Latest news with #AnneRuston
7NEWS
4 days ago
- Health
- 7NEWS
Australian kids with cancer forced overseas for treatment as proton therapy centre sits empty in Adelaide
It was meant to revolutionise cancer treatment for Australian children. Instead, Adelaide 's state-of-the-art Australian Bragg Centre for Proton Therapy now sits pretty much empty, and is likely to remain so for many years to come. WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Lack of cancer treatment forces Australian families to seek care abroad. Know the news with the 7NEWS app: Download today It means hundreds of Australian families already navigating the hardest point in their lives after being told their kid has cancer will have to deal with endless paperwork for government grants or raise thousands of dollars themselves before packing up their lives and travelling to the United States for treatment. Opposition health spokesperson Anne Ruston declared it an 'absolute national shame and an abject failure'. She said many children and babies 'likely will die as a result of not being able to get access to the technology that was promised to them'. The project was promised eight years ago by the federal Liberal and state government. But last year the South Australian Labor government tore up the contract with the US company supplying the proton beam machine over funding issues. An auditor general report into the decision has since found significant 'gaps' in the way the state government managed the project. 'Including the need for... effective oversight, project management and risk management arrangements, reflecting a project that is high risk, has a significant cost and has national consequences,' the report said. South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas told 7NEWS: 'We can't fix the errors of the past, we just have to focus on a way we can get through this rather complex policy challenge.' But with more than $100 million of public money already spent and no clear timeline for completion, the cost to taxpayers, and to Australian families, is mounting. Federal Health Minister Mark Butler said 'we are trying to work out really how much of that money is going to be able to be recouped', if any. 'But it seems quite clear to me on the best advice I have from the department that there is going to be a significant taxpayer loss here,' he said. He warned that it could still be years before Australia has a functioning proton therapy unit, and pointed the finger at earlier decisions made under the former Marshall Liberal government in South Australia and the Turnbull Liberal government federally for choosing a controversial company unable to deliver the machine. Ruston rejected the attempt to shift blame, saying 'it is a sad indictment that you would have a health minister who is about to enter his second term who is still blaming previous governments for the failures that are occurring on his watch'. While politicians argue, and bureaucrats continue to release reports, almost 1000 Australian families are trying to raise enough money to receive lifesaving treatment in America. Five-year-old Lenna Housseini was recently knocked back by the federal government's Medical Overseas Treatment Program, which helps Australians with life-threatening medical conditions access treatment overseas when it is not available here. Her parents would need to raise $500,000 privately for her to go. Without the time to do so, she will undergo treatment for Malignant Rhabdoid Tumour in Australia. While the X-ray radiation here could save her life, there is only a 40 per cent chance she will survive and if she does pull through, she may struggle to speak. 'It's too late to complain, it's too late to do anything, it's too late to even have the regret, because we don't have time to have regret, we have to stay positive,' her father Amin Housseini said earlier this week.
