Joanne Ryan (Lalor, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On 31 July I was joined by the shadow minister for health, Catherine King, at the newly opened, redeveloped Werribee Mercy Hospital in the electorate of Lalor. Ms King was there to announce that, under a Labor government, the Werribee Mercy will have a fully rebated MRI licence. This is fantastic news for our local community, because we've had people travelling to Sunshine, to Geelong, to the City of Melbourne, to access a fully rebated MRI. We've had people paying $400 in out-of-pocket expenses. We've had our local hospital put patients, inpatients, in ambulances to go to access an MRI.

I am thrilled that Labor has announced 20 new MRI fully rebated licences across the country and that one will be coming to my public hospital. I stand here today to ask the Minister for Health, Minister Hunt, if he would care to make an announcement about something new, something that isn't a saving in the budget, that isn't something that the PBAC has approved that is bipartisan. I ask Mr Hunt, 'Could you match this, please, Minister Hunt?' My hospital needs this now, and you can give us a fully rebated MRI licence today, if you have a mind to.