Jacqui Lambie (Tasmania, Jacqui Lambie Network) Share this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Health and Aged Care. Last week, the government—indeed, Australia—celebrated Medicare's 40th birthday. To commemorate this, the Prime Minister said:

My Government is delivering on its commitment to strengthen Medicare and make it easier and cheaper to get quality healthcare, by tripling the bulk billing incentive and making medicines cheaper.

The health minister said:

It was a Labor Government that built Medicare and it is only a Labor Government who will continue to protect and strengthen Medicare.

Yet, on the ground, I am hearing and seeing from an increasing number of Tasmanians that they are finding it more difficult to see a doctor. We have the lowest bulk-billing take-up in the nation, and waiting times to see specialists are way longer than they have ever been. So, Minister, what is your government and your Labor senators from Tasmania doing to encourage more doctors to take up bulk-billing in Tasmania?