Australian politics live: PM distances himself from Labor staffer sacked over social media posts; Sarah Abo and Hugh Riminton announce departures

Key events

Crackdown on reckless prescribing as regulator ramps up peptides oversight

Australia’s medical practitioner regulator is cracking down on high-volume prescribers of drugs including unapproved peptides, medicinal cannabis and GLP-1 weight-loss drugs such as Ozempic and Mounjaro.

The Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (Ahpra) announced on Wednesday it will also soon release conflict-of-interest guidance for doctors as concerns grow about commercial influence over their prescribing.

In a statement, Ahpra said the agency has been investigating unsafe prescribing and “is concerned growing consumer demand for certain medicines, coupled with undue commercial influence, has led some practitioners to depart from established professional standards”.

The statement said:

Telehealth prescribing and the provision of certain medicines require practitioners to demonstrate even greater rigour to prevent harm to patients.

Ahpra can take regulatory action against practitioners over unsafe prescribing, with the most serious cases referred to tribunals.

Medical Board of Australia chair Dr Susan O’Dwyer warned doctors and prescribers “active in these new pharmaceutical frontiers” that they have ethical and legal obligations, saying that:

A patient may want peptides, but that doesn’t mean they need peptides. It doesn’t mean that peptides are clinically justified.

‘We do not want Peter’s death used to promote political agendas’: family issues statement after Victorian motorcyclist dies in reported pothole crash

The family of Peter Mason, a 71-year-old motorcyclist who died on Monday after reportedly hitting a pothole on a regional Victorian highway say his loss has “left an enormous hole” in their lives.

Mason, known as Tiki, was the president of a social motorcycle club, Eureka Social Riders, and was widely respected within the community. He died on Sunday after reportedly losing control on the Western Highway near Trawalla Road, with his death reigniting a political debate over the condition of Victoria’s roads in the lead-up to the November state election.

His family issued a statement this afternoon asking people not to use his death to “promote political agendas”. It reads:

There are no words to express the heartbreak our family is experiencing following the sudden and devastating loss of Peter Mason.

Peter was so much more than the circumstances of his death. He was a much-loved member of our family and a friend to many. His loss has left an enormous hole in our lives, and we are struggling to come to terms with a life taken far too soon.

We are aware of the public interest surrounding the circumstances of Peter’s death, including the condition of the road where the incident occurred. If, through the appropriate processes, changes are identified that could prevent another family from experiencing this devastation, we sincerely hope something positive can come from Peter’s death. However, these matters should be dealt with by the appropriate authorities.

We do not want Peter’s death used to promote political agendas, and we ask that no one speak on behalf of our family or claim to represent our views.

The family thanked everyone who had reached out with condolences, support and memories of Peter. They also asked reporters to be “respectful , factual and sensitive”.

Hugh Riminton to leave 10 and retire from journalism after near-five decade career

Veteran Network 10 journalist Hugh Riminton has told his colleagues he will retire on 2 October after a 48-year career.

Riminton made the announcement in an email to Network 10 staff earlier today, in which he said:

One of my emotions is excitement. I got my first job as a cadet reporter aged 17. I am now 65. 48 years in daily news is probably enough.

This reporter’s life has given me the world. I leave with nothing but gratitude for every hour of it.

In the coming weeks and months, I plan to support my son as he does his HSC. I also want to spend some time with my splendid Dad who is coming on 98.

Every hour is precious.

After that, I am sure projects will emerge to keep me busy.

I want to thank you all for being my colleagues and friends for the past 17 years.

There is no one among you I am not proud to work alongside.

Martin White, a vice-president of news at 10’s owner, Paramount, wrote:

As you’ve heard already, the great Hugh Riminton has made the tough decision to move on. After a near half-century on the day-to-day news, it’s an innings few of us can comprehend, let alone get close to.

While I’m sad, and will miss him greatly, I’m also proud to have been able to call him a colleague. I’ve even subbed a few of his scripts, though I can’t recall ever changing a word!

He is rightly celebrated as one of the premier journalists in this country and has had a vital impact on the Australian media, and on Australian democracy.

