Gordon Reid (Robertson, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I move:

That this House:

(1) notes the Government is easing cost-of-living pressures and making hundreds of common medicines cheaper by allowing millions of Australians to buy two months' worth of medicine for the price of a single prescription;

(2) acknowledges that for at least 6 million Australians, this will:

(a) halve their medicine costs;

(b) require fewer visits to the general practitioner and pharmacist;

(c) save Australians more than $1.6 billion over four years;

(3) further notes that this policy comes after the Government's policy to reduce the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme general co-payment from $42.50 to $30, which has saved Australians more than $58 million on 5.1 million prescriptions in the first three months of the laws coming into effect; and

(4) commends the Government for its commitment to make responsible and targeted cost-of-living relief.

The Albanese Labor government is easing the cost of living and taking the pressure off people living on the Central Coast. Our budget has been carefully calibrated and targeted to ensure relief is provided to those who most need it while not adding to inflation.

On the Central Coast, Medicare and health are the key issues that constituents call us about. In our budget, Medicare and health were centrepieces, because it is the health of the community that is paramount. As a doctor and as someone who is very passionate about the health care of Australians and the people in our electorate, I am very happy to see this as a focus. In my practice as a doctor and in my service as a parliamentarian, the patient must and will always come first. Our government endeavours to put patients first and to make health care and medications cheaper and easier to access. I have seen first-hand the impact of people not being able to afford health care and not being able to afford their medication.

I note the significant changes to how medicines are dispensed at pharmacies across the nation have now been announced by the health minister, the honourable Mark Butler. From September 1, eligible patients with a Medicare card or with a concession card will be able to be prescribed with 60 days' worth of medicine after consultation with their doctor. This change will mean six million Australians will halve their medicine costs and need fewer visits to the GP and fewer visits to the pharmacist. In Robertson, almost 42,000 people will benefit from our cheaper medicines.

The changes were recommended by the pharmaceutical benefits advisory committee in 2018. However, the former Liberal government did not act to implement any measures to improve access to health care or access to medication. It is unsurprising that, from the former Liberal government, the member for Riverina, a government that cared little for the health care of Australians. As we saw too often from the previous government, they were more occupied with pork barrelling taxpayer funds for projects that were never built. We also have an opposition leader who once proposed healthcare tax and who oversaw a massive period of neglect of our healthcare system while he was the health minister—attacks on Australians accessing health care, a leap back to the days when health care was unaffordable, a leap back to when it was unable to be accessed by the masses, leading to excessive and unnecessary morbidity and, even worse, mortality.

Importantly, the changes announced in this budget to make medicines cheaper are what other countries already have in place. Examples include New Zealand, Canada, France, where patients have access to multiple-month medications on a prescription. These changes will ensure Australians can purchase two months' worth of medicines on a single script. An aspect of this policy that I want to highlight for the people of the Central Coast is that our veteran community will benefit from this change.

The Albanese government has a proud record of making medicines cheaper for all Australians. On January 1, for the first time in the 75-year history of the PBS, the general co-payment was reduced from $42.50 down to $30. In the first three months, 5.1 million prescriptions have been cheaper, saving more than $58 million. In Robertson, that is $384,102 saved because of the Albanese government's cheaper medicines changes that started this year. On top of the government's cheaper medicines policy, our record $3.5 billion investment into Medicare means more people will be able to access a doctor, because Labor is the party of Medicare.

I make this commitment that I will continue to work with all stakeholders in the healthcare space because that is what is required. When these changes were first announced, I was the first federal MP to meet with local pharmacists. I was one of the first local MPs after these changes were announced to meet with local doctors, because that's what is required to progress and to move our country forward positively so that we can create a better future for all.

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