The Advertiser
6 days ago
- Health
- The Advertiser
Low pharmacy vaping uptake fuels black market fears
Fewer than 200 non-prescription vapes are being sold through pharmacists each day, fuelling speculation a massive black market continues to thrive. Landmark law changes that took effect in October meant the products can only legally be sold through pharmacies, with prison terms and huge fines for those caught illegally supplying or manufacturing vapes. But data released by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) found little more than 40,000 vapes were supplied via pharmacists without a prescription in the first seven months of the scheme. That compares with the more than nine million illegal vapes seized since January 2024, showing bulk demand for the product in Australia. The TGA does not know how many vapes were sold via prescriptions, though only about 3000 medical practitioners are approved to prescribe them nationwide. But Health Minister Mark Butler insisted the laws had been effective, because smoking prevalence data had Australia's rates at all-time lows across all age groups. "We're taking on big tobacco on the one hand and organised crime on the other, which continues to use vapes as a ready source of revenue to fund all their other criminal activities," he said. "We know this is not going to be easy, but we're really pleased that our world leading (is) finally turning the corner on this public health scourge." But critics, including the federal opposition, said the data showed the government's approach was not working. "Instead of actually working to come up with a solution and have the enforcement that needed to go with it, (the government) doubled down on that policy and went to a completely unconsolidated policy that said you can only buy vapes by going to the pharmacy," opposition health spokeswoman Anne Ruston told Sky. "The pharmacies didn't want to do that and, lo and behold, 18 months later, quite clearly, it's not working. "The real tragedy of all this is the fact we have seen young Australians particularly forced into the hands of organised crime." NSW Liberal MP Kellie Sloane said the lack of buy-in from pharmacists was driving consumers to tobacconists selling vapes on the black market. "People are buying them illegally, and if not buying the vapes, they'll buy the illicit tobacco," she told 2GB. A TGA spokesman said the approach taken by the government was working because vaping use among young Australians was decreasing. "The government's world-leading reforms to vaping products were designed to make illicit vapes easier to detect and to reduce opportunities for unlawful trade in these products," he said. "Strengthening the regulation of all e-cigarettes, through enhanced border controls, banning all single-use vaping devices, ending the sale of vapes outside of pharmacies, and heightening advertising restrictions on vapes has made it easier to identify and disrupt the illicit supply of vapes and take enforcement action." After the new federal laws came into force, NSW authorities seized more than 47,000 illegal vapes in the last three months of 2024. Australian Border Force and TGA officials themselves seized more than seven million vapes at borders across all of 2024. Fewer than 200 non-prescription vapes are being sold through pharmacists each day, fuelling speculation a massive black market continues to thrive. Landmark law changes that took effect in October meant the products can only legally be sold through pharmacies, with prison terms and huge fines for those caught illegally supplying or manufacturing vapes. But data released by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) found little more than 40,000 vapes were supplied via pharmacists without a prescription in the first seven months of the scheme. That compares with the more than nine million illegal vapes seized since January 2024, showing bulk demand for the product in Australia. The TGA does not know how many vapes were sold via prescriptions, though only about 3000 medical practitioners are approved to prescribe them nationwide. But Health Minister Mark Butler insisted the laws had been effective, because smoking prevalence data had Australia's rates at all-time lows across all age groups. "We're taking on big tobacco on the one hand and organised crime on the other, which continues to use vapes as a ready source of revenue to fund all their other criminal activities," he said. "We know this is not going to be easy, but we're really pleased that our world leading (is) finally turning the corner on this public health scourge." But critics, including the federal opposition, said the data showed the government's approach was not working. "Instead of actually working to come up with a solution and have the enforcement that needed to go with it, (the government) doubled down on that policy and went to a completely unconsolidated policy that said you can only buy vapes by going to the pharmacy," opposition health spokeswoman Anne Ruston told Sky. "The pharmacies didn't want to do that and, lo and behold, 18 months later, quite clearly, it's not working. "The real tragedy of all this is the fact we have seen young Australians particularly forced into the hands of organised crime." NSW Liberal MP Kellie Sloane said the lack of buy-in from pharmacists was driving consumers to tobacconists selling vapes on the black market. "People are buying them illegally, and if not buying the vapes, they'll buy the illicit tobacco," she told 2GB. A TGA spokesman said the approach taken by the government was working because vaping use among young Australians was decreasing. "The government's world-leading reforms to vaping products were designed to make illicit vapes easier to detect and to reduce opportunities for unlawful trade in these products," he said. "Strengthening the regulation of all e-cigarettes, through enhanced border controls, banning all single-use vaping devices, ending the sale of vapes outside of pharmacies, and heightening advertising restrictions on vapes has made it easier to identify and disrupt the illicit supply of vapes and take enforcement action." After the new federal laws came into force, NSW authorities seized more than 47,000 illegal vapes in the last three months of 2024. Australian Border Force and TGA officials themselves seized more than