Sarah Abo announces she is leaving Today

Sarah Abo has announced she will finish up as co-host of Today and leave Nine at the end of the year to pursue other opportunities.

In a statement today, Abo said:

Nine’s executive director of news and current affairs, Fiona Dear, thanked Abo and said she had been an “integral part” of the team, “bringing warmth, energy and first-class journalism to the program each morning”.

Police appeal after woman’s body found in central Queensland sand dunes

Speaking to reporters in Mackay earlier today, Det Insp Emma Novosel said:

We’re obviously going through that bushland area to try and find any items of interest that could assist us in determining what happened to Payge and how she came to be in that location.

Police have urged anyone who saw her between Friday and Tuesday or with any information to contact them.

First hearings announced in royal commission into Victoria’s Big Build

The royal commission into the Victorian government’s Big Build will hold its first public hearing next week.

Known formally as the “royal commission into the integrity of major public and civil infrastructure construction projects in Victoria”, the inquiry headed by Chris Kourakis confirmed it will hold its opening hearing next Wednesday.

The hearing will be held in the Melbourne magistrates court from 10am and will be live-streamed.

Hello, I hope you’ve had a nice day so far. I’ll be with you on the blog until this evening.

That’s all from me today folks, thanks for following along on the blog!

I’ll leave you with the brilliant Catie McLeod for the rest of the day’s news while I coax myself to go outside and get some fresh air.

See you back here tomorrow.

Tl;dr here’s what happened in question time

The spotlight was heavily on the prime minister and health minister Mark Butler today, who defended himself over planned cuts to private health insurance rebates for over 65s.

Anthony Albanese’s patience was also somewhat tested over his links to former Play School host and ex-Labor staffer Rhys Muldoon, who was yesterday stood down over “abhorrent” social media posts.

Tony Burke acknowledged immigration numbers do need to drop, ahead of his appearance at the Press Club tomorrow (a month after he was first due to speak).

The opposition also tried to corner Labor on whether the prime minister had sought cabinet approval before extending the increase to Australia’s humanitarian intake to 20,000. Burke replied that it showed how far away the Coalition was from understanding government function.

And Jim Chalmers nearly got kicked out today after he called Tim Wilson a “karaoke clown”. He was referring to this.

Question time ends

After a final dixer to Kristy McBain, that was surprisingly rowdy and nearly led to housing minister Clare O’Neil getting booted, the prime minister calls time on QT.

‘All care, no responsibility’, Albanese defends private health insurance changes

Why doesn’t the government properly tax coal and gas, cut the $11bn diesel fuel rebate or reconsider the $368bn Aukus agreement if it needs to find savings, asks Monique Ryan, instead of targeting pensioners by cutting private health insurance rebates for over 65s.

It’s not a misprint – Ryan has been given a second question today, lucky her.

Anthony Albanese spends half of his answer defending Aukus, and then also defends the decision to change the private health insurance rebate.

He then takes aim at the crossbench.

I expect the Independents don’t have to come up with a budget, and that’s fine. All care – no responsibility. But as a government, we have to.

Rhys Muldoon comments ‘outrageous and completely unacceptable’ says Albanese

Before we get to the next question, Ben Small is booted, after a dixer to Tony Burke where he was railing off about the Plymouth Brethren church and their involvement in the election.

Then Tony Pasin returns to the dispatch box, and asks the prime minister point blank if he provided Rhys Muldoon a reference for his role as an Australia Day ambassador or any other role.

Anthony Albanese says it was appropriate that Muldoon was immediately stood down after several old social media posts surfaced.

There are two roles in which action has been taken. One was he was a relief staff casual employee for Senator Dowling, and the comments, when people became aware of them and the senator became aware of them, he took immediate action and that’s appropriate.

Albanese says Muldoon was an Australia Day ambassador since 2014 but was not this year.

The assistant minister has taken action today, who has responsibility for those issues, to clearly say that it is not appropriate for him to be an ambassador. I find his comments outrageous and completely unacceptable.

