Health levy prescription hurts. And it's only addressing a symptom of a terrible disease
At more than $80 billion a year, public hospitals are the biggest and fastest-growing part of Australian governments' health spending. It's not just that we need more care as we get older and sicker: the cost of each admission is rising sharply too.
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The Age
16 minutes ago
- The Age
Trump demand on Australian defence spending would leave $200b crater in budget
Washington: Meeting the Trump administration's demand for Australia to boost defence spending to 3.5 per cent of GDP would cost the federal budget a whopping $210 billion extra over a decade, according to analysis of Parliamentary Budget Office figures by this masthead. The Trump administration ratcheted up pressure on Australia and other Indo-Pacific allies on Friday, again calling for an increase defence spending to 3.5 per cent of GDP after being emboldened by an agreement from its NATO partners. The mounting pressure from Washington on Canberra to spend more on defence comes as the Albanese government grapples with the ballooning cost of the National Disability Insurance Scheme, and calls from the states for more money to be spent on health. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told this masthead: 'If our allies in Europe and our NATO allies can do it, I think our allies and our friends in the Indo-Pacific region can do it as well.' She said she would leave discussions of specific countries to the president. The administration has already asked Australia to lift defence spending to 3.5 per cent from a projected 2.33 per cent by 2033, something the government says it is assessing. But the NATO decision to move to 5 per cent makes it more difficult for Australia and other partners, such as Japan, to refuse. Modelling prepared by the independent Parliamentary Budget Office for the opposition on its policy to move to 3 per cent of GDP suggested the overall cost would be approximately $156 billion, and add $24 billion in interest costs. Moving to 3.5 per cent by 2035-36 would cost an estimated $182.5 billion, with an extra $27 billion in interest payments – a total of $207.5 billion. At present, Australia spends just over 2 per cent, or about $56 billion per year, on defence but the acquisition of nuclear submarines and frigates, for example, $56 billion per year and is expected to rise to $100 billion over the next eight years. 'The developments at NATO suggest that the president and his team will be very keen that allies in the Indo-Pacific region follow a similar pattern in a commitment to increase defence expenditure,' said Arthur Sinodinos, a former Australian ambassador to the US, who is now at The Asia Group and co-chair of the AUKUS Forum, a group for AUKUS-related businesses.
7NEWS
18 minutes ago
- 7NEWS
Box Hill Hawks VFL-listed player Daniel Wood ‘nearly hit the moon' with mark of the century for Blackburn
Box Hill Hawks VFL -listed player Daniel Wood has taken one of the most freakish marks you're ever likely to see. Playing for Blackburn in the Eastern Football Netball League's premier division on Saturday, Wood climbed on the shoulders of two Balwyn players to take an insane grab that would rival anything that high-flying AFL greats Gary Moorcroft, Andrew Walker or Jeremy Howe have ever taken. Box Hill posted footage of the mark, which shows players from both sides in disbelief at the acrobatic effort. 'Yesterday, while playing for Blackburn, our own Daniel Wood took one of the greatest marks in the history of Australian rules football,' Box Hill wrote on social media. 'Don't believe me? Just watch... Give him a car, a boat, a plane, the International Space Station — this is as good as it gets.' The video had already been seen by tens of thousands of people within hours of it going up. 'Maybe the best local footy mark ever seen yesterday. Crazy!!!' one admirer said of it on X. 'Who says MOTY has to be from AFL?' another added. One person simply called it 'unbelievable'. Someone else joked: 'This blokes head nearly hit the moon.' To top it off, Wood went back and kicked the goal. But it wasn't enough for his side to get the win, with Blackburn going down to Balwyn 68-57 in a top-three EFNL clash. The game also featured former North Melbourne small forward Kayne Turner, former Carlton utility Ben Silvagni, whose brother Jack is still a star at the Blues, and former Brisbane forward Toby Wooller. Wood's Box Hill Hawks played against North Melbourne's reserves on the same day at Arden Street, winning comfortably by 10 goals. Making a rare appearance at VFL level, AFL champion Luke Breust kicked three goals, while young tall Calsher Dear kicked 2.2. At AFL level, the Hawks dismantled the Roos by 85 points in Launceston.
Perth Now
31 minutes ago
- Perth Now
Hensby's US Senior Open title hopes alive in Colorado
Padraig Harrington has chipped in from 20 yards off the green on the 18th hole to salvage a floundering round and pull back into a tie for the lead with Stewart Cink and Australian Mark Hensby at the US Senior Open. Harrington's chip-in for birdie capped a round of two-under 68 on Saturday and put him in the same spot he was in to start — tied with the same two opponents he played with over another tricky day at the Broadmoor that included wind, rain, even a flash of lightning that pulled the players off the course for a half-hour. "We could've taken the day off," the Irishman said as he shook hands to wrap up a day of twists and turns. Hensby's 68 included another four birdies, along with an eagle, to bring his total to 19 for the tournament. But his best look of all — a six-foot uphill attempt on No.18 that came as the course was still buzzing from Harrington's shot — fell far off to the right and he settled for par. Harrington needed two chips from the deep rough on the par-3 12th and made a double bogey to fall out of the lead. Another bogey came on 15 when he babied a five-foot par putt and it curled away well before the hole. Harrington yanked his tee shot on 18 into the rough left of the fairway and he had no choice but to hack out over the lake and short of the green. But he turned a possible bogey into an unlikely birdie and guaranteed himself a spot in the final group Sunday, where he'll try to add to the US Senior Open title he won in 2022. The leading trio are tied at eight-under 202. One shot behind sits Dane Thomas Bjorn, whose 66 matched the best round of the day and set up what appears to be a four-man fight for the title. Steve Flesch (67) was next at four under and Steven Alker's 66 left him at three under, tied with Miguel Angel Jimenez (68) and Paul Stankowski (67). Seven other Aussies in the field have some work to do to finish in the red. Rod Pampling (69) is even, Steve Allan (69) and Scott Hend (71) one over, Greg Chalmers (71) and Cameron Percy (70) three over, Stuart Appleby (73) four over and Richard Green (73) five over the card. With AAP.
