Melissa Davey

A Victorian coronial inquest into the 2020 St Basil’s aged-care outbreak heard evidence from former senior managers Konstantin Kontis and Vicky Kos, after 50 residents died from COVID-19 or neglect. Kontis acknowledged that the facility’s COVID-19 policy was not approved by the board, that he did not convene key meetings, and that he failed to attend critical outbreak meetings. Kos described relying on a frequently updated yellow folder and staff handovers, but acknowledged she did not promptly notify the Commonwealth Department of Health after the first staff case. The court heard that a cohorting plan and other records could not be found, while families said poor infection control and delays in mass testing contributed to the deaths. The inquest has been delayed to allow further searches for documents and will continue.

The NSW government rejected former supreme court justice John Sackar’s recommendation to extend the criminal offence of inciting racial hatred to cover religion, sexual orientation, gender identity and other protected attributes, citing freedom of expression, religious freedom and consistency in criminal law. Equality Australia accused the government of creating a hierarchy of protections. The live coverage also reported ICAC evidence that shadow attorney general Damien Tudehope leaked a confidential parliamentary inquiry report and discussed Jean-Claude Perrottet’s whereabouts with Dominic Perrottet, who is not accused of wrongdoing. Other major developments included an independent review of the Bureau of Meteorology, criticism of algorithm-based aged-care funding assessments, rising Brisbane homelessness, planned Victorian doctors’ industrial action, hearings on antisemitism and policing, strong household spending and share-market gains, gambling companies’ denials of alleged inducements, and warnings about health-system capacity and future bushfire risk.

Australia’s federal criminal law prevents doctors from discussing many aspects of voluntary assisted dying by phone or internet, making Australia the only country with such a restriction. Advocates including independent MP Kate Chaney argue the ban causes delays and disproportionate hardship, particularly for rural patients and people too ill to travel, while noting that existing safeguards would remain. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese supports voluntary assisted dying but fears repeal could weaken protections against coercion and elder abuse. The Australian Medical Association and Law Council of Australia back reform, while some religious leaders oppose it. Chaney’s bill to clarify that VAD is not suicide and permit telehealth consultations is scheduled for parliamentary debate on 11 August.

Australian fuel prices have surged as Brent crude rose to about US$87 a barrel and the government reduced its fuel-excise discount, pushing petrol above $2 a litre in Canberra and diesel to as high as $2.40 in several cities. Annual inflation eased to 3.8% in June, reducing financial-market expectations of a Reserve Bank rate rise, while the Greens renewed calls for a rent freeze and limits on no-cause evictions. Victoria’s new premier, Ben Carroll, introduced legislation to abolish group voting tickets for upper-house elections. Other major developments included warnings of further H5N1 spread among Australian wildlife, a police shooting after an officer was stabbed in South Australia, NSW ICAC evidence concerning alleged Liberal factional activity, and the NSW government’s pledge not to sell Great Koala national park carbon credits to coal and gas projects.

A Monash University review found that Australian doctors commonly prescribe medicinal cannabis containing THC concentrations far higher than those evaluated in clinical trials. More than 1,000 products are available, but only two have undergone pre-market evaluation by the Therapeutic Goods Administration, while category 5 products containing 13% to 88% THC account for about half of approvals. Researchers and health experts said evidence for treating anxiety and chronic pain is limited, and warned that high-THC inhaled products may cause psychosis, cannabis hyperemesis syndrome, suicidal behaviour and other harms. Regulator data and an Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency review also raised concerns about adverse events, brief consultations and prescribing practices that may prioritise profit over patient safety. Calls include setting THC limits, improving product labelling and warnings, strengthening screening and monitoring, and reviewing medicinal cannabis categories.

Online advertising promotes a $1,495 blood test for early ovarian cancer detection using alarming “silent killer” and empowerment messaging. The test, offered by BCAL Diagnostics, is intended for women at higher risk rather than general population screening, but it is not approved by Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration and has limited peer-reviewed evidence. Reported sensitivity of 78.2% could miss about one in five cancers, while 94% specificity could generate thousands of false positives when testing a low-risk population, causing anxiety, follow-up procedures and additional healthcare costs. Cancer experts and health organizations say the test may eventually have value, particularly for high-risk groups, but there is not yet robust evidence that it improves health outcomes or that its benefits outweigh its harms. Women with persistent or unusual symptoms are advised to consult a GP promptly.

