling out promises of free public transport for children under 18, and seniors on weekends, the treasurer warned the budget would include tough decisions. Among those tough decisions, thousands of public sector jobs are expected to be cut. "It will not be exactly evident about the jobs that will go ... because we want to make sure we're having those discussions with department secretaries," Ms Symes said. But experts have urged the government to go further and cut back on major infrastructure projects. "Particularly the Suburban Rail Loop (SRL)," Mr Wiltshire said. "We think the government should either pause or cancel that project given the limited benefits and the likelihood of big cost rises there." The government has made it clear that the SRL would be here to stay meaning savings would have to be found elsewhere.
