Amanda Rishworth (Kingston, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Health) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise today to present a petition to the House, in accordance with standing order 207(b), that has been found in order by the Petitions Committee.

The petition read as follows—

To the Honourable The Speaker and Members of the House of Representatives

This petition of the National Union of Students (NUS) on behalf of students studying higher education across Australia draws to the attention of the House:

The harmful impact that the imposition of a $6 fee on GP visits would have upon already financially strained students.

A Universities Australia survey released in July 2013 found that:

Students should not have to choose between adequate mental and physical health and other financial commitments.

As Australian undergraduate students, we request that the House of

Representatives:

from 1,189 citizens

Petition received.

This petition, conducted by the National Union of Students, urges the House not to make health care more expensive for university students. Over the course of the university O-weeks over 1,100 undergraduate students were concerned enough to sign a petition that requested that the House: first, recognise that two-thirds of undergraduate students live below the poverty line and one-fifth have reported going without food due to financial concerns; secondly, acknowledge that students should not have to choose between adequate mental and physical health and other financial commitments; and, thirdly, refrain from altering the current Medicare arrangements and imposing a $6 fee on GP visits.

This petition clearly illustrates that there are many university students who are rightly concerned about the impact that the coalition's proposal for a GP tax will have. All Australians, including university students, deserve to get the health care they need, not the health care they can afford. There are significant costs associated with attending university and it should never be the case that students have to make a choice between buying their textbooks and visiting a doctor. The Abbott government must start listening to the many voices, including health professionals, consumer advocates, mums and dads, and now students, who are demanding that the Abbott government rule out introducing a $6 sick tax and preserve our universal health system. I commend the students for making their voice heard in this place.