seven million vapes at borders across all of 2024. Fewer than 200 non-prescription vapes are being sold through pharmacists each day, fuelling speculation a massive black market continues to thrive. Landmark law changes that took effect in October meant the products can only legally be sold through pharmacies, with prison terms and huge fines for those caught illegally supplying or manufacturing vapes. But data released by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) found little more than 40,000 vapes were supplied via pharmacists without a prescription in the first seven months of the scheme. That compares with the more than nine million illegal vapes seized since January 2024, showing bulk demand for the product in Australia. The TGA does not know how many vapes were sold via prescriptions, though only about 3000 medical practitioners are approved to prescribe them nationwide. But Health Minister Mark Butler insisted the laws had been effective, because smoking prevalence data had Australia's rates at all-time lows across all age groups. "We're taking on big tobacco on the one hand and organised crime on the other, which continues to use vapes as a ready source of revenue to fund all their other criminal activities," he said. "We know this is not going to be easy, but we're really pleased that our world leading (is) finally turning the corner on this public health scourge." But critics, including the federal opposition, said the data showed the government's approach was not working. "Instead of actually working to come up with a solution and have the enforcement that needed to go with it, (the government) doubled down on that policy and went to a completely unconsolidated policy that said you can only buy vapes by going to the pharmacy," opposition health spokeswoman Anne Ruston told Sky. "The pharmacies didn't want to do that and, lo and behold, 18 months later, quite clearly, it's not working. "The real tragedy of all this is the fact we have seen young Australians particularly forced into the hands of organised crime." NSW Liberal MP Kellie Sloane said the lack of buy-in from pharmacists was driving consumers to tobacconists selling vapes on the black market. "People are buying them illegally, and if not buying the vapes, they'll buy the illicit tobacco," she told 2GB. A TGA spokesman said the approach taken by the government was working because vaping use among young Australians was decreasing. "The government's world-leading reforms to vaping products were designed to make illicit vapes easier to detect and to reduce opportunities for unlawful trade in these products," he said. "Strengthening the regulation of all e-cigarettes, through enhanced border controls, banning all single-use vaping devices, ending the sale of vapes outside of pharmacies, and heightening advertising restrictions on vapes has made it easier to identify and disrupt the illicit supply of vapes and take enforcement action." After the new federal laws came into force, NSW authorities seized more than 47,000 illegal vapes in the last three months of 2024. Australian Border Force and TGA officials themselves seized more than seven million vapes at borders across all of 2024. Fewer than 200 non-prescription vapes are being sold through pharmacists each day, fuelling speculation a massive black market continues to thrive. Landmark law changes that took effect in October meant the products can only legally be sold through pharmacies, with prison terms and huge fines for those caught illegally supplying or manufacturing vapes. But data released by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) found little more than 40,000 vapes were supplied via pharmacists without a prescription in the first seven months of the scheme. That compares with the more than nine million illegal vapes seized since January 2024, showing bulk demand for the product in Australia. The TGA does not know how many vapes were sold via prescriptions, though only about 3000 medical practitioners are approved to prescribe them nationwide. But Health Minister Mark Butler insisted the laws had been effective, because smoking prevalence data had Australia's rates at all-time lows across all age groups. "We're taking on big tobacco on the one hand and organised crime on the other, which continues to use vapes as a ready source of revenue to fund all their other criminal activities," he said. "We know this is not going to be easy, but we're really pleased that our world leading (is) finally turning the corner on this public health scourge." But critics, including the federal opposition, said the data showed the government's approach was not working. "Instead of actually working to come up with a solution and have the enforcement that needed to go with it, (the government) doubled down on that policy and went to a completely unconsolidated policy that said you can only buy vapes by going to the pharmacy," opposition health spokeswoman Anne Ruston told Sky. "The pharmacies didn't want to do that and, lo and behold, 18 months later, quite clearly, it's not working. "The real tragedy of all this is the fact we have seen young Australians particularly forced into the hands of organised crime." NSW Liberal MP Kellie Sloane said the lack of buy-in from pharmacists was driving consumers to tobacconists selling vapes on the black market. "People are buying them illegally, and if not buying the vapes, they'll buy the illicit tobacco," she told 2GB. A TGA spokesman said the approach taken by the government was working because vaping use among young Australians was decreasing. "The government's world-leading reforms to vaping products were designed to make illicit vapes easier to detect and to reduce opportunities for unlawful trade in these products," he said. "Strengthening the regulation of all e-cigarettes, through enhanced border controls, banning all single-use vaping devices, ending the sale of vapes outside of pharmacies, and heightening advertising restrictions on vapes has made it easier to identify and disrupt the illicit supply of vapes and take enforcement action." After the new federal laws came into force, NSW authorities seized more than 47,000 illegal vapes in the last three months of 2024. Australian Border Force and TGA officials themselves seized more than seven million vapes at borders across all of 2024.
