Marielle Smith (SA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to Minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Wong. New Medicare bulk-billing data out this week shows there were an additional six million bulk-billed GP visits between November 2023 and December 2024, making it an average of 100,000 additional visits each week. How has the Albanese Labor government achieved these bulk-billing rates, and how is the government working to further strengthen Medicare?

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

I thank Senator Smith for her question. She knows, like all of us know, that bulk billing was in freefall when we came to government, and it's important to understand why. In 2014, Mr Dutton, the then health minister, tried to introduce a GP tax on every single Australian patient. And, when Mr Dutton couldn't get that through the parliament, he then started the Liberals and Nationals' six-year freeze of medical rebates. It went from a tax to a Medicare rebate freeze. At the time, doctors warned Mr Dutton that they'd have to increase fees and stop bulk-billing, but Mr Dutton arrogantly bulldozed ahead anyway. That is why bulk-billing was in freefall when we came to government.

Labor has responded with the largest increases to Medicare rebates in 30 years and opened Medicare urgent care clinics across the country. We have tripled the bulk-billing incentive to stop the freefall, and we delivered six million additional free visits to the doctor last year. Nationally, 77.5 per cent of all GP visits were bulk-billed in December last year. We know there is more to do, but what we have done has made a difference. The Royal College of General Practitioners has described Labor's investment as a 'gamechanger'. This stands in stark contrast to what they said when Mr Dutton was in charge of Medicare. They said that he was the worst health minister in the history of Medicare. We know Mr Dutton and the Liberals cannot be trusted with Medicare.

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

Senator Marielle Smith, first supplementary?

Marielle Smith (SA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Following a decade of cuts and neglect from the former Liberal and National government, Australians in regional and rural areas have found it more difficult to see specialist GPs. What is the Albanese Labor government doing to ensure there are more specialist rural GPs where they're needed so more Australians can get the health care that they deserve?

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

Thank you, Senator Smith. I invite National Party senators to listen to what the Labor government is doing for regional and rural Australia. Unfortunately, those opposite—the Liberal Party—have had a long history of muzzling their junior partner. Mr Joyce knows what that feels like. Senator McKenzie certainly knows what that feels like. Just like how the Liberals have rolled the Nationals over Rex, the Liberals have rolled the Nationals on health. During their time in government, we saw, yet again, the Liberals rolling the National Party. Together, they made it harder for Australia's regional communities to see a doctor. Labor's investments are changing that. Today the health minister, Mr Butler, has announced more specialist rural GPs coming to rural and regional Australia. More than 1,750 are expected to begin government funded training to become a GP, the largest cohort of future GPs in Australia's history. (Time expired)

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

Senator Smith, second supplementary?

Marielle Smith (SA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Albanese Labor government's strengthening Medicare agenda is delivering more doctors and nurses, more bulk-billing and more urgent care clinics. What are the risks to this agenda that could undermine Australia's health system?

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

The biggest risk to the Australian health system is Mr Dutton and the Liberals. We know that because of Mr Dutton's record. We know what he's done before. Mr Dutton cut $50 billion from public hospitals. He tried to abolish bulk-billing altogether. He tried to jack up medicine prices. He tried to make everyone pay a fee every time they went to an emergency department. When he couldn't get his GP tax through, he froze Medicare rebates. Mr Dutton said to Australians that not enough of them were paying to go to the doctor. Then we had Senator Ruston who said, 'Medicare is not sustainable.' Australian doctors don't trust Mr Dutton. That's why they said he was the worst health minister in Medicare history, so why would Australians trust him? Australians know they'll be worse off under— (Time expired)