John Williams (NSW, National Party) Share this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Treasurer, Senator Wong. I refer the minister to the government's spending priorities for rural and regional Australia in the upcoming May budget. Is the minister aware of the Rural Australia Medical Undergraduate Scholarships, known as RAMUS, which were introduced by the previous coalition government in the year 2000? Given that the RAMUS scheme provides scholarships for students from rural and regional areas to study medicine and become doctors and the fact that more than 1,800 scholarships have been awarded since the program was introduced, will the minister guarantee that the government will not cut funding for this program in the upcoming May budget?