Transcript: Interview with Chris Kenny, Sky News - 19 February 2026

TRANSCRIPT

INTERVIEW WITH CHRIS KENNY, SKY NEWS

19 February 2026

Topics: NSW mental health hospital incidents, Labor’s mental health failures, private health insurance premium rise   

E&OE…………………………………

CHRIS KENNY: Let's go to the Shadow Federal Health Minister, Anne Ruston, joining us from Adelaide. Thanks for joining us, Anne. Now, I know the management of mental health issues like this is mainly state governments, but this is a big national health issue. And these incidents in Sydney come on the back, of course, of that shocking stabbing at Bondi Junction some years ago with seven people killed. We have a bit of a national crisis, don't we, when it comes to managing mental health patients and the risks that poses to the rest of the community?

ANNE RUSTON: Look, absolutely, Chris, and I think we can't keep on waking up to the stories that we're seeing constantly, where people with serious and chronic mental health conditions are not getting the treatment that they need and as a result of that, the Australian community isn't safe. And quite frankly, I think the Federal Government has dropped the ball on mental health. We know that we are seeing an incredible rise, particularly in more complex and chronic mental health conditions. Now we've seen this government cut mental health supports in half, we've seen them abolish the Mental Health Commission, we have seen them cut funding to the National Suicide Prevention Strategy. I mean, quite frankly, unless we actually are going to address this as a serious, serious issue in a national perspective, we can't keep on allowing the ad hoc responses that we're seeing. And I mean, quite rightly, Chris Minns should be investigating the situation about these two people that have escaped from this same hospital, but that's too late. We need to be actually looking at the systemic problems that exist within our system so that this doesn't happen in the first place, because Australians have got the right to feel safe in Australia and we have got so many areas where I think Australians are not feeling safe.

CHRIS KENNY: It's unthinkable. It's so dangerous. It is costing lives needlessly. While I've got you there, Anne Ruston, I just want to get your thoughts. We talked about cost of living at the top of the program. Private health insurance, a huge jump again. This is just going to push more people back onto the public system, isn't it, if they can't afford private health insurance?

ANNE RUSTON: Look, absolutely. 15 million Australians choose to take out private health insurance and many of them are questioning the affordability of that after this incredible price hike, the largest hike in premium costs in nearly a decade. And all it will do is take people out of the private system, put them into the public system and we already know that our public system is under incredible pressure. You know, we're seeing ramping at the worst it's ever been, we are seeing elective wait lists blow out. We know older Australians are stuck in hospital beds because of the lack of access to residential care or home care in the aged care system. I mean, this is a crisis that is hurtling towards us at a rate of knots and the Government just doesn't seem to be either prepared or able to do anything about it.

CHRIS KENNY: Anne Ruston, thanks so much for joining us.

ENDS