Louise Pratt (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Health and Aged Care, Senator Gallagher. Can the minister please tell us what key health services have been left with funding that expires on 30 June this year, and what impact that expiry of funding would have on crucial service delivery to Australians that rely on these very services?

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

I thank Senator Pratt for the question and for a rare question on health in this chamber. We know, after almost a decade of cuts and neglect from those opposite, it's never been harder or more expensive to see a doctor. Our government is being upfront with Australians about the state of our health care system because this crisis didn't just spring from thin air or happen overnight. It's the result of decisions made by the former government—a former government whose priority was to cut Medicare.

Instead of funding critical health programs, they chose to put hundreds of measures in the budget on a time line to be cut. For example, the My Health Record system, a system that looks after the health records of 23 million Australians, runs out of funding on 30 June this year—no money for My Health Record. For 23 million Australians' health records, they just switched the money off. There is no money for public dental and adult dental services beyond 30 June. Do those opposite honestly think that adults will not have dental problems on 1 July this year? That is really the reason why they would budget for them in this way.

We shouldn't be surprised, because the Leader of the Opposition was, I think, voted the worst health minister in 35 years in a poll of 1,100 doctors, because he wanted to put in place a GP tax, he wanted to increase the price of medicine and he even wanted emergency departments to start charging for seeing people. That is what we had under those opposite, and we are getting around to cleaning up the mess that has been left behind.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Pratt, first supplementary?

Louise Pratt (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

How is the Albanese government different from the former coalition government in its approach to responsible budget management?

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

We are working through all of these unfunded programs that are ongoing. It has created significant pressure on the budget, which is precisely why they were dealt with in this way: to make the budget look better than it actually was by having ongoing programs terminate and not impact in the later years of the forward estimates. So we are working through those.

We also know that health care wasn't a priority for the former government. They stopped the indexation of GP visits for six years, and that is what has led to a lot of the crisis facing primary care. We are seeing GP surgeries close around the country. People are finding it harder to get in, and when they do get in they are paying more for seeing the doctor because of the crisis that was factored in over a long period of time. (Time expired)

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Pratt, second supplementary?

Louise Pratt (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Can the minister explain how the Albanese government is making health care more affordable and rebuilding the trust of Australians in the management of our budget?

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

I thank Senator Pratt for the question, and I can inform the chamber of what we're doing. We are cleaning up the mess and working through carefully and methodically all of the programs that terminate.

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting—

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

I know you hate the fact that we went through line by line. We did go through line by line.

Opposition senators interjecting—

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Minister, please resume your seat. I'm waiting for order. Minister, please continue.

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

We started that line-by-line work in October, and we are continuing to go through it. As problems emerge, as departments bring forward their terminating programs, we are working through those. We are also implementing our policies we took to the last election, to invest in the health care of Australians. For example, lowering the price of medicines came in on 1 January, making a difference to the cost of living for millions of Australians. The Strengthening Medicare Taskforce has a significant budget to invest in Medicare, and we're getting on with the job of investing in and opening those 50 urgent care centres. This is what you do when you're a government that believes in Medicare and believes in the strength of the health system.