Gladys Liu (Chisholm, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to support the motion put to this House that the coalition government's commitment to a strong Medicare is unwavering. This is truly reflected in this year's record funding levels. There is much to celebrate when discussing the government's health achievements, and I will briefly outline some of this government's achievements.

We can celebrate that the Medicare bulk-billing rate remained high in 2018-19. This can be seen firsthand in my electorate of Chisholm, with the GP bulk-billing rate at 84 per cent. In fact, 833,759 GP visits were bulk-billed in Chisholm. This is staggering when we realise there were 145,000 more bulk-billed GP visits in Chisholm than in Labor's last year in government. I would like to note that all this simply would not have been possible without the record level of funding given to Medicare in 2018-19. The coalition committed $24.1 billion in 2018-19, which was an increase of 3.5 per cent in benefits paid.

There have been increases in the specialist attendances bulk-billing rate, up to 31.4 per cent. This is a great achievement and should be celebrated. The GP non-referred attendance bulk-billing rate is also up. It is currently sitting at 86 per cent. However, best of all, there has also been a total improvement in the Medicare bulk-billing rate, which now sits at 79 per cent. This is a great credit to the coalition government and reflects our commitment to Medicare.

I would like to take this opportunity to speak about a report released in August 2018 by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. This report found that more than half of all patients incurred no out-of-pocket expenses in 2016-17. This is a fantastic achievement and is tangibly making a real difference to the communities in Chisholm.

I am fortunate that my electorate office is located in the same building as a medical centre that bulk-bills. Regularly, I bump into my constituents when walking in and out of the office. I am often told of the high-quality care that they receive at the SIA Burwood Medical Centre. I have personally visited this centre and can attest to their professionalism. Bulk-billing facilities like these ensure that my constituents can receive prompt medical treatment with little to no out-of-pocket expenses. Let me also take this opportunity to mention the opening hours of the SIA Burwood Medical Centre. They are open from 8.30 in the morning to 11 at night every weekday, and slightly shorter hours on Saturday and Sunday. This is truly amazing and means that, no matter when, there is a GP available.

These incredible achievements are made possible by a coalition government. They are made possible because we are the only party that can balance the budget and make sure the money is there to fund Medicare. Let us not forget that, when in government, Labor refused to list life-saving drugs because, put simply, they did not have the money. Labor will always claim the moral high ground when it comes to health care, but, when push comes to shove, it is the coalition that backs Medicare and makes sure the money is there.

I want to thank the member for Lyne for bringing this motion to the House. I wholeheartedly support it. Making sure Australians have access to affordable health care is a commitment of this government, and we are delivering on that commitment.

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