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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.

What is the hospital funding agreement politicians are talking about today?

Dec 06, 2023 07:47 am UTC| Politics

National Cabinet meets today to discuss three big issues in Commonwealth-state financial relations: GST allocation, National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) funding, and a Commonwealth government proposal to kick-start...

How does Australia's health system stack up internationally? Not bad, if you're willing to wait for it

Nov 28, 2023 23:15 pm UTC| Health

When things are going bad in the health system, we are reassured weve got one of the best health systems in the world. But were rarely told where we actually stand relative to others. A new report from the Organisation...

When aged care workers earn just $22 an hour, a one-off payment won’t fix the wage problem

Feb 02, 2022 08:57 am UTC| Economy

The federal governments promise of up to A$800 between now and May for aged care workers is a short-term political fix designed to cover over a long-term policy failure. Numerous reports have pointed out Australias more...

Vaccine Rollout 2.0: Australia needs to do 3 things differently

Jul 01, 2021 03:19 am UTC| Health

Australias vaccine rollout started just over four months ago. It has not gone well, to put it mildly. To date, only 24% of the population have had at least one dose of a vaccine, and nearly 5% 1.2 million people have...

New aged care data on hospitalisation rates show significant problem areas in residential aged care

Feb 02, 2021 13:13 pm UTC| Life Health

The Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety released new data overnight comparing hospitalisation rates from residential aged care facilities. The report found 36.9% of nursing home residents presented to an...

Young people dropping private health hurts insurers most, not public hospitals

Feb 19, 2020 01:49 am UTC| Insights & Views Health

Young Australians are abandoning private health insurance in droves. And the overall decline in the percentage of the population with private coverage is continuing. New data for the three months to the end of 2019,...

How do you stop the youth exodus from private health insurance? Cut premiums for under-55s

Dec 04, 2019 11:26 am UTC| Insights & Views Business Health

Young people dont see private health insurance as good value for money. And theyre right: the cost of their expected use of private health care is significantly below what they pay in insurance premiums. Unsurprisingly,...

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Economy

Houthi Naval Blockade on Saudi Arabia Escalates Iran Conflict, Threatens Global Oil Supply

Yemens Iran-backed Houthi movement announced a naval blockade against Saudi Arabia on Monday, significantly escalating tensions in the Middle East and raising fresh concerns over global energy supplies, oil prices, and...

ASEAN Ministers Warn Middle East Conflict Threatens Regional Stability and Energy Security

The escalating Middle East conflict dominated discussions at the ASEAN foreign ministers meeting in Manila on Tuesday, as leaders warned that renewed fighting could threaten global energy supplies, fuel inflation, and...

Trump Set to Unveil New Tariffs on Dozens of Countries as Global 10% Duty Nears Expiration

U.S. President Donald Trump is expected to introduce a fresh round of tariffs on dozens of countries as early as this week, according to a report by the Financial Times. The move comes as the administrations temporary 10%...

US-Iran Conflict Escalates as Gulf Attacks Threaten Global Oil Supply

The conflict between the United States and Iran intensified overnight as U.S. forces launched fresh airstrikes across southern Iran following President Donald Trumps vow to retaliate for the deaths of American soldiers....

US Stock Futures Rise as AI Optimism Lifts Tech, 3M Jumps on Strong Earnings

U.S. stock futures moved higher on Tuesday, led by semiconductor and technology stocks, as investors looked ahead to a busy week of corporate earnings that could determine whether the artificial intelligence-driven rally...

Politics

US, China to Hold AI Talks Ahead of Xi’s September Visit

The United States and China are preparing to hold high-level artificial intelligence (AI) talks in September, marking the first official AI dialogue between the two countries under President Donald Trumps administration....

Israeli Airstrike Kills Family of Six in Gaza as Ceasefire Death Toll Mounts

An Israeli airstrike in Gaza City on Tuesday killed a family of six after their home was struck and engulfed in flames, according to Palestinian health officials, highlighting the continued violence despite an October...

Trump-Aligned MAGA Inc Builds $400 Million War Chest Ahead of Midterm Elections

MAGA Inc, the super political action committee aligned with U.S. President Donald Trump, has accumulated more than $400 million as Republicans prepare for the November U.S. midterm elections, according to a new filing with...

Japan PM Sanae Takaichi Unveils Growth Plan as BOJ Independence Concerns Lift Bond Yields

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi unveiled her first economic policy blueprint on Tuesday, pledging to increase investment in strategic growth sectors while reaffirming cooperation with the Bank of Japan (BOJ)....

Civil Rights Groups Sue Trump Administration Over Childcare Funding Freeze and Influencer's Role

Civil rights organizations have filed a lawsuit against President Donald Trumps administration, challenging its attempt to restrict billions of dollars in federal childcare and family assistance funding while seeking...

Science

Blue Origin New Glenn Explosion Could Delay Launch Operations Until 2028

Blue Origin is facing a significant setback after a dramatic explosion involving its New Glenn rocket severely damaged a launch pad at Cape Canaveral, Florida. According to NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, repairs to the...

Blue Origin New Glenn Rocket Explodes During Launch Pad Test, Delaying Space Ambitions

Blue Origin suffered a major setback after its uncrewed New Glenn rocket exploded during a launch pad test in Florida on Thursday, raising new challenges for Jeff Bezos space company as it competes with Elon Musks SpaceX...

SpaceX Delays Starship V3 Launch Ahead of Potential Record IPO

SpaceX on Thursday postponed the highly anticipated launch of its 12th Starship rocket test from Texas after technical issues interrupted the final countdown. The company now plans to attempt the Starship V3 launch again...

Trump Administration Releases New UFO Files and Apollo Mission Records

The U.S. Defense Department has released dozens of previously classified UFO-related files following an order from President Donald Trump, sparking renewed debate over unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) and government...

China vs. NASA: The New Moon Race and What's at Stake by 2030

The space race is back and this time, its a direct competition between the United States and China for dominance on the lunar surface. NASAs Artemis II mission recently made history when four astronauts flew farther into...

Technology

Morgan Stanley Downgrades Adobe, Workday as AI Transition Raises Growth Concerns

Morgan Stanley adopted a mixed outlook on the software sector on Tuesday, turning bearish on Adobe (NASDAQ: ADBE) and Workday (NASDAQ: WDAY) while maintaining an overall positive view of the industry. The investment bank...

Judge Approves Anthropic’s $1.5 Billion AI Copyright Settlement With Authors

A federal judge in San Francisco has granted final approval to Anthropics landmark $1.5 billion copyright settlement, bringing a major chapter in the legal battle over AI training data and copyrighted books closer to an...

Nvidia Reveals 9.3% Stake in AI Cloud Firm Nebius Following $2 Billion Investment

Nvidia has disclosed that it holds a 9.3% stake in AI cloud infrastructure company Nebius, further strengthening its presence in the rapidly expanding artificial intelligence ecosystem. The disclosure follows Nvidias...

SpaceX Q2 Earnings on Aug. 4 Set Stage for Historic Insider Share Unlock

SpaceX (NASDAQ: SPCX) will report its second-quarter 2026 financial results after the market closes on August 4, marking its first earnings release since its record-breaking initial public offering. The company will also...

Samsung Cuts U.S. Consumer Electronics Jobs as Headquarters Moves to Texas

Samsung Electronics has reduced its workforce in the United States as it relocates the headquarters of its consumer electronics business from New Jersey to Texas, affecting hundreds of employees while maintaining that the...