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Stephen Duckett

Director, Health Program, Grattan Institute

Professor Stephen Duckett is Director of the Health Program at Grattan Institute and Emeritus Professor of Health Policy at La Trobe University. He has held top operational and policy leadership positions in health care in Australia and Canada, including as Secretary of what is now the Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing. He has a reputation for creativity, evidence-based innovation and reform in areas ranging from the introduction of activity-based funding for hospitals to new systems of accountability for the safety of hospital care. An economist, he is a Fellow of the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia and of the Academy of Health and Medical Sciences.

Changes to lure young people into private health insurance won't slow increase in premiums

Oct 13, 2017 09:28 am UTC| Insights & Views Health

Australians will be able to choose lower premiums for higher excess, and insurers required to more clearly categorise their policies, under the federal governments shake up of private health insurance announced...

Why it costs you so much to see a specialist – and what the government should do about it

Aug 13, 2017 23:08 pm UTC| Insights & Views Life

Australians pay too much when they go to medical specialists. The government can and should do more to drive prices down. A current Senate Inquiry on out-of-pocket costs will hopefully lead to some policy action. The...

Don't be fooled, the Medicare Guarantee Fund provides no real guarantee

May 12, 2017 06:04 am UTC| Insights & Views Health Politics

Treasurer Scott Morrison pulled a health-related rabbit out of his hat on budget night, announcing the government will guarantee the future of Medicare. It will do this by allocating any extra revenue from the recently...

Introducing competition to the health sector should be treated with caution

Dec 05, 2016 05:12 am UTC| Insights & Views Economy

The Productivity Commissions study report on introducing competition into human services was quickly labelled as proposing privatisation of hospital, end-of-life and dental services. This isnt really the case. The...

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Economy

S. Korea's fishery goods exports drop 7.4% in 2020

South Koreas fishery goods exports plunged 7.4 percent from $2.5 billion in 2019 to $2.32 billion in 2020, says the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries. Exports of ready-to-eat products, such as processed fish and seaweed...

Jack Ma replaced as China’s richest man as his Ant Group came under intense scrutiny

Jack Ma, the Chinese founder of Ant Group and Alibaba, is not Chinas richest man anymore. The loss of the title as his countrys richest citizen was revealed after a list was released this week. Many are saying that Jack...

S. Korea's 5 conglomerates to invest 43 trillion won in hydrogen economy by 2030

South Koreas five major conglomerates SK, Hyundai Motor, POSCO, Hanwha, and Hyosung will invest 43 trillion won in building hydrogen infrastructures, such as production and storage, by 2030. SK Group will invest 18.5...

India lures Tesla to manufacturing deal cheaper than in China

India is ready to provide incentives that would bring Tesla Inc production costs lesser than in China, according to transport minister Nitin Gadkari. According to Gadkari, its a win-win situation for Tesla considering...

Delhi suspends subsidy on Tata Nexon EV on range issue

Delhi suspended the subsidy on the Tata Motors Nexon EV due to multiple complaints about sub-standard range performance. The transport department is awaiting a final committee report to determine how to proceed with the...

Politics

Nancy Pelosi says sexual harassment allegations against NY Governor Andrew Cuomo are 'credible'

The recent sexual harassment allegations made against New York Governor Andrew Cuomo have prompted many Democrats to speak out. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is among those figures, saying that the allegations made toward...

Joe Biden COVID-19 relief: POTUS makes another push for relief plan in meeting with Senate Democrats

With the House successfully passing President Joe Bidens $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill, it is now in the hands of the Senate. Biden makes another strong push for the passage of the bill in his latest meeting with...

Joe Biden Cabinet: Miguel Cardona confirmed to lead Department of Education

The Senate is at work to confirm President Joe Bidens Cabinet nominees, the confirmations already picking up steam in the past week or so. The latest of confirmations is with Miguel Cardona, who will now be leading the...

Donald Trump 2024 run: GOP Senator Bill Cassidy says ex-POTUS will not be the 2024 nominee

Former President Donald Trump recently hinted at a 2024 run for the presidency again during his appearance at CPAC. While most Republicans have supported the idea, GOP Senator Bill Cassidy says Trump will not become the...

Donald Trump investigation: Ex-POTUS faces probes from five investigators

Former President Donald Trump received an acquittal from the Senate a few weeks ago, but he still faces many legal challenges especially as he no longer has the protections of the White House. Trump is currently facing...

Science

Transparent wood is coming, and it could make an energy-efficient alternative to glass

Wood is an ancient material humans have been using for millions of years, for the construction of housing, ships and as a source of fuel for burning. Its also a renewable source, and one way to capture excess carbon...

Pigs can play video games, scientists discover

Pigs might not be able to fly, but they can play video games. In a new study, researchers from Purdue University in Indiana, US have shown that pigs can use a digital screen and joystick, operated by their snout, to move a...

Einsteinium: 100 years after Einstein's Nobel Prize, researchers reveal chemical secrets of element that bears his name

A century ago, an upstart German physicist by the name of Albert Einstein turned the scientific world on its head with his discovery of the photoelectric effect, which proved light to be both a particle and a wave. Awarded...

New CRISPR technology could revolutionise gene therapy, offering new hope to people with genetic diseases

The day a muddled mob stormed the US Capitol building, a team of American researchers published a paper in Nature that signified a landmark in gene therapy. The head of the US National Institutes of Health, Francis...

In the rush for coronavirus information, unreviewed scientific papers are being publicized

COVID-19 has not only upended our personal lives, it has dramatically changed scientific research. In response to the rapid spread of the virus, scientists around the world have had to find new ways to collaborate and...

Technology

‘Valheim’ update 0.147.3 deliver private dedicated servers

The increasingly popular survival game Valheim has received its latest update, and Iron Gate has answered many players requests. The patch includes the option for fans to use private dedicated servers through easy...

Android March 2021 security patch rolls out for some Pixel devices

The latest security patch for Android-run devices is here, and the March 2021 security patch has reportedly started to roll out for Google Pixel smartphones. It is something that smartphone users may want to immediately...

Report: Hole-punch selfie camera could debut on iPhone 14

Many might agree that Apple made the display notch popular, and now its fans have been asking the tech giant to make it smaller or even get rid of it altogether. Apple is not one to discuss its plans for upcoming hardware...

‘Fortnite’ chapter 2 season 6 could start in mid-March

The start of a new season is one of the most important times for every Fortnite player. It marks a fresh start to climb up the leadership ladder, and it is also the time when Epic Games usually roll out updates and Battle...

‘Apex Legends’: Nintendo Switch players are getting free 30 levels on day one

The wait for the Apex Legends Nintendo Switch port is down to just a week, and EA is celebrating that by releasing a new gameplay trailer. Meanwhile, the game publisher also announced several exclusive perks for Switch...