The Deputy Prime Minister and Nationals Leader was quizzed about the possibility of making RATs free as National Cabinet prepares to meet today to discuss issues including staffing, product and testing shortages.But Mr Joyce said that despite an influx of positive RATs being recorded in NSW, making the tests free was not an option.“Nothing is free. All that happens is you pay it on your tax later on,” Mr Joyce said.“If you want something to be free you are fooling yourself. The money doesn’t fall out of the air, we take it off your wages, salaries, businesses, to pay for them.”He gave support for subsidised tests for more than six million vulnerable Australians, who will receive 10 tests every three months, but ruled out giving free tests to every Australian.Daily Telegraph – News Feed latest episode“On that issue for people who struggling, pensioners, people in aged-care, they would be free … this idea that everybody gets them for free, I don‘t know about that,” Mr Joyce said.“We‘re bringing (RATs) in, I don’t know whether we’re going to be funding them. We will make sure we facilitate them.”It comes following repeated refusals from Prime Minister Scott Morrison to consider forking out to make the tests free like countries including the UK, New Zealand and Singapore. Mr Morrison said last week that Australia couldn’t “just go around and make everything free”.NED-5192-DT-App-Banner
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