Senator David Fawcett

1 week ago

LABOR GOVERNMENT CHANGES WORSEN RURAL GP SHORTAGEThe Distribution Priority Area (DPA) classification system was introduced by the former Federal Liberal Government in July 2019 to identify locations in Australia suffering GP shortages, and to develop a range of initiatives aimed at increasing supply of GP services to these areas. To further mitigate critical GP shortages in rural and remote Australia, the Visas for GPs migration pathway enables overseas-trained doctors wishing to migrate to Australia to do so, on the condition that they work in a priority area or areas for the first ten years of their residence. Since 2019, this pathway has helped direct hundreds of doctors to areas of need, enabling hospitals and clinics to share their workload and provide affordable healthcare to Australia’s farmers and agricultural workers, miners, and other members of our rural towns. While not perfect, these programs offered incentive for new GPs and overseas-trained doctors to become rural doctors and address GP shortages in rural areas.The Albanese Labor Government has now made changes to the DPA classification system which allow overseas-trained doctors to work from outer suburban areas immediately – instead of having to first fill vacancies in rural areas. It is reported by The Advertiser that GPs are already moving from rural areas to outer metropolitan areas, which will create more severe shortages in rural areas.The Rural Doctors Association Australia have expressed concerns about these ALP Government reforms. According to Dr Peter Rischbieth – chairman of the Rural Doctors Association of South Australia – many overseas-trained doctors are expected to move to more suburban locations, leaving residents of rural towns dependant on expensive locums or forcing long travel times to see a doctor. While there was still more to be done to tackle Australia’s rural GP shortage, our Government worked to support creative solutions to get GPs into our regions, including various employment models, rural generalist training, and the Remote Vocational Training Scheme. The former Federal Liberal Government fast-tracked the National Rural Generalist Pathway program through an investment of $62 million in 2019/20 to better equip locally trained doctors to work in rural communities. More information on the DPA system: bit.ly/3P8Cu0d ... See MoreSee Less

Belair’s as good as the bush under new GP rules

www.adelaidenow.com.au

Rural clinics are already losing GPs after last month’s federal government change, which allowed overseas trained doctors to work off their bonded time in suburbs such as Belair and Golden Grove, as well as in country towns.

Senator David Fawcett

1 week ago

PUBLIC SUPPORT FOR NUCLEAR ENERGY DISCUSSIONHighlighted by The Advertiser last week, a recent poll commissioned by the SA Chamber of Mines and Energy found 63% of South Australians believe nuclear power should be considered because of cost and reliability issues in the national electricity market.The poll of 600 SA voters – conducted by independent market research firm JWS Research – also shows 58% of South Australians supported legislative amendments to remove nuclear industry prohibitions. Supporting the veracity of this survey, the poll within the article which asked readers whether they supported a “nuclear energy future for SA” has 85% in the affirmative - of 878 votes – at the time of writing.As a result of the legislative trade-offs with minor parties in the Senate over 20 years ago, there has been a prohibition in Australia on even considering nuclear power.In an Op-Ed that I wrote recently highlighting this substantial weakness in Australia’s energy and emissions reduction policy I said:“The omission of nuclear options is at odds with Australia’s long-held position that policy development should be evidence based… Given the serious implications of unintended consequences for cost of living, energy, economic and national security, it should cause alarm that the Government’s energy and emissions policies are not based on complete and comprehensive evidence.”As a nation, we will not be able to assess the benefits or otherwise of nuclear energy in an Australian context unless the prohibition on nuclear power generation is lifted. In the absence of Government action to repeal the prohibition, I welcome the announcement by the Hon Peter Dutton MP of a formal internal review to report to the Coalition policy committee on the potential use of nuclear technologies for the benefit of Australian energy security and power prices. Given the energy crisis and the demand for emissions reduction, Australians should be requiring their government develop effective policy that is transparently based on all available evidence. The commissioning of this review marks an important step towards greater transparency in discussions about the application of nuclear technologies in the Australian context. Full Op-Ed available here: bit.ly/3zzxI6iMore information on the review: bit.ly/3ziNwtS ... See MoreSee Less

Majority support nuclear power, Premier ‘open-minded’

www.adelaidenow.com.au

The prospect of a South Australian nuclear energy future is being thrust onto the agenda by an opinion poll showing majority support for law changes to allow the industry to be considered. The poll of 600 SA voters also shows 63 per cent agree nuclear power should be considered because of cost and r...