Kylea Tink (North Sydney, Independent) Share this | Hansard source

If I could summarise the tone of conversations I had with residents across North Sydney in the lead-up to the 2023-24 federal budget, I would say that people are struggling. In truth, they've been struggling for the last three years and there isn't any relief in sight. As people have told me, they are unable to find a place to live or they are having to make choices between groceries and bills. The reality is that challenges arising in this post-COVID world have compounded long unaddressed issues in our economy, environment, workforce and health systems.

At first glance, this budget would indicate the government recognises these challenges and has tried to respond appropriately. I am grateful that, where my community and I advocated for reform, we were successful, with single parents and families with children under 16 now able to access additional support, and others benefiting from cheaper energy bills as we push to electrification. But, on deeper reflection, unfortunately there is little in this budget to take either heart or inspiration from. As a country, we need long-term structural reform which focuses on driving activity, productivity and managing cost inputs. And we need a clear vision. Neither of these were evident in the last budget.

When I asked the people of North Sydney what they would have delivered in the federal budget if they were the Treasurer, priorities became clear: increased support for the most vulnerable Australians; adequately resourced climate action; driving tax and revenue reform; and addressing intergenerational inequity. At the centre of this budget, however, was the government's investment in our healthcare system—a system that is overburdened, underfunded and underresourced. I welcome the boost this budget provides to Medicare, offering the opportunity for more children under 16, pensioners and concession cardholders to see a doctor. But, at the same time, I call on the Minister for Health and Aged Care to ensure these measures actually deliver an increase in the number of GP clinics that bulk-bill. In North Sydney we currently have just 14 of 44 doing so.

The greater investment in health protection and prevention measures, including the $91.1 million investment in the Australian Centre for Disease Control, is also welcomed. Ultimately, our national preventive and infectious disease management programs, along with tracking adverse events and variants, rely on clear national coordination. In this context, I look forward to seeing the Australian Centre for Disease Control develop.

Much was also made of the six million Australians who need regular medicines for chronic conditions being able to access their medication at a lower cost, under the 60-day dispensing changes. I have heard from several chronically ill North Sydney residents who believe this change will improve their livelihoods. But, whilst the reform has been welcomed by some, it is a policy change that cuts two ways, and it would be remiss of me to highlight its upside without also talking about the potential negative impact this reform may have on community pharmacists nationally. Indeed, a recent round table with pharmacists in North Sydney left me in no doubt that many have very real concerns that are shared both at the community pharmacy level and at the general practice level. Ultimately, the key message I hear is clear: 'The impacts are far more complex than the government is acknowledging, and they just don't understand.' While the government has indicated the money saved will be reinvested back into community pharmacy programs, pharmacists in North Sydney are concerned the reinvestment will not compensate for the direct financial loss they face as small businesses. I ask the government to listen closely to community pharmacists, to consult and to get more than the headline right when delivering substantive policy change.

Whilst there was much to celebrate in the health reform, the lack of investment in mental health support or services was extremely disappointing. At a time when three out of five young Australians report experiencing mental health distress in the last 12 months, the lack of specific funding to address what many are describing as a shadow pandemic was frustrating. An increase focused on elevating lived experience, funding digital tools—

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