Listen to the full show podcast with Luke Grant, filling in for Michael McLaren.

Dennis Shanahan, Political editor for The Australian, joins Luke Grant about his recent article ‘Political battle lines drawn over JobKeeper’.

Mr Shanahan writes ‘the two sides are clear: Labor says the Morrison Government has deliberately put people on the dole queue and bungled the implementation and extent of the $20 billion a month JobKeeper while the Coalition says the economic calamity would have been much worse without its early announcement of JobKeeper and that it provides the safety net and hope for a way out of the COVID-19 induced recession.’

‘The Opposition Leader says Morrison has failed on the coronavirus crisis, as he “failed” on the bushfire crisis, and is only interested in “day to day politics and marketing”.’

‘Morrison says the tough and devastating unemployment figures were expected and anticipated by JobKeeper which “is keeping people in jobs”.’

Luke Grant has his weekly chat with Sue Dodds from the Sydney Markets about what bargains are on offer at the markets this week.

Harry Nespolon, president of the Royal College of General Practitioners, joins Luke Grant to discuss the stoush between chemists and GPs over powers to dispense medicines… as chemists use the corona­virus health crisis to push for a permanent increase in their power to issue customers with scripts for medications without a prescription.

“We cannot advise strongly enough against allowing ongoing dispensing arrangements to allow pharmacists to sell people a month’s supply of medication without a script because it poses a serious risk to ­patient health and wellbeing,” Dr Nespolon says.

“The reason patients should always see their GP for repeat prescriptions is because a GP knows their patient’s health history and provides ‘whole person’ care — they will use the consultation as an opportunity to discuss any health concerns and review the medication to make sure it’s the best ­option for the patient."

Listen to the full show podcast with Luke Grant filling in for Michael Mclaren

Luke Grant is joined by Peter O'Malley, Harris Partners sales consultant & market commentator, regarding the Commonwealth’s Bank dire prediction of a 32% drop on house prices due - in part to higher unemployment, underemployment and pay cuts - should Australia have a prolonged economic downturn due to Covid-19.

Luke Grant is joined by Dr Corey Smith, Head of QIMR Berghofer’s Translational & Human Immunology Group, about their quest to find Queenslanders who have recovered from COVID-19 to help them discover how the human immune system fights the disease – and hopefully develop immunotherapies to treat very sick patients.

 

There have been 1051 confirmed cases in Queensland with six deaths – but 1027 people have recovered to date.

 

The researchers are calling on 50 adults from southeast Queensland, who tested positive to the virus and have subsequently recovered and been released from quarantine, to take part.

 

Volunteers will need to visit one of 11 participating pathology laboratories in Brisbane, Ipswich or on the Gold Coast to provide a blood sample.

 

Any Queenslanders who want to take part in the study and who have tested positive to COVID-19, recovered, and been cleared by Queensland Health to end self-quarantine, can sign up by visiting www.qimrberghofer.edu.au/covid19-immunity-study/.

Dr Aidan Burrell, Intensivist & head of general ICU at the Alfred Hospital / Monash University’s Australian and New Zealand Intensive Care Research Center, talks to Luke Grant about research that has captured the first national snapshot of COVID-19 patients admitted to ICU’s around the country since the outbreak hit Australian shores. 

 

A collaborative study, led by Monash University, has captured national data on the number of COVID-19 patients admitted to ICU since 14 March when the outbreak began in Australia.

The project, led by Dr Aidan Burrell and Professor Andrew Udy of Monash University’s ANZIC‐RC, is also contributing the data to the University of Oxford, that is managing the global SPRINT-SARI database.

To date, state and territory health authorities have reported 6,948 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Australia, including 97 deaths.

“The COVID-19 viral pandemic may represent an unprecedented challenge to intensive care services throughout Australia and New Zealand. We are fortunate to have world class intensive care services, with a highly trained and professional workforce who are ready and able to serve their communities at this time,” Dr Burrell says.

Listen to the full show podcast with Luke Grant filling in for Michael Mclaren

Luke Grant is joined by John ‘Wacka’ Williams, Deputy Chair of the National Agricultural Labour Advisory Committee & Former Nationals Senator for NSW, regarding China reportedly suspended meat imports from four Australian abattoirs.

 

Canberra and Beijing have become increasingly embroiled in a bitter row with the communist state warning any push for an independent inquiry into the coronavirus' origins would spark a travel and trade boycott.

 

 

It had previously been reported that farmers had held fears of getting caught in the middle of the spat as China earlier threatened to hit Australian barley exports with tariffs that could rip hundreds of millions of dollars from trade.