Lisa Darmanin (Victoria, 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. Australia marks the 40th anniversary of Medicare this year—40 years of health care for all Australians. Labor will always protect Medicare because we believe health care is a right, not a privilege. Labor created Medicare to achieve this aim, and, since the last election, the Albanese Labor government has worked hard to rebuild Medicare after a decade of neglect by the Liberals and Nationals. Minister, why is the government committed to rebuilding Medicare, and how are the government's Medicare reforms assisting Australians with cost-of-living pressures?

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

I thank Senator Darmanin for the question and for her ongoing interest in and advocacy around the importance of Medicare and the role of public health more broadly across the Australian community and how important that is. Since coming to government, under the leadership of the Minister for Health and Aged Care, Mr Butler, the Albanese government has been working hard to strengthen Medicare. We inherited a system that was under enormous pressure and was failing, with all of the data showing that bulk-billing in particular was declining, that people's access to primary care was getting harder and more expensive, and that medicines were getting too expensive. So those have been the areas that we have focused on in our first two years.

Of course, there's been the largest investment into Medicare in its 40-year history; that was our investment in the 2023 budget to strengthen Medicare with the tripling of the bulk-billing incentive, and that bulk-billing incentive, that investment, has provided an additional 5.4 million bulk-billed visits across the country just since we have put that in place.

We have also seen the success of the Medicare urgent care clinics. We said we would establish 50 urgent care clinics at the election. We actually delivered 58, and we have announced an additional 29 to take our commitment to 87 free urgent care clinics. And we know how popular they are. As of last week, we'd had 900,000 visits to urgent care clinics across the country—almost a million visits to urgent care clinics across the country—and half of these patients said they would have otherwise gone to the emergency department. And do you know that all that people need to attend those urgent care clinics is a Medicare card?

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

Senator Darmanin, first supplementary?

Lisa Darmanin (Victoria, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Albanese Labor government has invested more in bulk-billing than the Liberals and Nationals did in their entire decade in government. The investment has seen an estimated 5.4 million bulk-billed GP visits. By increasing bulk-billing rates, we are ensuring health care is free for more Australians. Minister, why does the government value free health care?

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

Bulk-billing has increased in every state and territory since we came to government—5.4 million additional bulk-billed visits—and we know that by reducing the cost of health care for Australian families we limit the barriers to getting the care they need and reap the benefits—

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

Minister Gallagher, please resume your seat. Senator Wong?

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

Senator Ruston continues to interject and continues to disregard your calling her to order.

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

That's correct, Senator Wong. Senator Ruston?

Anne Ruston (SA, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Health and Aged Care) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Maybe the minister might like actually to—

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

Senator Ruston, please resume your seat. Seriously! Senator Ruston, resume your seat. Honestly! I called you out for interjecting and you kept on, and then you thought you'd do a little stunt and stand up and continue. Minister Gallagher, please continue.

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

The difference between us is: we invest in Medicare, invest in bulk-billing and invest in urgent care clinics, and those opposite wind back indexation, they freeze rates and they try to introduce a GP tax—we'll never forget that. Who was that? It might have been Mr Dutton when he was last in charge. Then, of course, we've got Sussan Ley, from the other place, the deputy opposition leader, now belling the cat and saying that charging for services is a core tenet of the Liberal Party, and that if you don't pay for it you don't value it. Well, we over here believe in universal access to free health care. (Time expired)

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

Senator Darmanin, a second supplementary?

Lisa Darmanin (Victoria, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is clear that the Albanese Labor government's reforms to Medicare are assisting Australians across the country. We're rebuilding Medicare so that Australians can live happy and healthy lives. Minister, does Medicare face any challenges to this rebuilding process?

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

Yes, they certainly do, Senator Darmanin. The challenge faced by Medicare is the election of a Dutton coalition government, because we know what they did last time. We don't have to imagine; we saw it. They'd tax GP visits, freeze funding, decimate the health system and withdraw money from the hospital system. They've done it before; they'll do it again. We know Senator Ruston herself, in her own words, has said, 'Medicare is unsustainable.' The coalition will say that bulk-billing rates were higher under them, but what they aren't saying is that that was due to an inflated number, with COVID vaccinations. Bulk-billing was in freefall when we came to government, after a decade of neglect. It faced serious challenges with Medicare, due to the mismanagement of those opposite.

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

Senator Ruston! Minister Wong.

Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The whole answer is talking about the coalition. Come on!

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

President, a point of order on relevance—

Opposition senators interjecting—

The:

I'm sorry, Senator Wong. Please resume your seat. Order!

Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The question was about us.

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

Senator Birmingham, order! Minister Wong.

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

People may not like the answer, but that doesn't give senators the right to persistently interject after you have called.

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

Thank you, Minister Wong. I quite agree, and I will continue to call all senators to order. The minister has 10 seconds left.

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

The biggest challenge facing Australians on this—

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

Seriously. Now it's Senator Birmingham. A point of order: the minister had barely got to her feet when the leader of the opposition started to interject.

The:

I have asked for order, and I will ask for order again. The minister has the right to be heard in silence.

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

The biggest risk facing Australians when it comes to their access to healthcare services is the Leader of the Opposition, Mr Peter Dutton.

Opposition senators interjecting—

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

When you are silent!

Senator Ruston, you can either leave the chamber or listen in silence. That's the choice.