Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Smith for the question and for the work she's doing representing the good people of South Australia. We have been rolling out a carefully calibrated range of measures to fight inflation but also to assist Australians with the cost of living over the past 16 months. The government's cost-of-living package provides assistance with rent, with energy bills, with more affordable child care and with fee-free TAFE. But, in addition to all of these important investments, there's another area where we are already seeing very tangible results by reducing the cost-of-living pressures for Australian households, and that is in relation to cheaper medicines. In the first six months of the Labor government's cheaper medicines policy, we have seen Australians collectively save $138 million from 12 million cheaper scripts. That's $138 million that is going back into people's pockets. Before the election, we promised to reduce the maximum co-payment under the PBS from $42.50 to a maximum of $30. That's a reduction of 29 per cent. Those cost-savings are now a reality for Australians who are purchasing their medicine, and the proof is in the numbers. In the ACT, $3½ million has been saved. In New South Wales, it's $43 million. In the Northern Territory, $885,000 has been saved. In Queensland, $27 million has been saved. In South Australia, $9 million has been saved across 805,000 cheaper scripts in your state, Senator Smith. In Tasmania, $3 million has been saved on 260,000 cheaper scripts.