Independent MP Monique Ryan condemned Pauline Hanson’s admiration for Donald Trump’s mass-deportation approach, saying such treatment of vulnerable people made her sick and accusing One Nation of incoherence. Other major developments included Indigenous protesters demanding the closure of the Pine Gap intelligence base and return of Arrernte land; the arrest of a Perth teenager over the alleged killing of his mother; a planned Victorian teachers’ strike; and an inquiry into rising robbery risks for cash-transfer services. The government faced scrutiny after an audit found the $10bn Housing Australia Future Fund had delivered 1,432 homes against a long-term target of 40,000 and lacked transparent performance reporting. Foreign minister Penny Wong pressed Laos over prosecutions linked to the methanol deaths of Holly Bowles and Bianca Jones. KPMG appointed internal executive John Sams as CEO amid criticism of its handling of audit-leak allegations, while Qantas apologised for a lengthy tarmac delay and Nine announced further newsroom redundancies. A royal commission also heard that Jewish schools are diverting education funds or imposing security levies to address heightened antisemitic threats.

A New South Wales tribunal found surgeon Liu-Ming Schmidt guilty of professional misconduct after determining that her treatment of 13 patients fell significantly below professional standards. In 2019, she operated on the wrong end of a 79-year-old man’s bowel at Albury hospital, creating an obstructed stoma and contributing to complications before his death. She also failed to detect cancer during an incomplete colonoscopy and performed several other procedures too quickly or without adequate images. Following an investigation, nearly 2,000 patients were advised to consider repeat colonoscopies, with about 1,000 doing so and seven later diagnosed with cancer. Schmidt will be barred from practising for six months and will require supervision when she returns.

A global analysis of more than 106,000 infection samples from children across 82 countries shows antibiotic resistance is rising in every region, with severe infections increasingly difficult to treat. Acinetobacter baumannii and Klebsiella show the highest and fastest-growing resistance rates, with projections indicating substantial increases by 2035. Children, particularly those in intensive care and in low‑resource countries, face the greatest risk due to limited treatment options and lack of child‑focused antibiotic research. Experts warn that overuse, poor sanitation and inadequate surveillance systems are accelerating the problem, while new tools such as the AMR in Kids website aim to improve monitoring and guide treatment decisions.

Australia’s daily smoking rate fell to a historic low of 5.6% in 2025, down from 8.3% in 2022–23 and ahead of the government’s 2025 target. The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare survey also found that overall nicotine use declined and vaping stabilised, although illicit tobacco use among smokers more than doubled to 34%. Public-health experts attributed the progress to plain packaging, taxation, advertising restrictions and education, while rejecting calls to cut tobacco excise. They instead urged stronger enforcement, tighter retailer licensing and limits on the number of tobacco sellers. Nicotine pouches and snus were also reported to be gaining popularity among younger Australians.

Ocrevus, Kesimpta and Lemtrada will remain subsidised through Australia’s Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, but the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee has ordered a rapid review of MS-drug use before a final decision later in the year. The dispute follows the PBS listing of cheaper Briumvi, which triggered proposed price cuts for rival drugs made by Roche and Novartis. Pharmaceutical companies argue that lower prices undermine innovation, while patient and public-health groups say the industry is exploiting pricing pressure and protecting profits. The article explains how PBS reference pricing works and links the Australian dispute to Donald Trump’s US policy seeking to align American drug prices with those in other developed countries, potentially encouraging companies to raise prices or withdraw from smaller markets. The government says the PBS needs reform, particularly clearer evidence standards for assessing innovative treatments.

Anthony Albanese announced that Australia will develop nationally coordinated AI standards, with legislation expected early next year, and promised strong protection for writers, artists and musicians against unauthorised AI use. Greens senators David Shoebridge and Sarah Hanson-Young criticised the delay and called for a moratorium on new hyperscale data centres until enforceable safeguards cover privacy, children, workers, energy, water and the environment. OpenAI welcomed the consultation, while the Business Council of Australia supported the timeline but opposed overly prescriptive infrastructure rules. The live coverage also reported royal commission evidence about university responses to pro-Palestine protests and antisemitism, criticism of Jacinta Nampijinpa Price over a false migration claim, the AFL's removal of Nicky Winmar from its Hall of Fame, and other Australian political and social developments.

Australia’s aged care regulator is investigating complaints that providers charged older residents for services they could not use or understand, including Foxtel, wine and newspapers. A class action also alleges that a major for-profit provider charged additional fees for basic services it was legally required to provide. Nour Haydar discusses the allegations with Guardian Australia medical editor Melissa Davey.

