Nicola Roxon (Gellibrand, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Health and Ageing) Share this | Hansard source

If the shadow minister wants an answer, he will have to allow me to say more than three words to provide him with the answer—despite this not being a question about the budget, which he obviously does not have any questions about. The same rules apply. There are a complex range of provisions that can apply at different times, because areas move in and out of shortage. There are arrangements that apply in some instances for people who carry them over from previous arrangements. There are no special arrangements that have been put in place for superclinics. I am happy to get the detail of any particular people, without breaching privacy requirements that might be in place for any area where you think something untoward has happened, but I can absolutely assure the member that the rules that apply across the country are the same rules that apply for superclinics.

The advantage, if you like, that is given to a superclinic is about the provision of infrastructure money, which is of course what our superclinics program is about. That has been provided for Strathpine, and it has been a very successful investment. Not only has it come online much quicker than was expected but it has been providing a range of services that have not been available in the member’s electorate beforehand—particularly, for example, for services provided on Sundays and thousands of people taking advantage of the after-hours consultations. But I can assure him that there is no decision from the government and there is no direction from the government that any different rules apply. There are, however, some idiosyncrasies from the program that have applied in many different areas which are to do with areas moving in and out of workforce shortage and continuations of benefits that might have been provided in particular circumstances. I am happy to undertake to find out if any of those arrangements apply at the Strathpine GP Super Clinic.

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