The inaugural Prime Minister’s Prize for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Knowledge Systems has been awarded to Malgana man, Professor Michael Wear. 

Professor Wear is the founder of Tidal Moon, Australia’s first Indigenous-owned and led sea cucumber fishery and marine restoration enterprise, based in Shark Bay (Gutharraguda), Western Australia. 

Under Professor Wear’s leadership, Tidal Moon is partnering with scientists to restore one of the largest seagrass meadows at the UNESCO Marine World Heritage Site of Shark Bay.  

TOM CONNELL, HOST: Patrick Gorman. Heads are going to roll, apparently. What do you make of how Optus has handled itself today?

PATRICK GORMAN, ASSISTANT MINISTER TO THE PRIME MINISTER: I think it was about time that Optus came and answered some very tough questions. Obviously, there were too many questions to be asked, and there's still a range of things where people are wanting more answers. Understandably -

CONNELL: What do you make of having a crisis meeting before telling a minister what's happening?

TUBES (HOST): We are joined by the Federal Labor and Member for Lyons, the Assistant Minister for Women, Health and Aged Care and Indigenous Health -  Rebecca White, good morning.

REBECCA WHITE: Morning Tubes, morning Kaz, thanks for having me on.

Building awareness and accountability to prevent tech-based abuse of First Nations women is the focus of a community-led project, awarded $394,000 in Albanese Government funding.

Subjects: Remote Australia Employment Service (RAES)

HARRISON PEDERSEN, HOST: So, Senator, what can you tell me about this Remote Australia Employment Service? 


In remote Australia, work is more than a wage.

It’s about dignity, purpose and pride.

It’s also about connection to community, culture, and Country. And when employment services reflect that, the results speak for themselves.

I’ve sat and listened to people in remote communities across the country, share their hopes about their future. I’ve also heard from employment service providers who’ve been doing the hard work for years.

What they told me is clear, the Community Development Program, or CDP, wasn’t working.

PATRICIA KARVELAS HOST: Rebecca White is the Assistant Health Minister. She joins us this afternoon. Minister, welcome.  

REBECCA WHITE, ASSISTANT MINISTER FOR HEALTH AND AGED CARE: Thanks so much for having me this afternoon, PK.

The Albanese Labor Government’s new Remote Australia Employment Service (RAES) begins today, providing tailored support to around 40,000 job seekers.

The new service delivers on the Government’s commitment to replace the Coalition’s Community Development Program (CDP).

RAES will support job seekers with the training and skills development needed to become job ready and take up job opportunities, including those created through the Remote Jobs and Economic Development (RJED) program.

There will be further support to stay in work, with greater access to mentoring.

JULIE COLLINS, MINISTER FOR AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FORESTRY: Tomorrow, the first of November, is an exciting day for Tasmanians. We are making significant changes when it comes to tripling the bulk billing incentive for all patients. This is the single biggest investment that Federal Labor has made, or that any government has made, into Medicare since Federal Labor created Medicare.

Tasmanian women are set to benefit from cheaper medicines and better health care thanks to the next stage of the Albanese Government’s landmark $792.9 million Women’s Health Package.

From 1 November 2025, further changes to the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) will give women more contraceptive choice by making it cheaper and easier to access IUDs and contraceptive implants.