Andrew Wallace (Fisher, Liberal National Party) Share this | Hansard source

I move:

That this House acknowledges that:

(1) the Government:

(a) has not consulted with or listened to the genuine concerns of community pharmacists in regard to its proposed pharmaceutical 60-day dispensing changes; and

(b) must provide a strong guarantee that this change will not:

(i) harm the viability of community pharmacies;

(ii) affect medicine supplies especially in regional and rural communities; and

(iii) increase the stockpiling and wastage of medicines;

(2) the increased cost of living has placed enormous pressure on Australians, but questions remain on whether this policy will have perverse and unintended consequences; and

(3) community pharmacists play an integral role in the provision of primary healthcare in Australia, particularly in rural and regional Australia, as they stepped up when the nation needed them most through the COVID-19 pandemic and they deserve the support of the Government.

I move this motion in utter exasperation. I'm at a loss when I try to understand why this Labor government would even consider its radical changes to the dispensing of medicines. I know that there is a natural predisposition because there will be some savings initially for the public. I understand why the public would think that that is a good thing. However—and I know those opposite don't really care about regional and rural Australia—community pharmacies and industry professionals across my electorate of Fisher have reached out to me very upset at the impact that Labor's decision will have on their services. Their customers and clients, many vulnerable Australians living beyond the big cities, have spoken to me about their own fears about access to health care, and they are right to be afraid. Labor has slashed mental health funding. They have hacked at a decade of progress on Medicare. They've dismantled our world-class telehealth system. They promised urgent care clinics would be built, and 12 months on we don't even know where they'll be. They've abandoned primary health care in regional Queensland at the state and federal level, and now, just like last time, this federal Labor government is making vital medicines more difficult to access for Australians in need.

An honourable member: That's completely untrue.

The government said this would be a cost-of-living measure, but who will benefit? By all accounts, this move will cripple small businesses and reduce supply, and families in regional Australia will pay the price.

You see, this is the difference between those opposite and those in opposition. The government believe that they are the doyens of all things. They believe that big government knows best without consulting the people who will be impacted. Did the government consult with pharmacies? Did they talk to small rural and regional pharmacies as to the impact that this would have? And it's not just the impact upon the pharmacies; it's the impact it will have if and when those pharmacies actually have to close up shop because they can't make a dollar anymore. Did they think about that? They won't guarantee supply for rural and regional communities or smaller pharmacies. They haven't thought about medicine stockpiling. They can't answer these questions because they have no idea. Why is that? It is because they didn't consult. Their priorities are out of order. They are out of touch with the needs of everyday Australians—

and they are patently out of depth, as you can tell by the level of their interjections.

Community pharmacists and small business owners are already contending with Labor's cost-of-living crisis. They are now facing a crushing blow from this arrogant Labor government. Community pharmacies are telling me that this decision could cost them everything, and our communities will ultimately pay the price. I think especially of a community pharmacy in one of my rural towns, Montville, a community that no longer has a GP, thanks to state and federal Labor. Now their pharmacy is at risk of closing its doors. That's the cost of a Labor government. Marie from Sippy Downs and Warren from Golden Beach share concerns of the impact that this will have on the communities they service. Stan from Maleny called the move 'disastrous'. John from Mooloolaba said it was reckless and irresponsible. Reckless, irresponsible, disastrous—that's a three-word slogan for the Albanese Labor government.

The idea that pharmacies would close left, right and centre across regional Australia would have been a ludicrous proposition just 12 months ago. Our pharmacies played a vital role in helping our country through the COVID-19 pandemic. The idea that any government would reward their hard work with this reckless intervention is astounding. It is just plain wrong. But after just 12 months of a callous and careless Labor government, Australians are not surprised. Australian families and their businesses always pay more under Labor.

See this speech in context