Mike Kelly (Eden-Monaro, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Defence) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Regional Health, Regional Communications and Local Government. Minister, can you explain why the government has cut Medicare bulk-billing incentives in my bushfire-affected electorate, making it harder for doctors to bulk-bill children and pensioners?

Mark Coulton (Parkes, Deputy-Speaker, Minister for Regional Health, Regional Communications and Local Government) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I will remind the member for Eden-Monaro that the changes he is referring to passed this House on 14 October, unopposed.

Chris Bowen (McMahon, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Health) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

No, that's wrong.

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for McMahon!

Mark Coulton (Parkes, Deputy-Speaker, Minister for Regional Health, Regional Communications and Local Government) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I welcome the opportunity, on a day like today, to speak about rural health, on the day when we announced another 100 training places for the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine—rural pathways putting doctors into areas such as the honourable member's electorate, servicing those regional areas. There has been no change to the regulation. The changes are an update from the Bureau of Statistics. They were agreed to by both sides of this House. It is important to remember that this policy is to service regional, rural and remote health, and those changes are purely on the demographics of the areas mentioned. There has been no change to bulk-billing.

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Manager of Opposition Business on a point of order.

Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for the Arts) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The minister just referred specifically to a piece of legislation he alleged had passed this House. I ask him to table it. It doesn't exist.

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Two points: firstly, I'm just going to say to the Manager of Opposition Business that, if he or anyone else has an issue with a minister's answer, they know they can deal with that at the end of question time. Secondly, I'm not going to ask ministers to table legislation that you've got.