American drug manufacturers are urging Donald Trump to punish Australia for a decades-old scheme that subsidises medicines. The intervention has the Albanese government bracing for another round of trade tariffs. Just as it puts the finishing touches on its budget.
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00:00This leader does hold a hose. Peter Dutton attempting to wash away some coalition confusion.
00:09I want to keep our country safe and secure.
00:11Yesterday the opposition leader was making the case for a referendum
00:15to give the government absolute power to deport criminals who are dual citizens
00:20during a mixed response from colleagues.
00:23This is not our policy.
00:25Frontbenchers appeared to play down the plan.
00:27We said we'd consider all options. We've been absolutely clear on that.
00:31While a Liberal candidate suggested it wasn't a hot topic in Tasmania.
00:36Nobody's talking about this here.
00:38Today, Mr Dutton clarified.
00:40We can tighten the laws. We do that.
00:42As a last resort, if there's a change to the constitution required, we can have that discussion.
00:47He's three years in as opposition leader.
00:50He has not put forward a single policy that will make a difference to cost of living for Australians.
00:57As the opposition constantly reminds voters,
00:59the government's election promise of a $275 cut to power bills remains unfulfilled.
01:06But it is likely to give another round of taxpayer funded relief in next week's budget.
01:12We have a budget next Tuesday.
01:14We'll always look towards what we can do in cost of living measures.
01:19Underscoring the difficulty of preparing a budget in the current climate,
01:23the government's bracing for the possibility of further trade sanctions.
01:27This time on Australian beef and medicines.
01:30American drug makers have written to the Trump administration
01:34complaining about Australia's pharmaceutical benefit scheme
01:37and urging the president to target Australia
01:40when he imposes sweeping global tariffs next month.
01:45The PBS is a decades old scheme that subsidises the cost of prescription medicines.
01:50But according to the US pharmaceutical industry,
01:52it's an egregious and discriminatory trade barrier
01:55whose damaging pricing policies are hurting American exporters.
01:59The PBS is off limits, but there are fears Australian medical exports could be in the firing line.