Butler on the defence over decision to lower private health insurance rebates for over 65s

Monique Ryan has picked up the baton and is also asking the government about its decision to lower the private health insurance rebates for over 65s. Modelling by the parliamentary budget office that she commissioned found half of the $3bn in savings would be paid for by pensioners.

She asks if pensioners were “really the only place that you could find budget savings?”

Mark Butler says, for the 50th time, that the government has had to make “hard decisions” and that it’s necessary to pay for more aged care beds and home care support.

He says the initial decision by John Howard to give over 65s a higher health insurance rebate was done in a very different economic scenario.

I would like to be able to maintain that arrangement but we have had to make some difficult decisions to find the aged care investment that is necessary.

Now in this debate there have frankly been a lot of misinformation about what the impact will be. Our modelling indicates that first of all the average impact on a private health insurance member of these changes will be in the order of 70 cents per day.

‘Zero to do with me’: Albanese distances himself from Muldoon

Anthony Albanese has tried to completely distance himself from Rhys Muldoon, the former Play School host, and brief Labor staffer who was yesterday stood down after “abhorrent” posts were unearthed.

Liberal frontbencher Tony Pasin asks what involvement Albanese had in Muldoon’s appointment as a Labor adviser and if he provided Muldoon with a reference for his Australia Day ambassador role.

Albanese says no, and no.

On the first part of that question, none. On the second part, his Australia Day role began under the former Coalition government … and his appointment had zero to do with me.

‘We do need to get net overseas migration down’, says Burke

Net migration does need to come down, says Tony Burke, ahead of his national press club address tomorrow.

Regional independent MP Helen Haines asks him whether the government will speed up visa processing for regional areas, who are struggling to get critical workers.

We do need to get net overseas migration down, we do …

To be able to work through this, we need to be able to make sure that we deal with the numbers – we need to make sure that we deal with the numbers overall and do so in a sensible, targeted way that provides the easiest pathway through for the Australian economy.

He doesn’t exactly answer the question on whether he’ll reverse the “go-slow” on visa processing for the regions.

He does say there are more tools that the government has at its disposal to improve the migration system and he’ll says he’ll have more to say about that tomorrow.

A bit of a forward sizzle, as it were.

Butler holds firm on private health insurance rebates for over 65s

s MP Michelle Landry is next and asks about a warning from the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists which says Labor’s reduction of private health cover rebates for over 65s will lead to “increased costs for older women who require gynaecological care”.

Anthony Albanese says broadly that the government has introduced the largest ever women’s health program.

The health minister, Mark Butler then takes over and says that submissions are still coming into the inquiry taking a look at the changes, and the government will consider them.

But he holds firm and maintains the changes are necessary.

We are doing this … to find necessary savings to fund more beds in aged care, more packages at home and better care, particularly changing the co-contribution arrangements which I think have been advocated by the opposition, among others, around showering and other hygiene activities.

The changes that we make restore arrangements to their original design which did not differentiate between members or private health insurance holders based on their age.

Chalmers on a warning for ‘karaoke clown’ barb

Jim Chalmers has lashed out after Tim Wilson seized on a story in Nine Newspapers reporting that the treasurer’s colleagues are worried about inflation and rate rises. Chalmers reportedly held a private briefing with backbenchers ahead of an intergenerational report.

Chalmers quips that at least he’s taken more seriously by his own colleagues than Angus Taylor is by his.

Of all the people to ask a question like this, I don’t think the karaoke clown over there …

Cue the uproar.

Dan Tehan comes to the dispatch box (stifling a laugh mind you) but Milton Dick says he’s got this one in hand, and puts Chalmers on a warning, who’s then forced to withdraw the remark.

Chalmers says:

I do take my colleagues seriously and I take our economic challenges seriously as well. It’s why I make myself available to discussions with the parliamentary party, it’s a very informed and very engaged group, and I will continue to engage with them in good faith about the most important issues.

We will take these things more seriously than those opposite take them.

Before he gets to the end, Liberal MP Henry Pike gets booted for interjecting too much.