Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance) Share this | Hansard source

This program is designed to address the doctor shortage across regional, rural and remote areas—a shortage that has just grown worse under the Morrison government. The purpose of the Health Insurance Amendment (Enhancing the Bonded Medical Program and Other Measures) Bill is to amend the Health Insurance Act 1973 to improve the implementation of the Bonded Medical Program and the administration of the Medical Rural Bonded Scholarship contracts under section 19 of the act.

The changes outlined in the bill are welcomed, but this bill will not address the difficulties Australians in outer metro, regional and rural areas have in accessing health care, including in seeing a GP. At a time when the government should be investing in Medicare and delivering more services to regional Australia, this government is doing the opposite. A lack of doctors and other medical professionals in regional and rural communities across Australia is not a new problem, but it's an even more pressing problem in the context of the COVID pandemic, which is why Labor has established a Senate Community Affairs Reference Committee inquiry into outer metro, rural and regional GPs and other healthcare services, which will consider the performance of programs such as the Bonded Medical Program. Labor has always supported defending and strengthening Medicare and to make sure all Australians have access to a GP, and we will continue to do so, but we support the legislation.