Charging for rapid antigen tests shows Prime Minister is out of touch

In just six words Prime Minister Scott Morrison showed how out of touch he is with hard working, everyday Aussies.

OPINION

On Monday, when Prime Minister Scott Morrison was talking about the cost of Rapid Antigen Tests (RATs) he said we’ve got to the point in the pandemic where “we cannot just make everything free”.

“We already make them free to everyone who is required to have one,” Mr Morrison told Sunrise on Monday.

“We are now at this stage of the pandemic we just cannot make everything free because when someone tells you they will make something free, someone will always pay for it, and it is going to be you.”

With this statement the PM showed just how out of touch he is with general population who are still struggling through the Covid pandemic after almost two years.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison justifying why RATs can’t be free. Picture: Sunrise

RATs are only free if you’re a close contact, have symptoms, or work in aged care or state government health settings. But what about hospitality and supermarket workers who are being exposed to hundreds of people per day? How can they be expected to fork out for RATs while working in minimum wage jobs?

We’re being told to do the right thing and take accountability for ourselves but we’re also being told not to get PCR tests unless we have symptoms.

“You’re taking the place and extending the queue for someone who is unwell and sick at this time,” said NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet on December 23.

PCR clinics are at breaking point and now the PM is saying that RATs can’t be given out for free, like the Australian public can’t be trusted not to waste them.

The tests cost around $50 for a pack of five or $25 for a pack of two, but with resources running out, there are fears the prices will be forced up. Maybe $50 isn’t a lot for the PM who pockets $550,000 a year but for people already struggling this news is devastating.

A TerryWhite Chemmart window displaying Rapid Antigen testing kits are sold out, in Crows Nest, Sydney. Picture: NCA NewsWire

Why didn’t the Morrison government foresee this and bulk buy RATs months ago so that we weren’t left in this unenviable position?

In the US, which has a notoriously expensive and unfair health system, the Biden government has bought 500 million testing kits to send to people’s homes – for free.

In the UK, they have a system in place where you go online to get a unique code and use that code to get a free pack of seven.

Providing them free of charge means that there isn’t a two-tier system of those who can and can’t afford to test themselves at home – a system our PM has created in Australia.

University of NSW Professor of epidemiology Mary-Louise McLaws warned that RATs are being reserved for the “privileged and wealthy”.

“To reduce cost, test hubs could use PCR on those with symptoms & rapid antigen test (RATs) on all others. Cheaper but still effective,” Prof McLaws tweeted on Sunday.

“Without providing free RATs to households, only privileged & wealthy will be able to protect themselves & reduce wider risk of spread.”

Volunteers hand out boxes of Covid-19 rapid antigen Lateral Flow Tests (LFT), in north east London on January 3, 2022. Picture: Tolga Akmen / AFP.

Once again, essential workers, who are largely lower paid than people who can work from home, are the ones who will suffer under this decision. They’re the ones having to go out and keep our country moving and they are the ones being punished financially.

The PM’s move is especially galling when you consider that the JobKeeper payment scheme saw $101 billion handed out to companies, some of which saw their turnover double or even triple during the 2019-20 and 2020-21 financial years. They haven’t been asked to hand any of that money back while Mr Morrison tells the public they need to pay for an essential service out of their own pocket.

The Australian public have largely done everything that has been required of them to stay safe. We’ve locked down, got vaccinated, lost money and many haven’t seen family members for years. For the PM to say those six words “we just cannot make everything free” over a product that is vital to keep us all safe is a kick in the teeth.

Riah Matthews is the commissioning editor for news.com.au.