Paul Neville (Hinkler, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Gladstone region is getting better health services under the coalition government. Just this week, the government delivered more than $58,000 under the Medical Specialists Outreach Assistance Program to continue an oncology service in Gladstone. I lobbied very strongly to secure this funding. It is a fantastic outcome for the region, as it is a service now being funded for three financial years by the Commonwealth. In 2004-05, the oncology service saw 479 patients, which just goes to prove how vital the health service is to the district. In the absence of state government support, the Australian government has stepped in to ensure that hundreds of Gladstone people who require oncology treatment and consultation will continue to receive the best medical attention. Dr Atkinson, a specialist from Brisbane’s Mater hospital, visits Gladstone regularly and delivers this service.

Last week, I had the pleasure of announcing extended hours for the Australian Hearing service operations in Gladstone. Now Australian Hearing staff will be available in Gladstone for at least two weeks every month, giving Gladstone residents significantly better access to the best hearing services. These extra hours will help meet the growing demand for such services and make it easier for many hearing-impaired older people to receive attention, saving them trips to Rockhampton or Bundaberg.

Another example of Gladstone residents receiving better services from the coalition government is that Queensland’s second highest increase in bulk-billing rates occurred there between 2004 and 2005. Hinkler’s bulk-billing rate reached an average of 69.9 per cent last year, an increase of 9.4 per cent from 2004. That was the second biggest percentage increase for any Queensland electorate, and way ahead of the 5.3 per cent average increase across the state. It is also backed up by a 14.2 per cent bulk-billing increase achieved between June 2003-04 and June 2004-05, which was actually the biggest increase in Queensland for that time frame.

That flies in the face of the ALP’s constant cries of doom and gloom about the health services in my electorate. If members of the opposition cared to look at the facts, they would acknowledge that Hinkler families have a better range of health services now than they ever had before under previous Labor governments. They might also encourage their state colleagues to inject some rigour into the aspects of health for which that state government is responsible.