Labor’s 60-day dispensing laws to allow patients with chronic conditions to receive two months of medicine for the price of one from September 1 passed this week, but not before a chaotic day in the Senate. The changes faced a disallowance motion brought by the opposition, who then sought to delay its own motion until 4 September to give the government time to pause its policy – an offer the health minister, Mark Butler, declined to take up.
Labor, the Greens and senators David Pocock, Lidia Thorpe and Jacqui Lambie voted in the Senate to reject the delay and then bring on the disallowance motion 31 votes to 26.
David Speers interviews Nationals Leader David Littleproud about why they’ve chosen to oppose the legislation, tension in the regions over renewable energy, the Coalition’s nuclear energy push, and why Australia shouldn’t get a public holiday if the Matildas win the Women’s World Cup. Subscribe: http://ab.co/1svxLVE
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