I believe Albanese advocated planning ahead as opposed to the failures of the Morrison government. The availability of RAT(s) is another example of the inadequacy of the federal government." ...‘A scramble’: how Australian governments flipped from resisting to embracing Covid rapid antigen tests
Part of the issue has been the slow pace of approvals with the TGA. In September the TGA boss, John Skerritt, admitted that had been deliberate, as the regulator waited for a “signal” from the federal government.
“We’re saying to companies, submit your data, show us, but we can’t formally make an approval decision until we get a signal from the government,” Skerritt said at the time.
“It’s a decision for the government. Firstly, when they feel an appropriate time is to commit such tests. But then secondly, we’ve got to have the tests that are actually ready to go and designed so they can be used by non-professional people.”
That signal eventually came when federal health minister, Greg Hunt, said he wanted rapid tests to be made available from November.
But other suppliers express frustration that the approvals process has continued to be slow-going, and a lack of foresight from governments about the eventual need for rapid tests as case numbers rose after the economy opened up.
During the early stages of the extended lockdown caused by the Delta variant, the NSW government issued a tender for suppliers of the tests.
Released at the end of July, the tender was limited only to procurement for the state’s healthcare networks, meaning wider distribution was not considered.
The Guardian understands the government eventually chose four suppliers as part of the tender, but multiple companies that bid during the tender were never contacted after submitting their bids.
“It was a waste of time,” the head of one company that did not bid as part of the tender said. “They obviously weren’t looking beyond the end of their noses.”
