Gippsland › Latest news › Tim Bull MP

Chronic shortage of Rapid Antigen Tests (RATs) for coronavirus in Victoria responsibility of Andrews Labor government

Rapid Antigen Tests (RATs) are having a shortage while the government is trying to play the blame game.

By news@gippsland - 17th January 2022 - Back to News

The chronic shortage of Rapid Antigen Tests (RATs) for Coronavirus is expected to ease in the coming weeks, but Nationals Member for Gippsland East, Tim Bull, said the state government had to take responsibility for the shortage.

Rapid Antigen Tests have sold out at local outlets

Welfare at risk

We have companies in Australia manufacturing these tests and they now have overseas markets to meet. In August our Health Minister, Martin Foley said "If you want to stake the welfare of Victorians on one Rapid Antigen Test, then you are a very brave public health official and you are putting the welfare of Victorians at risk."

"While our Health Minister has now backflipped and thinks RATs are the best thing since sliced bread, our local manufacturers looked elsewhere and now have offshore markets to meet that they are committed to." said Mr Bull.

Refused RAT usage

Mr Bull also said, "As one manufacturer said last week, they could have poured a lot of money into the local market, but governments were clear they were not going to use RATs, or change their policies.

"So it is a bit rich for Mr Foley, who refused these tests would play any significant role point blank and held off ordering RATs until Christmas Eve, to now say he wants to use them but also wants to blame the shortage on the federal government."

"He could have had a shed full in Victoria if he had ordered them earlier. The Victorian Liberal Nationals and I have been pushing for RATs to be adopted in a range of settings to get people back to work for well over 12 months," Mr Bull said.

Wanting to know when to access the test

Mr Bull said, "Mr Foley wants to play the blame game, but he is just as guilty as anyone, his comments are on the record for all to see - he completely ruled out and refused to order the very thing he is now blaming a shortage of on the federal governmentg"

Mr Bull said he was sympathetic to businesses and workers who were able to continue to work on the back of a negative RAT result, but could not get access to the tests.

"In the past week I've heard from freight drivers and those in manufacturing businesses who need access to these tests. They are not interested in the State's blame game, they just want to know when they will be able to access the RATs. Hopefully that will be before the end of the month."

Pictures from Tim Bull MP website.