Aged care resident Dorothy Gilling was charged $52 a day for extras including Foxtel, outings, newspapers and wine despite advanced dementia preventing her from using or benefiting from them. Her son Jeff Gilling challenged the fees and secured almost $37,000 in refunds from Estia Health’s Epping facility. The Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission received 199 complaints about aged care fees and is investigating several providers over potentially unlawful charges. Arcare is also facing a class action alleging residents were billed for unusable premium services and for basic services providers are legally required to supply. Advocates warn that the Higher Everyday Living Fee may create a two-tier system and pressure residents to pay for adequate food, entertainment and other care.

Australia condemned China’s long-range missile test in the Pacific, with Acting Prime Minister Richard Marles and Foreign Minister Penny Wong calling it a threat to regional peace and stability, while China described it as a routine military exercise. Australia and Fiji announced a new defence alliance. One Nation confirmed it would contest the Western Australian Secret Harbour byelection after Labor MP and minister Paul Papalia resigned because of a family illness, setting up a test of Pauline Hanson’s party’s growing support. The blog also covered criticism of Queensland’s proposed youth bail laws, a suspected seventh Australian H5 bird-flu case in a wild seabird, a Melbourne footballer receiving end-of-life care after a head clash, native-title recognition connected to artist Emily Kame Kngwarreye, and Meta’s evidence to an antisemitism inquiry. Economic updates included the closure of seven Hobart pubs and clubs, subdued Australian share-market trading, and scrutiny of AustralianSuper’s renewed investment in coal producer Whitehaven Coal despite its net-zero pledge.

A class action filed in the federal court alleges that Arcare charged thousands of aged care residents for additional services they could not use, including high teas, exercise classes, alcohol, Foxtel and wireless internet. The claim asserts that residents were required to pay non‑negotiable fees for items Arcare was already legally obliged to provide or for services inaccessible due to mobility, cognitive or dietary limitations. The lawsuit, brought on behalf of former resident Dianne Strickland, argues Arcare engaged in systemic, unconscionable conduct and set fees based on residents’ financial capacity rather than service value. An estimated 7,500 residents across four states may have been affected, and the applicants’ lawyers state they aim to recover financial losses and hold the provider accountable.

The podcast examines the inquest into Melbourne wellness influencer Stacey Warnecke’s death after she attempted a home birth without medical assistance in September 2025. It explores the growing practice of freebirths and the use of untrained birth supporters, including Emily Lal, who identified as a “birth keeper” after completing an online course from the Free Birth Society. The inquest, overseen by coroner Therese McCarthy, is investigating the circumstances of Warnecke’s death and the risks associated with unregulated childbirth support.

Australia’s final parliamentary sitting day before the winter break featured Anthony Albanese mocking opposition leader Angus Taylor’s poorly received Midwinter Ball speech. Liberal MPs pressed the government for stronger gambling reforms, while independents criticized its approach; one Liberal MP was removed from question time. Parliament passed legislation allowing registered nurses to prescribe certain PBS medicines and restoring human oversight of a controversial aged-care assessment algorithm. The NSW Liberal Party suspended members named in an ICAC investigation, while Catholic Schools NSW chief executive Dallas McInerney stood aside. Other developments included a second charge in an alleged people-smuggling case, a KPMG Sydney lockdown following a staff threat, and the start of federal public-service pay bargaining.

The Senate approved legislation to restore human override powers in assessments made by the government’s algorithm-based aged care funding tool, following concerns the system routinely under-assessed elderly Australians’ support needs. The bill, co-sponsored by the Greens, Coalition and independent senator David Pocock, would safeguard assessors’ discretion but still requires passage in the lower house. The government signalled a narrower change allowing human intervention only in exceptional cases, prompting criticism from senators who argue thousands have been adversely affected. Scrutiny of the tool continues through Senate estimates, regulatory complaints and rights bodies, while experts warn current processes exclude necessary clinical judgment.

Australia will lose access to the long‑acting opioid‑dependence medication Sublocade by the end of 2026 after Indivior decided to withdraw it for commercial reasons. The move follows AstraZeneca’s removal of Zoladex from the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme amid pricing volatility linked to shifts in US drug‑pricing policy. Clinicians warn that Sublocade is uniquely effective for some patients and that reduced treatment options pose risks for people with opioid dependency, particularly in remote areas. Experts say global pricing pressures are driving pharmaceutical companies to reconsider supplying medicines to smaller markets, raising concerns about further withdrawals and disruptions to care.

An investigation details how the Free Birth Society’s ideology and training, disseminated through unlicensed birth attendant Emily Lal, contributed to the preventable maternal death of Stacey Warnecke in Melbourne. Lal, trained by FBS founders Emilee Saldaya and Yolande Norris-Clark, followed the group’s anti-medical principles during Warnecke’s postpartum haemorrhage, delaying emergency care until too late. The inquest highlighted FBS’s disregard for medical science, its framing of complications as “variations of normal,” and its emphasis on autonomy even in life-threatening circumstances. Lal was also previously linked to a newborn death in 2022, though no findings were made against her. Authorities have since suspended her from providing health services, and the investigation into Warnecke’s death continues.

