The Greens have criticised changes to the Private Health Insurance Act 2007 which passed the Senate last night saying they set a dangerous precedent for how disabled people can access Private Health Insurance. 
 
Under these changes Australian Greens Senator Jordon Steele-John, who is not yet a participant of the NDIS, would not be considered a disabled person.
 
Greens spokesperson on Health Senator Rachel Siewert said: 
I am disappointed to see that the Government has succumbed to the pressure of private health insurers.

“This budget is a surplus of scatter gun approaches and tinkering around the edges. 
 
“This is a budget that continues the ongoing disdain this Government has for people who have been doing it tough for a long time and for whom things have only got worse due to the global pandemic and recession: people on income support, older women, young people, single parents and disabled people.
 

The Greens say fixing Australia’s mental health crisis must be a budget priority.

The Greens say that quarantine will be part of managing the pandemic for the foreseeable future and purpose built facilities should be built now. 
 
“The Western Australian Government needs to urgently close the quarantine hotels that have been identified as high risk and improve other areas of its approach to quarantine. These hotels are not fit for purpose and we cannot go any longer using these sub-par facilities that can result in outbreaks. 
 

The Greens are calling on the Federal Government to make telehealth a permanent feature of our Medicare system. 
 
“Telehealth has been lifesaving for Australians, especially for people living in regional and remote areas and for disabled people, people with kids and older Australians. 
 
“We know that people living in regional and remote areas suffer worse health outcomes. Telehealth helps to bridge that gap. 
 
“Patients and health practitioners need certainty about the future of telehealth in Australia. 
 

The Greens say that the People’s Vaccine Alliance calculation that Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson  have paid out $26 billion in dividends and stock buybacks to their shareholders in the past 12 months is appalling. 
 
“Profit making from Covid-19 vaccines is gross and highlights exactly why we need publicly owned, Government run facilities in Australia”, Greens spokesperson on Health Senator Rachel Siewert said. 
 

The Australian Greens have called on the Morrison Government to urgently prioritise disabled people, and disability support workers, in the national vaccine roll out after it was revealed that just 6.5% of this cohort have received their first dose.

Australian Greens Disability spokesperson Senator Jordon Steele-John said:

"This is absolutely shameful. It's clear that the Morrison government has once again forgotten to include disabled people, and the people who support us, in their pandemic response.

“It’s time for the Morrison Government to step up and show leadership on developing publicly-owned mRNA manufacturing capacity", Greens spokesperson on Health Senator Rachel Siewert said. 
 
“It’s not good enough to say they are doing investigations and scoping studies. How much longer do we have to wait? 

The Leader of the Greens, Adam Bandt, says the National Cabinet agenda should include the Greens’ call for investment in publicly-owned domestic mRNA vaccine production.

The Greens have been calling for publicly-owned vaccine manufacturing for almost a year, and since February have been explicitly calling for Australia to be able to produce mRNA vaccines here. Top scientists and immunisation experts have also argued that Australia should have domestic mRNA production.

The Australian Greens are calling for the establishment of a no-fault vaccine compensation scheme in Australia.
 
“There are already 25 countries around the world, including the US, UK and New Zealand, that have no-fault vaccine compensation schemes in place and it’s time for Australia to join them”, Australian Greens spokesperson on Health Senator Rachel Siewert said.
 
“Having a no-fault vaccine compensation scheme in place will ensure people don’t need to pursue compensation through the legal system in the rare event of adverse side effects.