Australian Greens health spokesperson Dr Richard Di Natale has written to the federal health minister calling for the influenza vaccine to be made available free of charge to all Australians as part of the national response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
 
“Ensuring everyone can access the flu vaccine for free is a clear step that will provide multiple benefits to the public and to our health system,” Dr Di Natale said today.
 

The Australian Greens have joined calls for a full New Zealand-style mandatory stay at home lockdown to respond to the growing COVID-19 pandemic, backing health experts calling for a ‘go hard, go fast’ response to enforce social distancing.

Greens leader Adam Bandt and health spokesperson Dr Richard Di Natale have called on the Prime Minister and National Cabinet to adopt a lock down in line with New Zealand’s Stage 4 measures. This would require everyone, except those providing essential services, to stay home, and only make physical contact with those they live with.  

A Senate Committee Inquiry examining access to medicinal cannabis in Australia has made a series of landmark recommendations to significantly improve the lives of Australian patients.

The Committee heard from patients up and down the country who are unable to access the medicinal cannabis treatments they need due to regulatory barriers and enormous cost.

Dr Richard Di Natale has today called on the Australian government to urgently release its COVID-19 modelling in the face of confusing and fragmented advice from state premiers, first ministers and the commonwealth.

"COVID-19 is presenting an unprecedented public health threat, and Australians are understandably extremely concerned," Dr Di Natale, Greens health spokesperson said today.

Greens leader Adam Bandt MP and health spokesperson Dr Richard Di Natale have called on the Morrison government and national cabinet to explain what actions are being taken to double the number of intensive care units and to secure adequate number of ventilators.

Medical experts have warned that the number of intensive care beds need to at least double if we are to have a chance of managing the corona crisis. The Deputy Chief Medical Officer has flagged that Australia is facing up to 150,000 possible deaths in the worst case scenario.

Today’s reports of insufficient access to protective masks for front line GPs in the face of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) emergency is of significant concern, Greens spokesperson for Health Dr Richard Di Natale has said today.

It is essential that our health workers, in particular, those directly responding to possible Coronavirus cases within the community, have access to an ongoing, sufficient supply of personal protective equipment (PPE) and masks.

Greens spokesperson for Health and public health specialist Dr Richard Di Natale will quiz senior government officials on the Australian and international response to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) response at Senate estimates this morning.



Dr Di Natale, who is a GP and Public Health specialist, has worked in infectious disease control and outbreak investigations.

Senators Di Natale and Faruqi: To move—That the Senate—

(a) notes the passage of the Citizenship Amendment Act in India on 10 December 2019, which legalised the granting of Indian citizenship based on religion but specifically excluded muslims;

(b) expresses deep concern that the Indian Government has created the legal grounds to strip millions of muslims of the fundamental right of equal access to citizenship;

Greens Leader Adam Bandt will join former Greens Leader Richard Di Natale in wearing a West Papuan lapel flag during the address of Indonesian President Widodo to the Australian Parliament on Monday. West Papuan human rights advocate Ronny Kareni will also be a guest of Senator Di Natale at the address. Mr Kareni is a member of the United Liberation Movement for West Papua and is a longstanding campaigner for West Papuan human rights.