Medical experts have condemned One Nation's health policies as ill-informed and potentially costly, warning that proposals such as withdrawing from the World Health Organization and scrapping the medicines regulator would harm vulnerable Australians.
Peter Breadon, health program director at the Grattan Institute, said the party's plan to abolish the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) did not withstand scrutiny, noting the agency is already part of the health department and largely funded through fees rather than taxpayers. He also dismissed One Nation's claim that $3bn is lost annually to Medicare fraud, saying the figure actually relates to provider non-compliance, not public misuse of cards.
On the proposed photo ID for Medicare cards, Breadon said there was little evidence of significant consumer fraud and that the policy would impose considerable costs. He also suggested that leaving the WHO, as the US has done, would require spending far more to replace lost functions.
Australian Medical Association president Dr Danielle McMullen stressed the importance of the WHO and the TGA's independence, saying Australia relies on global data to respond to health threats. Former Howard government adviser Terry Barnes described the policies as 'disconnected thought bubbles' mirroring Donald Trump's health agenda, while federal health minister Mark Butler called One Nation a 'risk to Medicare and cheaper medicines'.
One Nation has also pledged a royal commission into Covid-19 management, opposes vaccine mandates, and proposes withdrawing from the UN and Paris climate agreement. The party's leader, Pauline Hanson, has previously attempted to introduce photo ID for Medicare and has seen a rise in polls.
