Mike Freelander (Macarthur, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I've worked at the coalface of health care for many, many years, and one thing I know is that the Liberal Party just does not understand public health policy. I rise today to speak on this matter of public importance to highlight the coalition government's track record of cutting health over the past five years. It doesn't matter whether the Prime Minister, at the end of the day, is the member for Wentworth, the member for Warringah, the member for Dickson or even the member for Curtin; the track record of this Liberal-National party government speaks for itself. Every member opposite has been content with the slashing and burning of health over the past half-decade. Sadly, I do not see that a change of leadership is going to change the outcome. Health, education, the environment and the cost of living—these are the issues that we should be speaking about in this incredibly beautiful building. We should not be bickering, talking about ourselves and engaging in egocentric political games—that is not for the betterment of the Australian people.

I'm happy to speak on today's matter of public importance because it is so important to me and it is so important to the Australian people. We are rapidly developing a two-tier health system where the quality of your health care depends on the size of your wallet, and some of the poorest people are having enormous difficulty accessing health care. I've just received a letter from an eminent colleague of mine, Professor John Corbett, who is a very well regarded neurologist from Brisbane. I'll read out the beginning of his letter to me: 'After providing bulk-billed specialist EEG services for over 20 years, I've recently been forced to cease providing these services due to the freeze of Medicare rebates which has been in place since 2012 and will remain in place until July 2020, a total of eight years. It's now impossible to provide EEG services to my patients on a bulk-billing basis any longer. I'll have to cease bulk-billing. This will lead to increased patient costs. It will also lead to increased public hospital waiting lists.'

Just for the information of members opposite, an EEG is a very important neurological investigation done mainly for conditions like epilepsy. It's very important. Often people who suffer from epilepsy have other neurological disorders. They often have difficulty with employment et cetera. They are now going to face huge public hospital waiting lists or increased patient costs. This is just not acceptable to me.

This is the real coalface of health care. This is something that the Liberal-National Party just does not understand. I understand why: many of them have high incomes and good health and don't have to access health care. For many people in my electorate of Macarthur these increased gap costs are prohibitive and they just cannot get care. Those opposite, who have been intent on talking about themselves and dragging the national agenda and public debate down with them, do not really understand health care and do not understand what the Australian people want. We all need a strong Medicare, properly funded hospitals and fewer out-of-pocket expenses for the average Australian.

The average Macarthur resident couldn't care less who is the Leader of the Liberal Party. They just want this incompetent and out-of-touch government kicked out of office. The government are most incompetent in their attitudes to health care. In government, the coalition have slashed health funding. Tony Abbott did it when he was at the helm and Malcolm Turnbull has continued on this legacy. God forbid the member for Dickson becomes the Prime Minister. We know what he did to the healthcare system. He was instrumental in providing the health cuts in the 2014 budget. It was a disaster and absolutely shocking.

My particular interest at the moment is the electronic health records. I see this as a very important way of reducing health costs and providing better health care for all Australians, from children through to those in aged care. This government's rollout of electronic health records has been a total disaster, a total debacle and a complete shambles. It is just a disaster. This government's record on health care speaks for itself. Let me be clear: each member opposite wants to lock in the health cuts and wants to continue with this American-style, two-tier health system and make the poorest of our community struggle with health care. It's a shame. (Time expired)

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