Passionate debate as bill to improve abortion access in regional NSW passes state parliament
"I acknowledge that this bill - while necessary - is not a silver bullet (a simple solution to a complex problem). Cultural change within an organisation as big as a local health district takes time. Training, educating, and supporting health workers takes time and resourcing, and this is not something that can be solved with the stroke of a pen."
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News.com.au
3 hours ago
- News.com.au
Why does everyone get sick so often in winter?
Welcome to Ask Doctor Zac, a weekly column from This week, Dr Zac Turner explores why so many people get sick in the winter. QUESTION: Hi Dr Zac, Every winter like clockwork, my sharehouse becomes a snotty, coughing mess. I always assumed it was just because me and my flatties are inside more, but I read something about viruses surviving longer in colder temperatures. Is that true? And does the lack of sun during winter actually mess with our immune systems? – Matt, 29, Ballarat VIC ANSWER: Thanks for the question, Matt – and condolences to your household's sinuses. Winter really does bring with it a revolving door of colds, flus and respiratory infections. It's not your imagination. And while yes, spending more time indoors definitely helps viruses spread, the science of why we get sicker in winter runs a bit deeper – and chillier – than that. Let's start with the temperature. Many common viruses, including rhinoviruses (the ones behind most colds) and influenza, actually survive longer and replicate more effectively in colder, drier conditions. One study from the Journal of Virology found that some viruses become more stable and infectious in lower temperatures because the cold preserves the viral envelope – essentially giving them a longer shelf life while they search for their next victim (you). Add in the fact that we're all breathing the same stale air indoors, and it's a perfect storm: less ventilation, more close contact, and viruses that are thriving in the cold. Now, let's talk about vitamin D. This isn't some wellness influencer's pet obsession – it's genuinely important for your immune function. Vitamin D helps regulate immune responses, and deficiency has been linked to increased susceptibility to infections, particularly respiratory ones. In winter, shorter daylight hours and less skin exposure to UVB rays means your body produces less vitamin D naturally. In fact, data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics shows nearly one in four Aussies have insufficient vitamin D during the colder months – especially in southern regions like Victoria and Tasmania. So yes, Matt: cold temperatures, indoor living, and low vitamin D levels all team up to make winter a bit of a microbial minefield. What can you do about it? • Maximise ventilation: Even cracking a window makes a difference. Let your house breathe. Get outside during daylight hours: A lunchtime walk could help top up your vitamin D – just 10–15 minutes of sun exposure to arms and face can help. • Eat immune-supporting foods: Fatty fish, eggs, mushrooms and fortified milks are great sources of vitamin D. And yes, supplements are helpful if you're deficient – but check with your GP before starting. • Practice good hygiene: Wash hands, cover coughs, and maybe don't share that water bottle with your sniffling housemate. A few smart habits can help make your winter less snotty – and keep your immune system in fighting form until the sun comes back. Stay warm, Dr Zac Dr Zac Turner is a medical practitioner specialising in preventative health and wellness. He has four health/medical degrees – Bachelor of Medicine/Bachelor of Surgery at the University of Sydney, Bachelor of Nursing at Central Queensland University, and Bachelor of Biomedical Science at the University of the Sunshine Coast. He is a registrar for the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine, and is completing a PhD in Biomedical Engineering (UNSW). Dr Zac is the medical director for his own holistic wellness medical clinics throughout Australia, Concierge Doctors.
News.com.au
4 hours ago
- News.com.au
Labor to introduce Bill to cap PBS-listed scripts at $25, PM dodges questions on super tax
Labor will begin its first steps to legislate its election promise to cap the cost of scripts listed on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme to $25 from January 1 of next year. Once passed, eligible medicines will be lowered from $31.60 to $25. The government estimates the change will save Australians $200m a year, while costing the budget $690m over four years. This is in addition to previous reforms which allowed patients to acquire 60-day prescriptions, and freezing the cost of medicine for pension and concession card holders at $7.70 until the end of 2029. The election pledge was also matched by the Coalition, suggesting the Bill will likely have a swift passage through parliament. Anthony Albanese said it was a promise delivered. 'This is another example of cost of living relief that helps every Australian,' Mr Albanese said. 'The size of your bank balance shouldn't determine the quality of your healthcare. My government will continue to deliver cost of living relief for all Australians.' Health Minister Mark Bulter also welcomed the incoming Bill. 'Cheaper medicines are good for the hip pocket and good for your health,' Mr Butler said. 'For general patients medicines haven't been this cheap since 2004. 'For pension and concession card holders we've frozen your medicine prices at a maximum price of $7.70 until the end of the decade.' The Bill comes as the United States lashed Australia's PBS as 'discriminatory' amid tariff negotiations to remove the general 10 per cent levy, as well as fees on Australian steel and aluminium US imports. Concerningly, US President Donald Trump has also flagged a 200 per cent tariff on pharmaceutical imports, which could have a major impact on $2bn of Australian exports. However the Albanese government said it is unwilling to use the PBS as a bargaining chip. On Sunday, Mr Albanese also faced a grilling over when Labor would introduce its proposed plan to double the tax on superannuation accounts over $3m up to 30 per cent. He said the Bill 'will come in time' and that the priority in the first fortnight was policies 'that make a difference to people's money in their pocket'. Perth MP and assistant minister to the Prime Minister Patrick Gorman said the government had been 'clear about our priorities' for the Bill and said he was 'confident it will pass'. 'I think we have seen in this building, time and time again, that when it comes to getting things through parliament, you have got to also let the parliamentary processes do their piece,' he said.
