Ken Ticehurst (Dobell, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is addressed to the Minister for Health and Ageing. Would the minister update the House on how the government’s commitment to strengthening Medicare is delivering more bulk-billing services and providing a safety net against high health costs? Are there any alternative policies?

Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Dobell for his question. I thank him for all his support for better health services on the Central Coast, including the support that he has given to the North Wyong primary health care practice. I do note that since December 2003 the GP bulk-billing rate in Dobell has increased by 12 percentage points, thanks to the policies of the Howard government. In the June quarter, the GP bulk-billing rate increased to 78.2 per cent. This is the 14th consecutive quarterly increase in the bulk-billing rate. The overall bulk-billing rate—that is, for specialists and GPs—hit 73.4 per cent. That is an all-time record for bulk-billing in this country and it is 2.3 percentage points higher than in March 1996. Bulk-billing is not the be all and end all of Medicare, but it is important. It should be widely available, particularly for children and pensioners. I can advise the House that in the June quarter the bulk-billing rate for children under 16 was at a record, the bulk-billing rate for people over 65 was at a record and the bulk-billing rate for people in country areas was again at an all-time record, which is why the people of Australia know that the Howard government is clearly and indisputably the best friend that Medicare has ever had.

But not everyone is the best friend that Medicare has ever had. Part of Strengthening Medicare was a new safety net. In 2006 the safety net benefited 1.5 million people to the tune of $270 million, but members opposite still want to get rid of it—they want to get rid of this safety net that stood to help 1½ million Australians. Three times the shadow minister was asked about the safety net; three times she said that Labor was ‘considering its position’. I think I might have heard a cock crowing as she was doing that. Stop considering and start deciding—that is what the Australian people want of members opposite. The only political party in this parliament that is considering a cut to Medicare is the Australian Labor Party, which just goes to show that you cannot trust Labor with health.