Nita Green (Queensland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

This week the Albanese Labor government made a game-changing announcement on women's health. It's an announcement that will impact women of all ages and will really change the game for women's health by providing more choice and lower costs and by bringing health care closer to home.

The Albanese Labor government is investing $573 million to provide better access, lower costs and more choices for women across the country. For the first time in 30 years, new oral contraceptive pills will be listed on the PBS, saving around 50,000 women hundreds of dollars a year. Long-term contraceptives like IUDs and implants will also be more affordable, with bigger Medicare payments and expanded bulk-billing cutting costs up to $400 for 300,000 Australian women.

Menopause care is also getting a much-needed boost, with new Medicare rebates, better training for doctors and the first-ever clinical guidelines—I can't believe we haven't had those until now, but here we are—for menopause. Plus, new hormone therapies will be listed on the PBS, making treatment cheaper for around 150,000 women.

We're also expanding specialist clinics for endometriosis and pelvic pain, bringing the total number of clinics up to 33. I'm really pleased to say that one of the clinics that we rolled out after the last election is in Far North Queensland, and it is making an incredible difference to the people that go there. Funded by the Albanese Labor government, the True Relationships & Reproductive Health clinic provides vital support for women dealing with endometriosis and pelvic pain, and I've even had the privilege of visiting many times to see firsthand the incredible work that they do.

In a huge win for regional areas, women will be able to get contraception and treatment for uncomplicated UTIs directly from pharmacies, with trials covering 250,000 concession cardholders. This package was shaped by extensive consultation with women, health experts and advocacy groups, ensuring real impact where it's needed the most.

Women in my home of Far North Queensland deserve the same quality health care as those in big cities. With this investment we're making sure distance and cost aren't barriers to essential care. With this investment we are making sure that essential care for things like contraception, menopause, IUDs and pelvic pain are not treated as taboo or unserious. From our first periods as young girls to the time of menopause as we get older, women's health is often shrouded in shame and stigma, but none of this is a choice. We don't choose to get older, but we need health care. Women have asked the government to take their health care seriously, and we have listened. There are changes that could save women and their families thousands of dollars across their lifetimes.

On top of this, we are strengthening Medicare, tripling the bulk-billing incentive, making medicines cheaper and opening free Medicare urgent care clinics across the country. We've had 17,000 presentations at the urgent care clinic in Cairns South alone. That's 17,000 patients that didn't need to go to our local hospital. Urgent care clinics are taking the pressure off our hospitals and taking the pressure off the family budget.

But we know that all of this is under threat from Mr Peter Dutton and the Liberal National Party, because they will make cuts. They just won't tell you where. The last time that Mr Dutton was in control of our healthcare system, he ripped $50 billion from hospitals and tried to end bulk-billing forever. We know that our healthcare system is precious. Labor built Medicare and we'll always protect it. But under Mr Peter Dutton, Medicare is at risk. That is why, when it comes to urgent care clinics, cheaper medicines, tripling the bulk-billing incentive, getting access to more GPs or getting access to this amazing women's health system, it is so important that we talk to people about what is at risk if Peter Dutton is elected Prime Minister at the next election.

Women in particular know, after we've announced this women's health policy, that they will be worse off under Mr Peter Dutton, and that's because they will make cuts; they just won't tell you where. They've promised before not to make cuts to things that are important to Australians, but we know what happened last time they were in government. You'll be worse off under Peter Dutton because he will cut Medicare.