Martin Ferguson (Batman, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Primary Industries, Resources, Forestry and Tourism) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to address changes to the Health Legislation Amendment (Pharmacy Location Arrangements) Bill 2006. At the outset I express to the House that the introduction of greater flexibility in the location of pharmacies under this bill is a welcome move. Hopefully this flexibility should act to increase the accessibility of drugs to those in need, particularly in rural areas. In that context, I note with dismay the fact that the members for Hinkler and Maranoa have withdrawn from the speakers’ list this evening because I think the amendments in this bill are exceptionally important to rural and remote Australians. That does not augur well for the National Party’s commitment to representing those areas.

Australians deserve far better than the protracted and heated negotiations that have prefaced this final outcome. The amendments are the result of the fourth pharmacy agreement between the Commonwealth and the Pharmacy Guild of Australia which commenced on 1 December 2005 and will terminate on 30 June 2010. The agreement appropriately provides for new pharmacy location arrangements to commence on 1 July 2006, and this bill appropriately gives effect to some of the issues around those arrangements. The opposition welcomes the changes including the co-location of pharmacies with large medical centres that operate extended hours, the location of pharmacies in small shopping centres and in particular the relocation of an additional pharmacy to one-pharmacy rural towns and high growth areas. It is essentially about trying to make sure that the services are available where they are needed.

On the issue of location I am pleased to remind members of the House of the importance of the fact that supermarkets have been knocked back in their attempts to have in-house pharmacies. I also remind the House of the motion that I moved in the House on 5 September 2005 concerning this issue, which clearly expressed the opposition’s opposition to the major retail chains such as Woolworths and Coles being able to open pharmacies in supermarkets. I am pleased to say that the campaign by the Pharmacy Guild of Australia, with the support of the opposition as expressed by that motion which was debated in the House of Representatives on 5 September 2005, has actually won the ear of government.

Whilst the opposition welcomes the changes under this bill, the final pharmacy agreement is hardly something about which the Howard government and the Minister for Health and Ageing, Mr Abbott, can be proud.

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