Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Hansard source

We have shrieking from the member opposite: ‘Give us the details.’ I now propose to give her precisely that. What are the four big challenges facing the Australian health system—challenges that we did not have detailed from her? First of all, there is the challenge of affordability: how can we ensure that all Australians have affordable access to high-quality health care? Then there is the challenge of workforce: how do we make sure that we have the health professionals we need to deal with an ageing population? Then there is the issue of chronic disease: what are we going to do to try to ensure that these things are tackled sooner rather than later in an acute hospital setting? Finally, there is the issue of the governance of all of the various individuals and institutions in our healthcare system. Let me take them in turn.

Affordability is a serious issue. I am very proud of the fact that, since I have been the Minister for Health and Ageing, GP bulk-billing rates have gone up from 66 per cent to 78 per cent, and at over 73 per cent the bulk-billing rate in this country is at an all-time high. When I became the health minister, every other question time Labor asked questions about bulk-billing. I cannot remember when the last question on bulk-billing was asked. The bulk-billing issue has been addressed by this government. Overall bulk-billing rates are at an all-time high. Bulk-billing rates for children, for people over 65 and for people in country areas are all at an all-time high.

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