Jordon Steele-John (WA, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The state of our healthcare system in Western Australia and across the country is dire. So many are going without the healthcare supports that they need, and so many healthcare workers are being pushed to the brink and burning out. GP services and mental health services have become unaffordable and inaccessible. Emergency rooms are overwhelmed and understaffed, and vital sections of health care, like dental, aren't even covered under Medicare at all.

Half a million people across our community live in so-called GP deserts—areas which are so lacking in GP services that people in the community literally cannot get the healthcare supports that they need, whether they can afford them or not. My home state of WA has more GP deserts than any other state or territory. East Pilbara, West Pilbara, Kimberley, Esperance—they are among these communities. Now, they aren't just statistics. This is real for people; it has real effects on their lives. People in these areas are unable to access services like regular check-ups, screenings and seeing specialists when they need them. Western Australians living in GP deserts tend to have much worse health outcomes. People living in these areas in my state, areas where you just cannot get those GP services, are 1½ times more likely to die from preventable causes like infections and heart disease.

Medical services in these areas also tend to be some of the most expensive. East Pilbara, for example, has the second-highest average of out-of-pocket cost per GP visit, with patients paying on average over $60. This means that, even if you are able to find a doctor, you have to pay them more for the same services. This isn't just a problem in the regions, either. A report by Cleanbill showed that an adult without a concession would not be able to find a bulk-billing GP in 10 per cent of our electorates, including the federal division of Swan. Also in WA, the electorate of Burt experienced the greatest decrease in bulk-billing rates, going from 61 per cent in 2022-23 to 6.5 per cent in 2024-25. It is no wonder, then, that so many people aren't seeking medical support until it is an emergency. This then has a knock-on effect. Staff desperately trying to make things work in emergency rooms become overwhelmed, and our frontline medical staff all across the country struggle against the reality of being not only underresourced but also chronically underpaid.

This is one of the biggest challenges we are facing as a community in WA. It is also why I am so proud to be part of a movement that is focusing on listening to the community and on taking action. Over the past month, the Greens have announced plans that would see billions invested into our public hospitals, cutting wait times and ensuring high-quality health care is available to all Australians. We have announced a plan that would see access to free GP appointments greatly expanded by the opening of over 1,000 free local healthcare clinics where people can access GPs, dentists, psychologists and nurse practitioners. We want to see Medicare not just defended but fully expanded to cover dental and mental health care. It is ridiculous in 2025 that these are not considered areas of primary health care.