Jess Walsh (Victoria, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Labor invented Medicare and we are keeping it strong. Medicare is in Labor's DNA, and cutting Medicare is in Mr Dutton's DNA. Labor is not just defending and extending Medicare; we are building Medicare's future with our historic investments in bulk-billing. We have tripled the bulk-billing incentive, creating an additional six million bulk-billed GP visits in the last year—six million free visits to the doctor. We are building Medicare's future with our 87 new Medicare urgent care clinics, where 1.1 million patients have gotten the urgent care that they need absolutely free. Our huge investment in women's health is building Medicare's future, delivering lower costs, more choice and better health outcomes for women. This is what Labor governments achieve and this is what is at risk under Mr Dutton—Mr Dutton, the man who froze Medicare rebates for six long years; Mr Dutton, who cut $50 billion from our public hospitals; Mr Dutton, who was voted the worst health minister on record; Mr Dutton, who tried to introduce a GP tax; Mr Dutton, who secretly launched the now-infamous Medicare privatisation taskforce; Mr Dutton, who said there were 'too many free Medicare services'.

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting—

Jess Walsh (Victoria, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I know you don't like them, but they were his words. Mr Dutton wants to cut $350 billion from the budget but won't tell us from where until after the election. Australians know where he is going to cut that funding; it is going to be in our Medicare system. Australians can count on Labor to build Medicare's future.

Catryna Bilyk (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am going to say this once and once only. If you cannot control yourself for two minutes, could you please leave the room? Two minutes is not a big ask to ask any of you to stop interjecting.