Anthony Chisholm (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Assistant Minister for Education) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Duniam for that contribution. The rural, remote and very remote doctors and nurse practitioners measures are a former government policy that is being reintroduced from a lapsed bill. In the House, the government supported an amendment from the member for Mackellar which proposed that the effectiveness of the policy be reviewed at three-year intervals.

The coalition have proposed further amendments which provide more detail around the terms of the review, including whether the policy might be expanded in future to cover other areas with skills in need in remote, rural and very remote areas. These areas will include the health, mental health and education sectors. The government is prepared to support amendments which incorporate that further detail and which maintain the structure and intent of the member for Mackellar's original amendment. The government thanks the member for Mackellar for her engagement on this bill and will be supporting these amendments.