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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

Gordie Howe International Bridge Set to Open, Boosting U.S.-Canada Trade Links

The long-awaited Gordie Howe International Bridge connecting Detroit, Michigan, and Windsor, Ontario, is expected to open within weeks, marking a major milestone for cross-border trade and transportation between the United...

South Korea Q1 GDP Growth Revised Higher as AI-Driven Exports Boost Economic Outlook

South Koreas economy grew faster than previously estimated in the first quarter of 2026, according to revised figures released by the Bank of Korea on Tuesday. The updated data highlights the countrys strong export...

China Trade Surplus Surges in May 2026 as Exports and AI-Driven Imports Accelerate

Chinas trade surplus expanded more than expected in May 2026, supported by strong export growth and rising imports linked to the countrys growing semiconductor and artificial intelligence sectors. According to customs data...

Asian Currencies Gain as U.S. Dollar Softens Ahead of Key Inflation Data in 2026

Asian currencies traded mostly higher on Tuesday as the U.S. dollar retreated from a two-month high, with investors closely monitoring the fragile ceasefire between Israel and Iran and preparing for crucial U.S. inflation...

Asian Stocks Rebound as AI and Chip Shares Recover; Easing Iran Tensions Boost Sentiment

Asian stock markets moved higher on Tuesday, supported by a strong rebound in semiconductor and artificial intelligence-related shares after heavy losses in previous sessions. Investor sentiment also improved as...

Politics

Alaska Senate Candidate Named Dan Sullivan Faces Investigation Over Alleged Voter Confusion Scheme

Alaska election officials have launched an investigation into a U.S. Senate candidate who shares the same name as Republican incumbent Senator Dan Sullivan, amid allegations that his candidacy was designed to confuse...

Trump Administration Defends Anthropic AI Restrictions in Ongoing Federal Lawsuit

The Trump administration has defended its decision to restrict the use of Anthropics artificial intelligence products, arguing in a new court filing that the federal government acted lawfully after the AI company resisted...

Iran and Israel Halt Attacks After Trump Appeal as Regional Tensions Remain High

Iran and Israel announced they had suspended direct attacks against each other following an appeal from U.S. President Donald Trump, easing fears of a wider Middle East conflict. However, Tehran warned that military action...

Taiwan Simulates Repelling Chinese Invasion in Major Coastal Live-Fire Exercise

Taiwans military conducted a large-scale live-fire coastal defense exercise on Tuesday, simulating the destruction of an invading Chinese force during an amphibious assault. The drill, held along Taiwans west coast facing...

Trump Claims Iran War Victory Near as Oil Prices Expected to Drop

U.S. President Donald Trump stated on Monday evening that the United States is nearing victory in its conflict with Iran, adding that global oil prices could decline significantly once the war comes to an end. During a...

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

OpenAI Files Confidential IPO Draft as AI Giants Race Toward Public Markets

OpenAI has confidentially submitted a draft S-1 registration statement to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), taking a major step toward a potential initial public offering (IPO). The move positions the...

Apple Unveils Enhanced Apple Intelligence and Next-Generation Siri at WWDC 2026

Apple has introduced the latest version of its Apple Intelligence platform at the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) 2026, signaling a stronger push into the rapidly evolving artificial intelligence market. The...

Qualcomm Stock Gains After Jensen Huang Endorsement

Qualcomm (NASDAQ: QCOM) shares moved higher in after-hours trading on Monday, rising approximately 2% after NVIDIA (NASDAQ: NVDA) CEO Jensen Huang publicly praised the semiconductor company and encouraged investors to...

Naver Stock Jumps on NVIDIA Partnership to Build South Korea’s AI Infrastructure

Naver Corp. (KS:035420) shares surged on Monday after the South Korean technology giant announced a major artificial intelligence partnership with NVIDIA Corporation (NASDAQ: NVDA). The news fueled strong investor...

Nvidia Expands South Korea AI Partnerships to Strengthen Data Center and Memory Chip Supply

Nvidia has announced a series of strategic partnerships with leading South Korean technology companies as the AI chip giant seeks to strengthen its supply chain and accelerate the growth of its artificial intelligence...