A coroner is examining the death of Stacey Warnecke, who died from a postpartum haemorrhage after choosing a medically unassisted home birth supported by an unqualified birthkeeper, Emily Lal. Evidence presented indicated that an ambulance was called late, internal bleeding was not recognised, and Warnecke’s prolonged labour likely led to uterine exhaustion. Expert witnesses testified that her death would likely have been preventable with medical care. The inquest is also considering why some women opt for freebirths, with testimony highlighting mistrust of the medical system stemming from traumatic hospital experiences. New forensic evidence has delayed the inquest’s conclusion.

Closing submissions in the inquest into Stacey Warnecke’s death were halted after new forensic material from her phone was provided to the court, prompting the coroner to delay findings pending further analysis. Testimony described the circumstances of her unsupported home birth, the postpartum haemorrhage that followed, and expert medical opinions that the condition would likely have been treatable with professional care present. The coroner signalled that additional evidence may need to be gathered before the inquiry can resume.

A senior clinician reported birthkeeper Emily Lal to police on the day Stacey Warnecke died following a freebirth at home, citing public health and safety concerns. Evidence at the inquest detailed that Warnecke suffered a massive postpartum haemorrhage that likely would have been treatable in a clinical setting. Testimony described delays in calling an ambulance and concerns raised by hospital staff about Lal’s role and language during the emergency. Warnecke underwent extensive surgical intervention but died after multiple cardiac arrests. Police sought a statement from Lal, who declined. The inquest is ongoing.

An inquest into the death of Stacey Warnecke examined the role of birthkeeper Emily Lal, who supported Warnecke during a freebirth in which no medical professionals were involved. Lal testified she was not there to make the birth safer, despite being paid for a support package, and described her role as that of a supportive friend rather than a medical adviser. The court heard details of Warnecke’s significant blood loss, Lal’s repeated but limited attempts to encourage calling an ambulance, and her lack of clinical training. The Free Birth Society, where Lal undertook online training, was criticised for promoting unsafe birth practices. Lal described regret but maintained that decisions rested with the mother. She stopped practising after the death and is currently under investigation by the health complaints commissioner. The inquest continues.

A coronial inquest into the death of Melbourne influencer Stacey Warnecke detailed how she died from a treatable postpartum haemorrhage following an unassisted freebirth at home. Paramedics found her in critical condition after significant blood loss, and hospital staff struggled to stabilise her through multiple cardiac arrests and emergency surgery. Evidence highlighted concerns about unregulated birthkeepers, lack of medical oversight, and increasing cases of complications from freebirths. The inquest will examine whether earlier medical intervention could have prevented her death and the role of online‑sourced advice in her decision-making.

Influencers are promoting parasitic cleanses despite parasitic infections being uncommon in healthy people in developed countries and despite a lack of clinical evidence supporting the cleanses’ effectiveness. Experts explain that symptoms attributed to parasites often stem from other medical conditions and that natural ingredients in cleanses cannot deliver therapeutic doses. Clinically approved antiparasitic medications are effective and safe, while cleanses carry risks including dehydration, liver injury and medication interference. Images used online as proof of parasites often depict normal intestinal material, and proper diagnosis requires trained specialists.

Australia is experiencing relatively low respiratory virus levels early in the winter despite high infection numbers in 2025 driven by the Super-K influenza strain and declining vaccination rates. Updated influenza vaccines now target the Super-K variant, and health authorities continue to encourage flu and Covid vaccinations, which can be given together. RSV rates are also lower than recent years, with free vaccines available for high‑risk groups. Vaccination uptake among 5‑64‑year‑olds has declined, while uptake among young children has risen with the introduction of a needle‑free nasal spray vaccine. Combined flu and Covid vaccines are in development overseas but are unlikely to become available in Australia this year due to regulatory requirements.

A review of neurologist Paul McCrory’s past publications indicates multiple instances of alleged plagiarism following recent retractions of his articles. McCrory, who resigned as chair of the Concussion in Sport Group, is accused of copying material across numerous works related to concussion research and policy. Critics, including data analyst Nick Brown and Concussion Legacy Foundation CEO Chris Nowinski, argue that McCrory’s conduct raises concerns about the integrity of influential concussion guidelines he helped develop. Several institutions affiliated with McCrory, including the Florey Institute and the University of Melbourne, are examining the allegations amid growing scrutiny of his interpretations of concussion and CTE research.