Source: www.gippsland.com

Published by: news@gippsland.com

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• Health Advocate Jane Anderson re-appointed by state government to improve the health and wellbeing of people in Latrobe Valley
  The Victorian Government is ensuring the right leadership is in place to improve the health and wellbeing of people in the Latrobe Valley.
• Country drivers in danger from hazards on rural roads from Andrews Labor government budget cuts
  Labor government's cut on the road maintenance neglect on the country road asset maintenance has left the country roads neglected.
• Labor political candidate handed top job at V/Line despite having no experience in transport sector
  A former Labor political candidate has been handed the top job at Victoria's country train operator V/Line, despite having no experience in the transport sector.
• Baw Baw Civic Precinct initial development gets $3.5M funding from Victorian government Growing Suburbs Fund
  A landmark community precinct for the people of Warragul is now a step closer to reality, thanks to support from the Andrews Labor Government.
• Free pair of glasses for 176 students across West Gippsland and Latrobe Valley from Andrews Labor Victorian government
  One thousand more Victorian students can now see more clearly and concentrate better at school, thanks to the Andrews Labor Government's free Glasses for Kids program.
• Latrobe Valley Authority (LVA) gets $7.5M additional funding via Victorian Ladder - Step Up program to create more jobs
  The Andrews Labor government will keep helping create more jobs in the Latrobe Valley, with another $7.5 million investment in the Latrobe Valley Authority (LVA).
• Traralgon Recreation Reserve gets $2.75M for new facilities development as part of Victorian government 2022/23 budget
  Latrobe City Council has welcomed the Victorian government's budget contribution of $2.75 million towards developing new facilities at Traralgon Recreation Reserve (TRR), which is a key component of council's Traralgon Flood Recovery Project.
• Upgrades and specialist equipment for Gippsland early childhood education centres via Victorian government Building Blocks Inclusion fund
  Upgrades to early childhood education centres and specialist equipment to help improve learning outcomes.
• Damning picture of illegal drug use across Melbourne and regional Victoria Data painted by Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission
  Injecting room in the wrong location as the government's response on their neglect on the triple zero emergency service and failure to plan on Victoria's health workforce.
• Local emergency services for regional Victoria should feature in 2022-23 Victorian budget
  Gippsland East Nationals MP, Tim Bull is hoping to see some key projects ticked off in next week's State Budget.
• Further funding to assist Gippsland businesses and community recovery from drought, bushfires and the coronavirus through federal Rebuilding Regional Communities Program
  Local businesses and community groups can apply for funding to assist Gippsland as it recovers from the impacts of the coronavirus.
• How Labor's tax hike will slug Gippsland farmers, families and businesses
  Victorians pay the highest land taxes in Australia, but still the government is hiking them up even further.
• Landmark $30M multi-use community precinct state government funding for the heart of Warragul being pursued by Baw Baw Shire Council
  Council to pursue support from the state and federal government for the multi-use community precinct that will help in the economic development and will also benefit the region.
• Over $4.77M invested by Liberal and Nationals Government for priority Gippsland projects to met local communities needs
  Liberal and Nationals Government investing over $4.77 million in South Gippsland to help communities recover from the pandemic.
• More axed jobs to come in agriculture research and development leaving Victorian farmers less productive and sustainable
  Victorian farmers face less service delivery after the Agriculture Minister refused to guarantee today the Labor government won't make more job cuts at Agriculture Victoria.
• Crown Casino reform not complete until thorough investigation of Andrews Labor Government dealings
  Victorian Liberals and Nationals accept the recommendations made by the Royal Commission into Crown Casino today.
• Fair share needed for regional Victoria in 2022-23 Budget
  Regional Victorians are demanding a fair share of the state's spend on hospitals, schools, infrastructure and mental health in the lead up to the State Budget on May 3.
• Baw Baw Shire Council secures $824,000 state government funding for road upgrades to Jacksons Track near Labertouche
  Baw Baw Shire Council has secured $824,000 in State Government funding to carry out major road upgrades to Jacksons Track near Labertouche.
• Department of Veterans Affairs Gold Card can apply for $250 Power Saving Bonus from Victorian government until 31 January 2022
  Calling on the eligible residents to send their application for the rebates they can receive as power saving bonus from the government.
• Dan Andrews and his most senior ministers must apologise for victim-blaming and gas-lighting says Emma Kealy
  The Premier must apologise for the victim-blaming and gas-lighting by himself and one of his most senior Labor Ministers.
• Timber innovation boost of $219.5M will build confidence for at-risk Victorian by creating jobs and investment sustainable technologies
  A $219.5 million boost for innovation and research in Australia's forestry sector today is a badly needed vote of confidence in Victorian jobs that State Labor is hellbent on destroying.
• Brumby carcasses found by locals in East Gippsland bush requires explanation from Andrews Labor government about culling program
  Following reports of brumby carcasses being found in the East Gippsland bush, local Nationals MP, Tim Bull, has asked the Environment Minister to come clean on the details of the program.
• Country commuters stranded on neglected V/Line network from Andrews Labor government budget cuts
  Regional train passengers are again wearing the consequences of decades of neglect of V/Line, with a statewide communications outage forcing the entire network to a standstill today.
• Gippsland not-for-profit kindergardens can apply for grants from $7.5M from state government fund to improve ventilation
  Victorian Government is helping kindergarten services across Eastern Victoria reduce the risk of coronavirus transmission, with support for better ventilation measures to help keep children and staff COVIDSafe.
• Housing crisis grips Gippsland as rental availability drops to nearly 50%
  A review by One Gippsland has revealed a critical accommodation shortage across the region. The decrease in availavility has lead to massive increae in households seeking social housing assistance.
• Support for senior vocational education students (VET) from Andrews Labor government
  The Victorian Government is making sure every secondary school student whose Vocational Education and Training (VET) studies have been disrupted by the pandemic will receive extra support to complete their certificates.
• Liberal Nationals support move to deliver hundreds of extra workers for Victoria's under-resourced mental health workforce
  Government needs to boost mental health support through simple reforms to get them through the lockdowns.
• Regional kids including Gippsland still locked out of the classroom, but the Andrew's Labor state government won't tell us why
  Andrews Labor Government's decision to force students in regional communities into remote learning.