David Pocock (ACT, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Today I want to thank our GPs. GPs play a huge role in our health system. I've been privileged to meet with quite a few in the ACT over the past two years, and, from what I can see, it is very tough work. I've heard stories of GPs spending hours on Saturday mornings finding mental health beds for patients, or working into the night, looking through lab results and writing notes. Unfortunately, we're just not training enough GPs to meet demand now, let alone in the future.

In Canberra, we have fewer GPs per capita than in any other capital city in Australia. We need more. More GPs will help with bulk-billing rates, but, importantly, it will help with both accessibility and burnout in the GP workforce.

One thing we could do straightaway is work to address the clear financial disincentives doctors face when they are looking at a career in general practice. In some cases, it can amount to a $40,000 pay cut for someone to move from working in a hospital to private practice. That's something we can work to fix, and I believe it would make an immediate difference to the next generation of GPs out there. We could also tell states and territories to keep their hands off Medicare rebates. Payroll taxes on Medicare rebates aren't just squeezing bulk-billing rates; they're squeezing margins and practices. They're a cash grab that is making our job in repairing general practice much harder. Thank you to our GPs for all that you do. I look forward to working with you more on this in the years ahead.