Poll findings show 86 per cent of Australians believe rapid antigen tests should be free or subsidised in some way.
A clear majority of Australians want authorities to subsidise rapid antigen tests or make them free for everyone, with 65 per cent of voters also saying the federal government is most responsible for ensuring coronavirus test supplies.
, show clear support for government action to fix the test shortage, with only 7 per cent saying people should have to buy the kits without a subsidy. Health Minister Greg Hunt attacked the Labor leader for calling for changes that would put pressure on the supply of test kits and divert resources from critical health services.“It is a very dangerous and irresponsible policy,” he said, adding that state and territory authorities did the principal work on testing., slashing the Coalition’s primary vote from 39 to 34 per cent and lifting Labor to a strong position ahead of the federal election due by May.
Employer groups such as the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry have urged the Morrison government to make the tests free for essential workers, while ACTU national secretary“We have been calling for rapid antigen tests to be freely and widely available for Australians, small business and other industry settings since September last year,” said ACCI chief Andrew Mackellar last week. “The government must re-double its efforts to procure the supply Australia needs.
Mr Hunt cited work done for Finance Minister Simon Birmingham that estimated a $13 billion annual cost to give people 10 free tests every quarter in a scheme open to all Australians aged five and over. This assumed a cost of about $12 to $15 for each test. Lumos Diagnostics executive chairman Sam Lanyon revealed last month he and others took a plan to federal and state governments in 2020 to manufacture rapid tests in Australia but said they were turned away and chose instead to produce millions of kits for the United States market.“I guarantee you we would have had manufacturing in Australia already,” Mr Lanyon said. “We would have been producing tests in Victoria, and we would have been shipping them nationally.