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

You know that the Labor Party are in trouble when they come into this place and start spruiking Medicare and start running the age-old trope that the coalition is anti-Medicare. They ran 'Mediscare' in the campaign of 2016 or 2019, which turned out to be absolute rubbish. We even had to introduce laws to try and prevent them from doing it again—but clearly that didn't work, because here they are again trying to do a big beat-up about Medicare.

Madam Deputy Speaker, I don't know about you, and I don't know about other members in this place, but the last time I went and saw a GP it cost me a significant sum of money as a co-payment—for me, and I earn good money. Those members opposite talk about strengthening Medicare, but, when they came into government, Medicare bulk-billing rates were at 88 per cent. Do you know what they are now? They are at 77 per cent. That is a big, fat fail on the part of this government.

One of the things that upsets me the most about this government's failures isn't the fact that they were 18 months late in establishing a headspace in Caloundra, when we had promised to do it when we were in government. They were 18 months late in opening that headspace. That was a big problem for me and a big problem for young people. It took me and a concerted campaign to drag the Minister for Health and Aged Care kicking and screaming to instigate a headspace in Caloundra. But that's not the big problem that I have. The big problem I have with this government and health care—and I want to welcome members from the other place into the chamber right now—is in relation to the care of, and how we deal with, people with mental health problems and mental illness. Years ago—and thankfully those days are gone by—we stuck people with mental health problems in sanatoriums and asylums. We removed them from our sight so we didn't have to look at them. Thankfully those days are over, but the treatment and care of people who live with mental health problems in this country is nothing other than an absolute disgrace.

The current health minister does not get mental health. I'm gonna say it again. The current health minister does not get mental health. Do you know who did get mental health? The former health minister, the former member for Flinders, Greg Hunt. He was an outstanding health minister and changed the way that we dealt with not only the funding but also the treatment of people with mental health conditions, whether they be very significant or mild.

I have lived through the mental health sector personally, as a family member, both in the public sector and in the private sector. The way that this country cares for people with mental health problems is an absolute disgrace. If it were any other type of illness, people would be marching in the streets. They'd be holding demonstrations. But, because it's in relation to mental health, we don't want to talk about it. We keep pushing and shoving it under the carpet. If a person with a significant mental health illness comes up to a public hospital, they are basically put on suicide watch and released into the public a couple of days later. It is an absolute disgrace, and this health minister needs to step up.

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