Fiona Nash (NSW, National Party, Deputy Leader of the Nationals) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the senator for his question. I note the Productivity Commission's reporting on this particular issue and I would say that GPs have always made their own decisions on who they bulk-bill and what they choose to charge their patients. That is absolutely clear: it is a matter for the GPs.

Under this government, spending on health is growing as the senator referred to in the question. We have Medicare spending going from $19.4 billion under Labor to $22.8 billion under this government. When it comes to bulk-billing rates, they have gone from 82.2 per cent under Labor to 85.4 per cent under the coalition government—increases. Actually, it is those on the other side in the Labor Party that have the poor health record. There is quite a long list, so I will just start with some of it. Labor cut a billion dollars from Medicare for dental and means-tested it. They cut $664 million from Medicare for GPs. They cut $500 million from Medicare for pathology. They cut $450 million from Medicare safety net protections. They cut $2.5 billion from pharmacy and medicines. They blocked access—it was the Labor Party that blocked access to life-saving medicines. They cut $4 billion from the private health insurance rebate for consumers and means-tested it. It is Labor that has a poor health record. The coalition has a strong record on health.