Sky News AU
6 days ago
- Business
- Sky News AU
Government's vape scheme pushes young Aussies to turn to black market sellers
Shadow Health Minister Anne Ruston has discussed the poor results of the Albanese government's vape scheme. It has been revealed that less than 0.1 per cent of vapes are being sold legally through pharmacies. 'Quite clearly, the policy the government's put in place is not working,' Mr Ruston told Sky News Australia.
The Guardian
18-05-2025
- Business
- The Guardian
Divisions on net zero and nuclear power ‘no secret', senior Liberal frontbencher admits as party braces for internal brawl
The divisions within the Liberals on climate and energy policy are 'no secret', senior frontbencher Anne Ruston has admitted, as the party braces for an internal brawl on net zero and nuclear power that could fracture the Coalition. The commitment from the new Liberal leader, Sussan Ley, to review its entire policy agenda has raised the prospect the Coalition could abandon net zero by 2050, ending bipartisan political support for the long-term climate target. On Sunday, the rightwing Liberal senator Alex Antic intensified his push to dump the goal, claiming it was the 'only way this party is going to appeal to the electorate'. His new party room colleague Jacinta Nampijinpa Price meanwhile blamed net zero for causing the cost-of-living crisis in a weekend interview with the Australian. The comments set the stage for a heated internal contest as competing forces attempt to pull the party in different directions in the wake of its devastating election defeat. Speaking on ABC's Insiders program, Ruston – the Liberals' deputy leader in the Senate – admitted the party was split on climate and energy policy. 'Emissions reduction is an important part of policy going forward because energy is the economy and we need to get the policy right,' the South Australian senator said. 'But there's no secret there is a divergence of views in our party room about how we achieve that. But right now, I absolutely think the thing we need to concentrate on is making sure that people can afford their power bills.' Sign up for Guardian Australia's breaking news email Former prime minister Scott Morrison signed the Liberals and Nationals up to net zero by 2050 in late 2021 as he sought to defuse criticism of the government's climate action policies. A rump inside the Nationals was always opposed to net zero, with the junior Coalition partner only signing up after securing a swag of concessions – including an extra spot in cabinet. But the postmortem to the opposition's 3 May election defeat has exposed tensions inside the Liberal party as well, leaving its support for what the climate minister, Chris Bowen, described as the 'bare minimum' policy hanging in the balance. The tussle over net zero is tied to a parallel debate over nuclear power and whether the opposition should abandon its proposal to build taxpayer-funded reactors across the country. Guardian Australia understands the Nationals leader, David Littleproud, is under pressure from colleagues to secure a commitment to nuclear power before signing a new Coalition agreement with the Liberals. Liberal sources confirmed Ley would resist such a move after assuring colleagues that there would be extensive consultation before any policies were settled. On Sunday, Ruston said policy positions should be thrashed out in the Liberal and National party rooms rather than enshrined in Coalition agreements. Sign up to Breaking News Australia Get the most important news as it breaks after newsletter promotion The agreements – which are always secret – include a formula that dictates the number of frontbench positions the Liberals and Nationals are entitled to. Ruston and the new deputy Liberal leader, Ted O'Brien, hoped the two parties would remain in a Coalition as they rebuild from the election. 'The Liberal party and the National party are at their strongest when they are in a Coalition and they're working together. That's proven to be the case over many, many years, and it will continue to be the case,' O'Brien told Sky News on Sunday. As reported in Guardian Australia, some Liberal MPs are comfortable lifting the federal moratorium on nuclear power, but want to rethink the idea of taxpayer-funded reactors. The supposed $600bn price tag for the power plants, and what government services could be cut to fund them, was the focal point of Labor's anti-nuclear attacks during the campaign. O'Brien would not concede his signature policy was a mistake, acknowledging only that voters 'did not accept what the Coalition was offering across its policy suite'. However, he confirmed the option of lifting the nuclear ban and then leaving the private sector to decide if it wanted to invest was a 'proposition that might come to the table'. 'That proposition and all propositions will be duly considered. We won't be rushing to any conclusions.'
