12 May 2016 - On 9 May 2016, the Australian Government went into ‘caretaker’ mode. After consultation by the Secretariat with the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, the advice received by the Panel is that even independent Government advisory panels are obliged to observe the Caretaker Conventions.

These Conventions require that the Panel does not facilitate discussions of policy matters during the caretaker period. For this reason, the release of the Panel’s discussion paper, and further consultation meetings will be deferred until the end of the caretaker period.

Other work required to conduct the Review according to its terms of reference, such as research and modelling, will continue during the caretaker period, and further public consultation will occur after the caretaker period has finished.

For more details, go to: http://www.health.gov.au/pharmacyreview