David Gillespie (Lyne, National Party, Assistant Minister for Health) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That the amendments be agreed to.

There have been several amendments which have strengthened the bill. They are commonsense recommendations. Firstly, it clarifies the scope of the role to include providing advice to the minister on the development and distribution of health workforce and other matters relating to health reform—essentially, a very commonsense putting in print of some of the roles that we had envisaged for the health commissioner; they are now there in black and white. Also, there is the initiative to review the role of the National Rural Health Commissioner 12 months before cessation for consideration of extension, if appropriate, and to direct the commissioner to consider the advice of the Rural Health Stakeholder Roundtable and the distribution working group—all commonsense recommendations and amendments which, obviously, I support. I would like to thank members on the other side for their contribution to the debate.

Tony Zappia (Makin, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Manufacturing) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the minister for his comments just a moment ago and for proposing the amendments which are before us. These amendments are consistent with the position that we outlined when I first spoke in respect to this legislation. In essence, the notion of broadening the scope of the commissioner's role, the review period and the advisory committee that will be set up to advise the commissioner are all propositions that we have supported from the outset and, indeed, which we proposed. With those very few comments, I believe that, as the minister has quite rightly said, these amendments strengthen the commissioner's role and improve the legislation that is before us.

Question agreed to.