Labor to push for 'limited' homegrown, free rapid antigen tests in Australia amid Omicron

Labor leader Anthony Albanese has also continued to press for the Medicare system to control and deliver free-home testing kits to all Australians who want them, but he clarified they would be "limited'. His plans have been criticised by Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt, who has accused the federal opposition leader of "making up" his pandemic plans.

But, while the Therapeutic Goods Administration must approve all locally and overseas-supplied RATs, all local companies sell overseas.

"You need to respect the TGA processes, but the point is we need to manufacture rapid antigen tests here," Mr Albanese told the ABC's Insiders program.

"One of the lessons of this pandemic is we need to be more self-reliant, and one of the things we will do is establish it through our National Reconstruction Fund, support for Australian-made manufacturing."

The Opposition Leader also continued to push for free RATs for all Australians, although there would be limits to the plan.

"They should be available through the Medicare schedule. You would have a limit, as there is. The government's put a limit on concession card holders," the Labor leader said on Sunday.

"That's the way you can control supply. It is not rocket science here.

"That's the benefit of having Australia's Medicare system, but what you've had from this government is a "let it rip" approach when it comes to the market delivering, and the market hasn't."

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Federal government policy is against free home tests for those who want them, but it is now bringing in millions of RATs from overseas. Pensioners and concession card holders are eligible for up to 10 testing kits over the next three months, with a maximum of five per month.

Mr Hunt says imposing limits on the free tests represents a Labor backflip.

"Albanese's first policy of universal, uncapped free RATS for all would have destroyed the supply chain. It would have diverted tests from the ill, aged care, hospitals, people with a disability and Indigenous Australians. It was hopelessly flawed, unrealistic and uncosted," he said.

"Under the slightest pressure to explain what he intended, Mr Albanese's vague, sound-good pledge has collapsed to simply endorsing the government's program.

"We will back the health advisers that have guided our plans. Albanese just wants to make it up."

More than 2 million RATs have been distributed to eligible pensioners and concession card holders through community pharmacies.

Research from the Australia Institute has found that regardless of voting intention, the clear majority of 1000 people surveyed, more than seven in 10 (72 per cent) agreed that RATs should be provided by the government to everyone for free, rather than being sold through retailers.

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