Kate Thwaites (Jagajaga, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Health and Aged Care. How has the Albanese Labor government delivered cheaper medicines for Australians while supporting a vibrant community pharmacy sector? What obstacles has the government encountered in delivering cheaper medicines?

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Members on my left. I couldn't hear the question.

Opposition members interjecting—

Order! Members on my left. The member will restate her question, and, if people interject, they won't be here to hear it either. I give the call to the member for Jagajaga.

Kate Thwaites (Jagajaga, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Health and Aged Care. How has the Albanese Labor government delivered cheaper medicines for Australians while supporting a vibrant community pharmacy sector? What obstacles has the government encountered in delivering cheaper medicines?

Mark Butler (Hindmarsh, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Health and Aged Care) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank my friend and colleague the member for Jagajaga for that question because she at the last election promised cheaper medicines to her community, and in just our first 12 months we have delivered three waves of cheaper medicines reforms, which are saving hundreds and hundreds of millions of dollars for those patients. On Friday we delivered the fourth wave, allowing almost four million Australian patients to ask their doctor for a 60-day script for almost a hundred common medicines for ongoing health conditions, things like heart disease, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, osteoporosis and much more. Two scripts for the price of one are effectively halving the cost of medicines for almost four million Australians. This isn't just good for their hip pocket, because we know from overseas evidence it's also good for their health, improving medication compliance by as much as 20 per cent.

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The health minister will pause. The Deputy Leader of the Opposition and the Leader of the Nationals are now warned. Policy is, once you're warned, if you interject again you leave. The minister in continuation.

Mark Butler (Hindmarsh, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Health and Aged Care) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It's good for the hip pocket, good for their health, but it will also free up millions of GP consultations, instead of just having to issue routine repeat scripts, which are, as we know, desperately needed out there for more serious health conditions. It's good for the cost of living, and it's good for the health system.

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Member for Riverina!

Mark Butler (Hindmarsh, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Health and Aged Care) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

That's why so many other countries have been doing this for years, and that's why every doctors group, every patient group, has strongly supported the policy of 60-day scripts.

But I'm asked who stood in the way of this policy. Well, five years ago those opposite stood in the way of cheaper medicines by refusing to accept exactly the same advice from the medicines experts as we received last summer.

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I think I know where this is going. I give the call to the Deputy Leader of the Opposition.

Sussan Ley (Farrer, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Women) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My point of order is on relevance. How can this possibly be relevant when the government is ripping out thousands of dollars from community pharmacies and making patients pay? You know it.

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'll hear from the Leader of the House, but I think we know where all this is going.

Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Just two things, Mr Speaker. The first is that was clearly an abuse of a point of order. Secondly, the deputy leader has already been warned.

Government members interjecting—

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Members on my right. It's the first day back, and I know everyone's a little excited.

The member for Riverina is not helping, trust me. Of course, I'll hear from the member for Wannon.

Dan Tehan (Wannon, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Immigration and Citizenship) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Why was it abuse when the deputy leader was asking a very legitimate question around—

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Resume your seat. Resume your seat or you'll be going the same way. Standing orders are there for a reason—to maintain the dignity of the House. That interjection, that intervention, was not within standing orders. The Deputy Leader of the Opposition will remove herself from the chamber.

The member for Farrer then left the chamber.

Mark Butler (Hindmarsh, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Health and Aged Care) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am just reminding people who stood in the way of cheaper medicines for millions of Australian patients. They stood in the way five years ago, and four weeks ago they voted in the other place time and time and time again. It's very clear, Mr Speaker. Those are the savings the Leader of the Opposition—

Opposition members interjecting—

An incident having occurred in the gallery—

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The minister will pause. Order! Members will leave the galleries quickly and quietly. The Manager of Opposition Business will resume his seat. The minister still has 50 seconds. Before I call him, I want to hear from the member for Warringah.

Zali Steggall (Warringah, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I'd like to raise a point of order under standing order 91(e), disorderly conduct, from the members of the opposition and the members in the gallery. I'd ask that security take care of these elements, because, when we have had climate protesters, they have been removed.

Opposition members interjecting—

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Members on my left will cease interjecting. The member for Warringah is on her feet and will be heard in silence. It's not an excuse to start yelling while another member is on their feet.

Zali Steggall (Warringah, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I simply say that it's important that we are consistent in this place in how disorderly conduct is treated and that the encouragement from the opposition for this conduct shows a great disrespect for your position and the orderly conduct of this House. Also, they entered the chamber in a clearly intentional way, being dressed in white coats, to bring attention to what they are.

Honourable members interjecting—

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Members on my right and members on my left will cease interjecting.

The member for Cunningham will leave the chamber under 94(a).

The member for Cunningham then left the chamber.

Paul Fletcher (Bradfield, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Government Services and the Digital Economy) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On that point of order, Mr Speaker: there was a reflection on the opposition in that point that was completely baseless and should be withdrawn.

Honou rable members interjecting—

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! I'm going to ask the House to be silent. The member for Warringah was raising a point about conduct within the House. I warned those in the gallery early in question time today that they were not to participate and were not to interject during question time. As a result of their behaviour, they have left the chamber, but I want to say this going forward: there will be no interjections from the gallery. There will be no movement noise from the gallery, out of respect for this parliament but also the other Australians that are in the gallery. For the rest of this week and for the rest of the time that I'm Speaker, that will not happen again. The member has been asked to withdraw a reflection. I'm going to ask her to do that.

An honourable member interjecting—

The Manager of Opposition Business took offence.

An honourable member interjecting—

Yes. Resume your seat. I want to hear from the Leader of the House. I couldn't hear what the member was saying, but, if someone has taken offence, my policy is for someone to withdraw, on both sides of the chamber.

Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I respect that. I simply want to draw your attention to the fact that what the member for Warringah did was draw your attention to conduct of members. That's different to name-calling or what is normally considered a reflection on members. If it is impossible to even take a point of order reflecting on the conduct and drawing to the attention of the chair the conduct of speakers, then a whole lot of points of order can't be taken. What the member for Warringah did is a completely legitimate way of drawing the attention of the chair to how members are behaving. That can't be considered a reflection.

Honourable members interjecting—

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'm going ask the front bench on both sides to cease interjecting so I can hear from the manager.

Paul Fletcher (Bradfield, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Government Services and the Digital Economy) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The statement from the member for Warringah was words to the effect that the opposition had been complicit in what had occurred. That is an offensive remark, and she should withdraw it.

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I think the point has been made. I'm just going to ask the member to withdraw, so we can move on with question time, to assist the house.

Zali Steggall (Warringah, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I withdraw, and I also request that the members of the opposition cease calling out—

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We're going to continue with question time. Trust me, if people interject on the minister in his remaining answer, they won't remain here either.

Mark Butler (Hindmarsh, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Health and Aged Care) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Amid all of that what is clear is that these savings the Leader of the Opposition was determined to do everything possible to block. Well, we're just as determined to back patients in right to the hilt. We are determined for there to be a vibrant future for the community pharmacy sector. That is why we're reinvesting every single dollar the Commonwealth saves from this measure, and that is why, as I said in an earlier answer, we've agreed to bring forward the negotiation of the next funding agreement with the sector, with the aim of getting an agreement by 1 March. Ultimately, be clear about this: from our perspective good health policy is about the interests of patients, and that is what cheaper medicines deliver.