Nita Green (Queensland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I will address some of the remarks that Senator O'Sullivan made in taking note of answers and then go to some of the other questions that were asked by opposition senators. Firstly, in regard to the first question asked and the comments just made by Senator O'Sullivan, because I think it's really important, I will reiterate—and be very clear that these are very serious matters that the government is taking very seriously—that the decision to release these noncitizens was a decision of the High Court, not of the Albanese Labor government. I will be very clear about that because I have seen the mischaracterisation of the matter in the House today and I hope that I don't see the same characterisation here in the Senate. I know that senators opposite, particularly those who understand the law, and some of them are lawyers themselves, would understand that when the High Court makes a decision the law must be complied with.

The government argued against this decision. We argued against it. We argued that the detention was lawful. The High Court did not agree with those arguments. The decision required the release of noncitizens and in responding to this matter our ministers are working very swiftly to make sure that community safety is completely front of mind. They are waiting for the reasons to be released and are making sure that any response is dealt with quickly. That is what we are doing. What we are not going to do is let those opposite mischaracterise this as a decision of government or mischaracterise this as a process that didn't involve the government arguing against the decision of the High Court or requiring those people to be detained. That was the premise of the arguments made by the government, and it remains our position.

What I do want to respond to very carefully, though, are questions by those opposite regarding how households in Australia are facing the cost-of-living crisis, because that is what the government is focused on. We are prioritising these matters in this place, and we are making sure that cost of living and the way people are dealing with cost of living is front of mind. That's why I asked a question today in Senate question time about the way the government is strengthening Medicare, particularly in rolling out urgent-care clinics across the country, and we saw the pretty woeful interjections from those opposite and from the senator who I think was going to be the health minister if the opposition had been successful at the last election. Thank goodness that didn't happen, because her response of 'So what?' to urgent-care clinics really demonstrates that there is a huge divide between how this government is dealing with cost of living and taking care of people's health and the approach of those opposite.

We are opening urgent-care clinics across the country. That means we are making sure that people can get acute care when they need it. In Queensland we've announced or opened clinics in Bundaberg, in Ipswich, in Brisbane South and on the Gold Coast; that clinic opened yesterday, and patients are already able to go in there. We've announced one in Murrumba Downs, Browns Plains and Toowoomba. These are urgent-care clinics all across Queensland, with more to follow, where patients are able to go in and get that acute care, making sure they're able to see a doctor when they need to and preventing them from going into emergency departments. And if those opposite don't think giving people the option to go to a doctor when they need to on the weekend or after hours doesn't impact the household budget, then they really don't understand how people are struggling and how important health care is, not only to the household budget but also to wellbeing.

That's why we are investing in bulk billing. It's why we have tripled the bulk billing incentive. We've made the largest investment in bulk billing in the 40-year history of Medicare, and this is part of our commitment to make it easier for families to see a doctor. This is in sharp contrast to those opposite. When Peter Dutton was the health minister he put Medicare into the worst shape it had been in 40 years. He proposed a GP co-payment and was declared the worst health minister I think in history, because of the way they cut and slashed Medicare. Well, that is not what Labor governments do. When Australians are doing it tough we step up and we make sure Medicare is protected, and we invest in Medicare. Those opposite will always cut Medicare, and we'll always invest in it. (Time expired)