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

This government has a five-year record of failures on Medicare. I just don't have enough time to describe this government's failures on health. There was the My Health Record, the hugely increased gap payments for Medicare visits, the failure in imaging, the failure in pathology and the failure in providing services to rural and regional areas. It is an absolute tragedy. I'll just remind the minister that it was the Labor Party who introduced the bipartisan PBS in 1948, and it has been bipartisan since then. His false claims of new listings—particularly including generics, which we all know are not really new drugs—is just absurd.

Those opposite have been in power now for five whole years. I can't emphasise this point enough. In the Federation Chamber yesterday, I highlighted this lazy government's modus operandi, whereby whenever they are criticised for one of their failures they do their utmost to blame the issues of today on a long past Labor government. I suspect we'll see and hear more of this today in the MPI. We've known for some time that those opposite have given up on governing. This is made even more obvious whenever the current Prime Minister speaks. He is obsessed with us and our fight for fairness. Rather than positively contributing to policy debate, he and his entire team merely try to smear us when things don't go their own way. After the 2016 election, those opposite—despite emerging victorious—could be heard day in and day out, crying and whining like toddlers, about a campaign about health they couldn't understand.

During my allotted time, I think it will become quite apparent to all those who listen that the opposition is right to publicly fight for and defend the integrity of our beloved Medicare system, which was introduced by the Labor Party. It's apposite that we mention the name of Professor John Deeble, who died recently. He was one of the fathers of Medicare, with Dr Dick Scotton. All present here know that it was under the Abbott-Turnbull-Morrison government that the Medicare freeze has been extended for over five years. It was their horrid 2014 budget which saw this freeze continue and, indeed, it continues on today. This has resulted in $3 billion being ripped out of Medicare. They also wanted a Medicare co-payment which would damage and prevent health care for the most disadvantaged.

I'm a doctor. I still do a volunteer clinic at my local hospital, and I have many friends who presently practise in their respective medical fields. So I would suggest that those opposite listen closely to what I'm saying. They might learn a thing or two.

Those opposite have sat on the treasury bench, and whilst they've done that we've seen gap costs for specialists absolutely skyrocket. For example, seeing a cardiologist now can cost patients almost $500 out of pocket. There's been a collapse of the public hospital outpatient system. And the policies of those opposite have resulted in Australian patients having to front higher and higher out-of-pocket expenses, including things like pregnancy ultrasounds, which I've seen patients avoid because they couldn't afford the gap payment. People are having to pay more for GP visits, blood tests, X-rays and other consultations. Australians are forgoing undertaking the medical treatment they require, because they cannot afford it.

This is Australia. It's not the United States. However, we are very rapidly developing a two-tiered system. I might mention IVF therapies. IVF therapies are now out of the range of most lower income Australians. This is a two-tiered system. Imaging is another field which sees patients paying higher and higher gap costs. There exists a massive divide between those in metropolitan areas and those who reside in rural and regional areas. Those who live in country towns and in the bush have had their access to high-quality health care restricted by costs, and medical treatment is simply becoming unobtainable for some people. Those opposite do not seem to grasp the importance of this.

In almost every aspect of health care you can look at, the Liberal and National government are failing. They come in here and they self-promote about listing medications, without really understanding the fact that we are now developing a two-tiered medical system in Australia. It is an evolving tragedy. If they do not understand it, they need to take a few lessons.

Yet another example of this government's failure is the blowout we've seen in waiting lists, in particular in the public hospital system. I hold the Prime Minister responsible for a cut of well over $3 million to my hospital in my electorate of Macarthur. Prime Minister, I'd like that funding back because it is desperately needed.

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