Cathy McGowan (Indi, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

by leave—I move amendments (1) and (2) as circulated in my name together:

(1) Schedule 1, item 1, page 4 (after line 14), after paragraph 79AC(2)(a), insert:

(aa) consult with communities in regional, rural and remote areas, including consumer support and advocacy groups in those areas;

(2) Schedule 1, item 1, page 4 (after line 19), at the end of subsection 79AC(2), add:

; (d) consider the affordability of health services in regional, rural and remote areas, and options to ensure that bulk billing services (with no gap payments) are available in those areas.

Minister, thank you very much for the opportunity to work with you on this bill, and I appreciate the openness that you have displayed. However, my amendments are specifically to move in the bill that we consult with community and advocacy groups as well as doctors, that we consider options for increasing access to bulk-billing, and that we report back on what the actual impact is so that people will know that it is working. The amendments ensure that rural and regional communities are included in the consultation by actually including them in the bill rather than assuming that they will be included in the category 'other stakeholders', and including a role for the commissioner to consider the affordability of health services and addressing the availability of the no-gap bulk-billing. So they are my amendments as circulated.

Question negatived.

Can my dissent be noted, please.

Ross Vasta (Bonner, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It will be noted.

Cathy McGowan (Indi, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

by leave—I would now like to move version 2 of amendment (3) as circulated in my name:

(3) Schedule 1, item 1, page 4 (after line 35), at the end of section 79AC, add:

(5) The Minister must table a copy of the final report before each House of the Parliament, within five sitting days of the House after the final report is given to the Minister.

This amendment at clause 3 is intended to increase the transparency of the commissioner to the parliament. The current arrangement is that the commissioner reports to the minister. This amendment requires the minister to table the report to parliament within five days of it being received.

Question agreed to.

Ross Vasta (Bonner, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The question now is that this bill, as amended, be agreed to.

Question agreed to.

Bill, as amended, agreed to.