Albanese pledges billion-dollar Medicare funding boost – as it happened

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Greens want Labor's new Medicare plan implemented before election

The federal Greens have welcomed the Albanese government's plan to significantly boost bulk-billing rates, as part of an $8.5bn policy, but claimed its campaigning influenced the decision.

Greens pressure works. In a wealthy country like ours everyone should be able to see a GP, psychologist, dentist or nurse with their Medicare card.

It's good Labor has adopted part of our plan to help people see the GP for free. Now let's make it law before the election.

Trade and tariffs will be part of the conversation, but not the whole conversation. That is an ongoing discussion that we're having with our American counterparts. I don't expect he will conclude those discussions on steel and aluminium while I'm in DC.

I am not going to pre-empt the outcome of those conversations, nor do I expect those discussions will necessarily be concluded this week, to be upfront with you.