Cathy O'Toole (Herbert, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to stand against the Turnbull government's relentless attack on our health sector. I believe, as do many Australians, that when you are sick you should be able to visit your GP, health professional or specialist. It is not possible to be a productive and contributing member of society if you are unwell and not able to afford medical assistance. Regardless of whether you are a millionaire living in Sydney or a diesel fitter living in Kelso, Townsville, you should have access to affordable and quality healthcare services.

Australia is the nation of mateship, and of that we should be very proud. Australians believe in the code of mateship. In many ways, it defines our culture. Australians have a culture of going above and beyond in assisting someone in need, all in the name of mateship. The Turnbull government seems to have absolutely no understanding of the principle of mateship. Surely, if the government had an iota of understanding of mateship, they would not be making savage cuts to hospitals; it would be investing in the health sector, ensuring that all Australians get a helping hand when they need it most.

Instead, the Turnbull government is behaving in an un-Australian manner, and it should be ashamed of that. It is delivering massive cuts to health and hospitals, and education. It could be argued that health and education are a high priority and should receive bipartisan support in the parliament. But, with the Turnbull government's $22 billion cut to schools and its $2.2 billion cut to GP, specialist and allied health services, there is no way that I can lend my support to these cuts. I am sure that the people of Herbert would not want me to support devastating cuts of this nature.

The people of Herbert do not want millionaires to receive a $16,400 tax cut whilst ordinary hardworking Australians will have their taxes increased. Under Malcolm Turnbull's plans, someone earning $55,000 will pay an extra $275 in tax, and someone earning $80,000 will pay $400 more in tax. This speaks to the DNA of the Turnbull government. This government is creating an environment where the rich are getting richer and the poor are simply getting poorer.

What is totally confusing in this government's attack is its attack on doctors with the unfair GP rebate freeze. Since the government introduced the freeze in December 2014, Australians have been paying an average of $7 more per visit to the GP, which is exactly the amount the government proposed with their GP tax. An official health department document lists 113 Medicare items which will stay frozen for another three years, including consultations for mental health plans, and chronic disease assessments. Despite the government boasting they were unfreezing diagnostic imaging, only seven per cent of items will actually have their rebates indexed.

In Queensland, out-of-pocket costs for non-referred GP attendance have risen from $29.55 to $37.24. At a time when unemployment is high and wages growth is minimal, our most vulnerable citizens are expected to pay more. The 2017 budget failure follows the disastrous 2014 budget, where the Liberals cut $368 million from Labor's investment in preventative health and abolish the Australian National Preventive Health Agency. The Chief Health Officer Queensland states in her annual report that 30.7 per cent of Townsville's children are overweight or obese, which is six percentage points higher than the state average of 24.3 per cent. Therefore, it is vital that early intervention and preventive health measures are put in place to ensure that our children's health does not escalate out of control into high-risk illnesses and chronic disease. Programs such as Life Education and Healthy Harold must be continued to teach our youth the importance of good nutrition and a balanced diet.

This government has also made a complete mess of the GP after-hours service. The Turnbull government have done nothing to help families access quality health care after-hours, breaking their election promise to keep Medicare Locals and, in turn, cutting access to the GP after-hours service that Medicare Locals provided. People are desperate to access GP after-hours care so that they do not present to emergency departments when it is not required.

Mark Coulton (Parkes, Deputy-Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! It being 5 pm, the debate is interrupted.

House adjourned at 17:00