Anne Urquhart (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Health, Senator Payne. Is the minister aware that even a low-risk pregnant woman normally requires seven to 10 visits to the doctor for antenatal care during her pregnancy? Can the minister confirm that a woman will be hit with a $7 GP tax each time she attends the doctor over this nine-month period?

Marise Payne (NSW, Liberal Party, Minister for Human Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the senator for her question. The question relates to the government's planned introduction of a co-payment. The government are quite clear that this is a move on our part to make Medicare a sustainable system.

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Senator Payne is entitled to be heard in silence.

Marise Payne (NSW, Liberal Party, Minister for Human Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

For example, MBS expenditure has been growing for many years now at an unsustainable rate. Ten years ago—

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I rise on a point of order on relevance. I do appreciate that the minister is a minister representing today. It was a very specific question in relation to a pregnant woman in the low-risk category and the payments that she would face for antenatal visits. I would ask the minister to return to the substance of the question.

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am listening closely to the minister's answer. The minister still has a minute and 22 seconds. There is no point of order at this stage.

Marise Payne (NSW, Liberal Party, Minister for Human Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

As I understood it, the senator's question related to the introduction of a co-payment and the payment of that sum by individuals such as the one that the senator evidenced. What I was saying was that 10 years ago we were spending $8 billion on the MBS. That is a significant amount. Today it is $19 billion and in a decade it will be $34 billion. The government's decision to introduce the co-payment to which the senator refers—

Anne Urquhart (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, on a point of order in relation to relevance, my question was: can the minister confirm that a woman will be hit with a $7 GP tax each time she attends a doctor over that nine-month period? That was my question. I would ask the minister to answer it.

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I now do draw the minister's attention to the question. There are 47 seconds remaining.

Marise Payne (NSW, Liberal Party, Minister for Human Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

As I said, that is a modest contribution which we are asking Australians to pay for the cost of their own health care. It is a contribution which people like Dr Andrew Leigh, the shadow Assistant Treasurer, have said previously in writing that they support. I quote from Dr Leigh:

As economists have shown, the ideal model involves a small co-payment—not enough to put a dent in your weekly budget, but enough to make you think twice before you call the doc. And the idea is hardly radical.

Anne Urquhart (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. I still do not have an answer to my first question, but I will try another question. Can the minister confirm that Australian parents will have to pay a GP tax for all vaccinations for their children in their first year?

Marise Payne (NSW, Liberal Party, Minister for Human Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The sorts of comments that I made in answer to the senator's first question apply similarly here. Australians will be asked to make a modest contribution to the cost of their own health care. It was good enough for a previous Labor Prime Minister, Mr Hawke. The approach that doctors take is, of course, a matter for them. The request, on the part of the government, in introducing this policy is that we recognise that the MBS is absolutely unsustainable and that in a decade it will be at $34 billion. If we do not ask Australians to make this small contribution, then that will be—

Anne Urquhart (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, again I rise on a point of order on relevance. I will repeat my question: can the minister confirm that Australian parents will have to pay a GP tax for all vaccinations for their children in their first year? Yes or no?

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I cannot instruct the minister how to answer the question. The minister has 16 seconds remaining to address the question.

Marise Payne (NSW, Liberal Party, Minister for Human Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I have completed my answer.

Anne Urquhart (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question to the minister. Won't imposing a $7 GP tax create a barrier to antenatal health care and place a price on life-saving vaccinations?

Marise Payne (NSW, Liberal Party, Minister for Human Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In the absence of a phone call from Senator Urquhart to Dr Leigh, where he might wish to advise her of his views on this matter, let me reassure the chamber that the government is absolutely committed to improving immunisation coverage rates. This government provides around $400 million annually through the National Immunisation Program. We continue to supply the National Immunisation Program vaccines free of charge to eligible cohorts in line with the NIP schedule. NIP vaccines are provided by a variety of immunisation providers, including GPs, local councils, community based clinics and through schools. It remains, as I said, at the discretion of the doctor whether the $7 patient contribution applies; but what is worth noting is that, in 2012, in a savings measure, the Labor government abolished the General Practice Immunisation Incentive, as well as the maternity immunisation incentive. We all know it was a savings measure.

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting—

Marise Payne (NSW, Liberal Party, Minister for Human Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

And your track record on this is a disgrace. (Time expired)