Tom McIlroy
The health minister, Mark Butler, will detail savings from the NDIS on Wednesday, and reveal that some of the savings will go to help older Australians with the provision of essential services like showering, dressing support and continence management.
Labor is winding back elements of its aged care reforms, removing out-of-pocket costs for non clinical services in the Support at Home scheme.
The government has faced criticism from advocates for elderly people, experts and aged care providers, who said these personal care services are essential for people’s independence and ability to stay at home.
The minister for aged care, Sam Rae, said the changes will be effective from 1 October this year.
double quotation markShowering, dressing, continence care – these aren’t optional extras. They’re the basics of ageing with dignity, and no older Australian should miss out because of cost.
Older Australians, their families and providers told us these services needed to be protected. We’ve listened, and we’re acting.
National disability insurance scheme office in Canberra. Photograph: Lukas Coch/AAPShare
Updated at 17.25 EDT
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And while we’re on the subject of a tax on gas exports, check out more on the views coming out of Labor’s environment action network (Lean).
Updated at 17.39 EDT
Jordyn Beazley
Pocock calls for government to put ‘Australians ahead of gas companies’
Independent senator David Pocock has said a 25% tax on gas exports is not a “radical idea”, and has urged the government to put “Australians ahead of gas companies”.
Speaking on ABC’s 7.30 last night, Pocock said:
double quotation markWe’re one of the biggest gas exporters in the world, and yet we feel poor every time gas prices go up internationally. And then we look at Norway, and they’ve got a $3tn sovereign wealth fund. Australians know that this just comes down to political leadership, political courage, to actually put Australians ahead of the gas company.
Pocock said he is not “demonising the gas industry”, adding that “we need this industry for the transition” to renewable energy. He said:
double quotation markThis is gas that belongs to all Australians. And a 25% gas export tax would not only raise $17bn in a normal year, probably far more, when we see the kind of windfall profits that we’re likely to see, but it would actually reduce the price of gas for Australian manufacturers, businesses and households, and that is a very good thing at the moment.
Independent senator David Pocock. Photograph: Mick Tsikas/AAPShareNDIS savings redirected to aged care
Tom McIlroy
The health minister, Mark Butler, will detail savings from the NDIS on Wednesday, and reveal that some of the savings will go to help older Australians with the provision of essential services like showering, dressing support and continence management.
Labor is winding back elements of its aged care reforms, removing out-of-pocket costs for non clinical services in the Support at Home scheme.
The government has faced criticism from advocates for elderly people, experts and aged care providers, who said these personal care services are essential for people’s independence and ability to stay at home.
The minister for aged care, Sam Rae, said the changes will be effective from 1 October this year.
double quotation markShowering, dressing, continence care – these aren’t optional extras. They’re the basics of ageing with dignity, and no older Australian should miss out because of cost.
Older Australians, their families and providers told us these services needed to be protected. We’ve listened, and we’re acting.
National disability insurance scheme office in Canberra. Photograph: Lukas Coch/AAPShare
Updated at 17.25 EDT
Fourth man charged over alleged kidnapping and murder of Chris Baghsarian
NSW police have charged a fourth man over the alleged kidnapping and murder of Chris Baghsarian.
The 85-year-old disappeared from his North Ryde home on 13 February and his remains were found on 24 February near a golf club in Pitt Town.
Police do not believe he was the intended target of the kidnapping but was taken in a case of mistaken identity.
Three people have already been charged with Baghsarian’s murder.
In a statement issued early Wednesday morning, police said they arrested a 19-year-old man on Tuesday morning at Mt Druitt police station.
He was charged with murder and take/detain in company with intent to ransom occasion actual bodily harm.
The man was refused bail to appear in Mt Druitt local court today.
Chris Baghsarian. Photograph: NSW Police/AAPShare
Updated at 17.19 EDT
Welcome
Good morning and welcome to our live news blog. I’m Martin Farrer with the top overnight stories and then Nick Visser will be your guide through the morning.
Today the health minister, Mark Butler, will detail major changes to the NDIS including significant funding “savings”. The government says the savings, in part, from the national disability insurance scheme will go to funding improved aged care including showering and dressing.
And there has been a development in the case of the alleged kidnapping and murder of 85-year-old Chris Baghsarian earlier this year, with a fourth man arrested and charged.