Rob Mitchell (McEwen, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I would like to take this opportunity to speak on a project which holds great importance in my electorate of McEwen, but also one that I take great personal pride in seeing delivered.

I am speaking of the Wallan GP Super Clinic, which opened its doors to the public in December 2013 with the official opening being organised for a later date. Plans for the Wallan GP Super Clinic began back in 2007 after I first announced to the people of McEwen that Labor had allocated $1 million toward developing a state-of-the-art health facility in Wallan.

Upon being elected as the federal member for McEwen in 2010, I campaigned strongly for additional funding toward the Wallan GP Super Clinic. With overwhelming local support, I was able to secure an additional $2.5 million toward the project. Since 2010, I again lobbied the Labor government to secure yet another $3.5 million. In total, the former Labor government provided $7.1 million of funding toward the $9.2 million project. This is the biggest investment for health in the Wallan community ever. It delivers on my promise and Labor's promise to the Wallan community for a super clinic.

However, in 2009 progress was halted due to the Black Saturday bushfires. The previous member for McEwen wrote to the then health minister, Nicola Roxon, requesting a delay in the consultation process. Obviously, I agree that the delay was entirely appropriate. The delay in this project was supported by the local community, considering the exceptional circumstances which we faced.

Since our communities began to recuperate after Black Saturday, it was again full steam ahead for the GP super clinic. We work closely with Mitchell Shire Council to get the clinic off the ground, with the council even considering donating a site for us to build the new facility on. But the facility had outgrown that site and a new, more suitable site had to be found.

After extensive research and a robust tender process, Nexus Primary Health was selected to be the operator of the Wallan GP Super Clinic. Nexus Primary Health is bringing together a range of all round high-quality healthcare services, such as improved access to GPs, dietetics, physiotherapy, paediatrics, mental health counselling services and other services.

The GP super clinic provides more doctors and allied health services to the fast-growing communities of Wallan and Beveridge as well as communities of Wandong, Darrawiet Guim and Hidden Valley. Our super clinic is just one example of the many GP super clinics Labor has delivered to the people of Australia, benefitting communities right across the nation.

So far, GP super clinics have provided more than 3 million services to patients. I find it appalling that Minister Dutton has the gall to stand in this House and condemn the GP Super Clinics Program. In fact, it is not only disgraceful but quite hypocritical since in 2010 Minister Dutton came out to Wallan and misled the community by saying he would support the Wallan GP Super Clinic being built. But the people of Wallan were awake up to him, because at the same time the now Prime Minister was saying he wanted to scrap the building of the super clinic. I quote from a 5AA interview where he said—and always be very careful with the words of the PM, 'Let's be clear, we are not scrapping super clinics, we are just not building them.'

Minister Dutton has now found a voice criticising everything Labor does, and his bullying personal attacks on the member for Sydney show a complete and utter disrespect for his position. Even now in government, he is still behaving like he is in opposition. And remember, this is the minister who sat there for three years, the empty void of a shadow minister the health, and did not once ask a question of a Labor health minister in the 43rd Parliament. Not one question in three years; no wonder he got the hashtag #worldslaziestshadow! Minister Dutton has no policies on his own. To deflect this, he personally attacks the member for Sydney.

Growing areas like Wallan, have been struggling under the weight of growth and the inability to visit a doctor in the local community. Most doctors have closed their books and cannot see any new patients. This is a hangover of the doctor shortage created by the former Howard government.

I am proud to have delivered this facility to our community to provide the health care that our community needs. The Wallan GP Super Clinic and all GP super clinics currently in operation, including those being built as we speak, are a testament to Labor and our commitment to providing the best possible health care for all Australians.

Labor's policies to deliver health services to people when and where they need them were being implemented. All of this came to a grinding halt in September 2013. The minister may criticise and complain about Labor's health projects, but quick as a wink he is there ready to turn a sod, cut a ribbon and open them and claim all the glory for himself. The fact of the matter is the people in McEwen know that it is only Labor that delivers its promises and only Labor that delivers in health for our region.