State and territory leaders have agreed with the federal government on health, housing and disability measures which would deliver what the prime minister has described as practical reforms that will make a difference.
With NSW Premier Chris Minns attending national cabinet for the first time following his ousting of the Perrottet government, Anthony Albanese was joined at the table by only one Liberal premier, Tasmania’s Jeremy Rockliff.
The leaders, meeting in Brisbane on Friday, signed off on a $2.2 billion plan to reform Medicare, while also agreeing to NDIS spending caps and housing changes.
They backed plans to improve access to after-hours care for patients and expanding the number of nurses in the workforce.
Mr Albanese said health would be the main focus for national cabinet for 2023, with reform in the sector to be discussed at a meeting in the last quarter of the year.
“One of the things identified is patients who will regularly turn up at emergency departments. We want to make sure there is registration there so we can reach out,” he told reporters on Friday.
While some state leaders, such as Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews, have called for a 50-50 health funding arrangement with the Commonwealth to be extended, the prime minister said the Medicare changes would bring practical reform.
“If I said to (leaders) we’re going to provide 50-50, they’d say ‘that’s great but 60-40 would be better from the Commonwealth and 70-30 would be better still’,” he said.
“What we’re discussing here and what the premiers have done is come up with practical outcomes of reform that makes a difference, that recognises that there (are) finite funds from all levels of government.”
National cabinet also discussed the National Disability Insurance Scheme, committing to a framework to ensure it is made more financially viable.
This would set a target growth of no more than eight per cent by July 2026, with the scheme on track to be the most expensive item in the federal budget, eclipsing Medicare.
More than $720 million has been committed to boost the capability of the agency in charge of the scheme to better support participants.
“We need to have a sustainable growth trajectory for the NDIS in order to support equity and fairness for all Australians who are living with disability, including those not eligible for the NDIS,” Mr Albanese said.
“We want to make sure the promise of the NDIS is fulfilled.”
State and territory leaders also agreed to support plans for national cabinet to develop reforms for improving the rights of renters.
“What we’re not seeking to do is to be absolutely uniform because different states will have different circumstances but there are measures and commitments every state and territory is doing something in this area,” Mr Albanese said.
“There are a range of measures that will be considered by state and territory governments to strengthen the system of renters’ rights.”
National skills agreements were also on the agenda at the meeting, along with the energy transition to net-zero.
Ahead of the referendum on the Indigenous voice later this year, all leaders backed efforts to support the constitutional change.
© AAP 2023
