Tammy Tyrrell (Tasmania, Jacqui Lambie Network) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is for the Minister representing the Minister for Health and Aged Care, Senator Gallagher. The government's 60-day dispensing policy began on 1 September. Since then, several small pharmacies in Tasmania have reduced their opening hours and reduced staff hours. Launceston's only late-night pharmacy now shuts at 8 pm instead of 10 pm. One regional pharmacy chose not to put on a new pharmacist or take on a new trainee, because they couldn't afford it. Does the government recognise that their 60-day dispensing policy, while helping to reduce costs for patients, has hurt some small pharmacies?

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

I thank Senator Tyrrell for her question and her engagement on this issue for a long period of time. I would say that, from the data that government has been looking at, we're still seeing quite a lot of investment continuing to come into the pharmacy sector. In the five months since we announced the policies, there have been 48 applications to the government to open new pharmacies, 50 per cent more than we received in the same period last year.

The:

Order, Senator Ruston!

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

In the first month of the policy, another five applications to open new pharmacies were received and five applications were approved.

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

Senator Ruston!

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

Do you have a question, Senator Ruston?

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

Minister Gallagher, I have Senator Wong on her feet.

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Ruston has been called three times, and she's still interjecting now. As you're talking, President, she is still interrupting.

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

Thank you, Minister Wong. Senator Ruston, I called you three times—

Senator Ruston! Seriously, that is disrespectful. I called you three times.

Honourable senators interjecting—

I would ask for silence across the chamber. Minister Gallagher, please continue.

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

Obviously, individual businesses will make decisions around their operating arrangements, and I'm sure the Minister for Health and Aged Care would be happy to engage with you on the particular pharmacies you raise in Tasmania. We have sought to address some of the concerns that were raised around regional pharmacies in particular. The decision we took will allow around 400,000 pharmacies, from our largest rural towns to our most remote communities, to provide more services to more Australians in the way that they operate now. We are also continuing to work with the pharmacy sector on other opportunities there are to increase the services that they provide, including through negotiations for the next replacement agreement. I am happy to see if there's anything further I can provide the senator in relation to the Tasmania-specific elements of her question.

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

Senator Tyrrell, first supplementary?

Tammy Tyrrell (Tasmania, Jacqui Lambie Network) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Many pharmacies in remote areas aren't eligible for the regional pharmacy transition payments this year because they don't dispense enough scripts. This doesn't make a lot of sense: you're not going to dispense 45,000 scripts a year in a town with a population of 900. Will the government admit that announcements like the transition payments are more about political spin and don't do enough to help regional pharmacies?

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

The answer to that question is no, not at all. The decision we took was to support pharmacies with this change, particularly those in regional and rural areas, but at the same time to accept that this is a genuine cost-of-living measure for Australian households, particularly those that rely on regular medication to save them from paying unnecessary costs associated with managing their illness. I know that 200,000 scripts for 60 days have been issued in the first month of operation, so there are many individuals who will have benefited from that arrangement, in terms of the money that they have to provide. But it was always cost-of-living relief for individuals and households. It was always at no save to the budget. The extra investment went into addressing some of the concerns that pharmacies had raised. (Time expired)

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

Senator Tyrrell, second supplementary?

Tammy Tyrrell (Tasmania, Jacqui Lambie Network) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The health minister says that, between the maintenance allowance and the transition allowance, the average reduction in dispensing revenue will be offset to this financial year, but for one pharmacy in Tasmania this will barely cover a third of the loss from 60-day dispensing. What do you have to say to that pharmacy—the pharmacist's name is Judy, by the way—who are doing everything they can to stay afloat but feel completely let down by their government?

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

I would say to that pharmacist that the government wants to work with pharmacies and look at extra services that can be provided in terms of the work that they do. We are talking to the Pharmacy Guild and others through the Community Pharmacy Agreement. We want to support the work of pharmacies, but we don't believe that that should come out of the hip pocket of Australians who are struggling to afford to pay their medicines. That is the point of the reform.

Senator Ruston, who continues to ignore your direction, President, wants to have it both ways. She wants to pretend that the coalition supports the cost-of-living measure and then beat the government up on every other aspect. It is, as usual, so hypocritical.

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

Minister Gallagher, please resume your seat. Minister Wong.

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I again raise that Senator Ruston, despite being called by you on numerous occasions, has not stopped interjecting. There are provisions in the standing orders to deal with a persistent and wilful obstruction of the business of the Senate. I ask her, through you—

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

Senator Ruston!

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

And she's still doing it. We understand interjections are a part of this place, but—

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

Senator Ruston!

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

And again, she's unable to stop.

An opposition senator interjecting—

No, she's talking to me, actually. I would ask you to remind her of the standing orders. She is a senior member of the opposition—

Sarah Henderson (Victoria, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Education) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

You're not the President.

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I know I'm not the President. I'm addressing the President.

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

Order, Senator Henderson! Senators, during question time I am reluctant to sit either the person asking the question or the minister down while I restore order. That is why I often name senators. I would expect that, if I name a senator, you would stop the interjections. Senator Ruston, I have called you at least five times and I called you twice just then. I would ask that you stop the interjections. The minister is to be heard in silence.

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

On the Tasmanian part of the question specifically, I have undertaken to come back to the senator directly.