THE Joint Standing Committee on Migration will kick off the hearing schedule for its Migration, Pathway to Nation Building inquiry with public hearings in Melbourne and Robinvale in regional Victoria.

On Wednesday April 26, the committee will hear from manufacturers, policy think tanks, academics, migrant advocacy groups, and settlement service providers at a public hearing in Melbourne. The following day, the committee will head to northwest Victoria to speak with local government and fruit and vegetable growers on how migration policy can better support regional economies and communities.

Committee Chair, Maria Vamvakinou MP, said the hearings would provide the committee with the valuable opportunity to question witnesses on the details of their submissions made to the inquiry "and to see firsthand how Australia’s migration policy settings impact industry sectors, such as primary producers, who rely heavily on migrant labour and regional Australian communities".

"The committee looks forward to speaking with experts on migration issues and those directly impacted by our migration policy settings," Ms Vamvakinou said.

The full hearing programs are available on the Committee website.

Hearing details

Wednesday, 26 April 2023 – 9am to 4.30pm – Balmoral Room, Stamford Plaza Melbourne Hotel, 111 Collins St, Melbourne Vic. 3000
Thursday, 27 April 2023 – 1pm to 3.20pm – Foyer/Meeting Room, Robinvale Community Arts Centre, 37 Robin St, Robinvale Vic. 3549.

ends

THE Pharmacy Guild of Australia has claimed the Federal Government’s intention to introduce 60-day dispensing -- which doubles the number of medicines patients can receive at once, regardless of need -- in this year’s Budget will "significantly worsen the medicines shortage crisis".

According to the Guild, "this will lead to millions of patients being worse off".
 
A Guild spokesperson said, "This proposal will mean that already stretched supply chains of crucial and everyday prescription medicine will be made much worse. Shortages already exist for medications to treat a range of conditions, including blood pressure, diabetes, cholesterol, depression, anxiety, osteoporosis, Parkinson’s Disease."
 
The Guild said by providing some patients with twice as much medication as they need, many more Australians will be forced to go without.

"The policy will also lead to panic buying, hoarding of medicines and increased overdoses."
 
National President of the Pharmacy Guild of Australia, Trent Twomey said, “We have very real concerns around the impact of this policy on patient safety.
 
“If the Federal Government puts this proposal in the Budget, I am very concerned for millions of Australian patients who need regular access to critical medicine. 
 
“There are already some 400 medicines in short supply in Australia and around 70 more at risk of becoming short,” Professor Twomey said.
 
“Australians may not be able to access medicines equally, with one patient having double the amount and another missing out. 
 
“Local Labor MPs will need to explain to their communities why their community pharmacist cannot supply critical medicine to patients when they need it.”
 
The Pharmacy Guild is calling on the Federal Government to further reduce the general PBS patient co-payment to $19, supporting 19 million Australians in this cost-of-living crisis.

ends

A NATIONAL long COVID and COVID-19 database is among the key recommendations of a unanimous report released today by a Parliamentary Committee for its inquiry into long COVID and repeated COVID infections.

The House of Representative’s Standing Committee on Health, Aged Care and Sport’s report aims to improve Australia’s response to long COVID, an often-debilitating condition possibly affecting hundreds of thousands of Australians.

Chair of the Committee, Mike Freelander MP said, "It is clear that the emergence of long COVID has created challenges for patients and health care professionals alike. People with long COVID suffer from a lack of information and treatment options. Health care professionals, who worked tirelessly over the acute phase of the pandemic, are now in a difficult situation trying to support patients with this new and poorly understood condition."

Deputy Chair of the Committee, Melissa McIntosh MP said, "Throughout the inquiry, the Committee heard from hundreds of Australians about what it is like to live with long COVID and how the condition impacts their daily lives. The Committee was particularly concerned to hear that long COVID is associated with poor mental health. The Committee heard that many individuals with long COVID feel isolated, disbelieved, anxious or depressed."

The Committee made nine unanimous recommendations aimed at strengthening the Australian Government’s management of long COVID, including regarding:

• A definition of long COVID for use in Australia
• Evidence-based living guidelines for long COVID, co-designed with patients with lived experience
• A nationally coordinated research program for long COVID and COVID-19
• The COVID-19 vaccination communication strategy
• Access to antiviral treatments for COVID-19
• Support for primary healthcare providers
• Indoor air quality and ventilation.

Over the course of the inquiry, the Committee held four public hearings and received almost 600 submissions from individuals, organisations and government bodies.

The Committee wishes to sincerely thank everyone who provided written submissions and gave evidence at public hearings. The Committee is particularly appreciative of the time taken by many people who, despite being personally impacted by long COVID, have gone to considerable effort to contribute to this inquiry.

The report and further information about the Committee can be found on its website.

ends

WORKERS and their unions from Victoria’s Latrobe Valley are calling on the Federal Government to urgently support a federal Energy Transition Authority.

Gippsland Trades and Labor Council (GTLC) secretary Steve Dodd said the Latrobe Valley was a living example of a community suffering from power station closures with no alternative plan in place.

“We are still feeling the effects of Hazelwood’s closure in 2017, with just five months notice," Mr Dodd said.

“Coal power and coal mining have been the economic lifeblood of this region.

"We have powered the state and nation for a century but with the timeline for closure for our remaining power stations accelerating – we need federal co-ordination and support," Mr Dodd said.

Mr Dodd and supporters of the proposed body said a federal statutory authority would be responsible for: Co-ordinating the orderly closure of power stations; overseeing industry diversification in energy regions, like the Latrobe Valley; and supporting workers with redeployment, retraining and early retirement where appropriate.

The support for a federal Energy Transition Authority was demonstrated in a public meeting on April 20 at the GTLC Building at Morwell, where the call was amplified through media channels.

www.gippslandtlc.com.au

ends