Daily Mail
18-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Liberal powerbroker's truly astonishing admission about her search for answers after election defeat exposes how clueless the party has become: 'Can't make this up'
Liberal senator Anne Ruston has come under fire for revealing she used artificial intelligence to find the policy shortfalls that cost her party the federal election. Viewers of ABC Insiders on Sunday morning were shocked to hear Ruston admit she'd used 'off the shelf' AI to assess the reasons behind the loss. Although she was unable to draw a 'clear theme' from her research, the online response to her interview made one thing clear: Aussies don't want AI in politics. 'Anne Ruston is aware that AI isn't magic right? She knows it's not an oracle?' one social media user wrote on X. 'Anne Ruston, Liberal Senator, tells ABC she has asked AI why the Liberal Party ran such a poor electoral campaign and lost the election. Is this more evidence the Liberal Party is now a political entity that can be best be described as having artificial intelligence?' another said. 'What a wooden, uninspiring interview with Anne Ruston. Even AI can't help here,' another wrote. 'They need to use AI because none of them show any intelligence at all!' another said. 'Senior Liberal Anne Ruston suggesting the Liberal party should ask AI to get a better handle on why the party failed at the last election. God forbid they talk to and believe what ordinary Aussies tell them,' another wrote. Insiders host David Speers took his interview with Ruston as an opportunity to quiz her on what role AI could play in the Liberal party. 'Very interestingly, last week after the election result I just used some off the shelf AI to ask what AI thought about the Liberal Party and the election result,' Ruston said. 'More than anything, it showed me that there were so many different issues that Australians were considering when they went to the ballot box to vote. 'I think it shows us that we absolutely have to look at everything because there was no clear theme apart from, quite clearly, the Australian public went to the ballot box and didn't vote for us.' When pressed more on whether she believed the best way for the party to analyse its election results was through AI, Ruston backtracked and said it could be used as part of a larger process. 'There's many ways that we need to address this,' she said. 'We need to speak to our party members, we need to speak to the front bench and the backbench. We need to speak to the Australian public. 'But, obviously technology gives us an opportunity to be able to collate the broader commentary across Australia, that's something that we haven't had access to before and we should use that as well.' A parliamentary inquiry in October 2024 released a report regarding the effects of AI on Australian democratic processes. It found AI could be used to 'help voters better understand political debates, legislation and policy proposals, and to undertake data analysis'. However, it also carried several risks included the creation of fake political content - such as videos and speeches through deepfakes, the spread of political disinformation, and sharing its own biases. The committee made several recommendations on how the government could safeguard against these risks, including enforcing mandatory watermarks on AI-generated content. It also called on politicians to voluntarily disclose their use of AI. 'The ANU Tech Policy Design Centre noted that politicians had an important role to play in maintaining the integrity of elections,' the report stated. 'It recommended the development of a pledge for transparent and democratic use of AI in campaigning for politicians, by which they could publicly disclaim any use of AI in their advertising in order to maintain trust and engagement in the election process.' Daily Mail Australia contacted Ruston for further comment.