News.com.au
5 hours ago
- News.com.au
Australia could be cut off from internet in hours during war, ex-Deputy Secretary of Defence warns
Australia could be digitally isolated within hours of a regional conflict erupting, with 99 per cent of the nation's internet traffic flowing through just 15 undersea cables that enemy submarines could easily sever. The chilling scenario has been outlined by one of Australia's top defence strategists as Exercise Talisman Sabre – involving 40,000 troops from 19 countries – exposes the nation's woeful lack of preparedness for modern warfare. Mike Pezzullo, former Deputy Secretary of Defence, warns that any future conflict wouldn't begin with missiles or bombs, but with cyberattacks designed to cripple Australia's digital infrastructure. 'It would be in cyber. You'd start to see a degradation of the internet,' Pezzullo told 7NEWS. If those critical undersea cables are cut by submarines or crewless vessels, the country would be digitally isolated, cutting off communications, banking, emergency services and the digital backbone that modern Australia relies on to function. 'We are nowhere near ready' The Exercise Talisman Sabre currently underway in Central Queensland has seen US, Australian, French and German forces, among other allies, flexing their military might. But behind the military spectacle lies a more serious warning about Australia's defence capabilities. 'We are nowhere near ready,' Mr Pezzullo said. With tensions escalating in the Indo-Pacific, Mr Pezzullo believes there's at least an 80 per cent chance Australia would be drawn into any conflict between China and Taiwan if the US becomes involved. 'It might start there,' he says. 'But I can assure you, it won't end there.' The strategic reality is stark. Australia's military, ports, bases and intelligence systems are deeply integrated with America's defence network. 'We don't really have a choice,' Pezzullo explains. 'Our military, ports, bases, intelligence systems - they're all deeply tied to America's.' Critical infrastructure exposed Beyond the cyber threat, Australia faces multiple vulnerabilities that could prove catastrophic in any regional conflict. After cutting internet cables, Mr Pezzullo warns targeted missile strikes would likely follow, aimed at key infrastructure including air bases, radar facilities and defence logistics. 'You'd want to ensure those are protected,' Mr Pezzullo said. 'But we have no missile defence systems. We're completely bereft in that area.' Fuel supplies present another critical weakness, with 90 per cent of Australia's oil and petrol flowing through the South China Sea – the very region where any Taiwan conflict would likely unfold. 'We only store enough for 60 days,' Pezzullo warns. Defence assets visible on google maps Adding to Australia's vulnerabilities, billions of dollars' worth of defence aircraft are sitting exposed on tarmacs, visible to anyone with access to Google Maps satellite imagery. Recent drone strikes have demonstrated the devastating potential of low-cost technology. Earlier this year, Ukraine's Operation Spider's Web saw 117 drones destroy approximately $7 billion worth of Russian military assets, including strategic bombers capable of carrying nuclear weapons. 'Everything visible from space or aircraft is available on Google Earth, NASA Worldview, or other public systems,' defence strategist Professor David Kilcullen told Australia's fleet of P-8A Poseidon maritime surveillance jets at Adelaide's RAAF Base Edinburgh and C-17A transport aircraft at RAAF Base Amberley in Queensland are clearly visible on public satellite imagery, lined up on tarmacs with no protective cover. 'Unfortunately, Google Maps shows almost everything,' Marc Ablong of the Australian Strategic Policy Institute tells 9News. 'You can see the base infrastructure, people on the base, where the guard posts are. You can determine access points, weak points in fence lines.' Playing catch-up While Australia has major defence projects underway, including AUKUS nuclear submarines, new frigates, cruise missiles and underwater drones, Mr Pezzullo says those efforts are still years from completion. 'That technology is improving almost monthly, but we're playing catch-up,' he says. Some argue Australia shouldn't risk its economy by confronting China, the nation's largest trading partner. Mr Pezzullo says that the argument becomes irrelevant in the context of global conflict. 'We'd all suffer through the tanking of the global economy,' he said. He believes Australia's defence budget will need to rise from its current level to three or even three-and-a-half per cent of GDP to adequately deter adversaries and defend the nation. Counter-Drone Defence Underway Defence officials say they're taking the drone threat seriously, with Project Land 156 launched late last year to develop counter-drone systems, complemented by Mission Syracuse focusing on advanced drone intercepting technology. 'The protection of Defence's critical assets is a priority area for work and investment,' a defence spokesperson tells 'Security of bases, ports and barracks is, and will remain, a focus for Defence resources.' Modern counter-drone systems being developed use acoustic, thermal, radar and electro-optic sensors to detect threats, with various methods to neutralise them, including signal disruption and physical destruction. 'Modern counter-drone systems, incorporating radar, radio frequency detection, electronic warfare and directed energy capabilities, are already active across global deployments,' DroneShield CEO Oleg Vornick tells defence industry magazine ADM. Despite the challenges, Mr Pezzullo remains clear about Australia's strategic priorities. 'Plan A is always peace through diplomacy. But if you want peace, prepare for war,' he said.
