Trish Cook (Bullwinkel, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise today as the proud member for Bullwinkel. I've just delivered my first speech, where I committed my support for all areas of my electorate: the foothills, the hills and the regional areas—the beautiful, vibrant regional areas where the towns of Northam, York, Toodyay and Beverley are based.

I have over four decades in caring for communities as a registered nurse and now, as their voice in parliament, I find the assertion that the Labor government is failing regional Australia not only deeply misguided but frankly insulting. It's insulting to the significant progress that we have made. The Albanese Labor government's vision for regional Australia is clear and unwavering. We are building strong, connected communities, driving economic growth and enhancing wellbeing, and we know that vibrant communities, like Northam in my electorate, are not just a part of Australia's future, they are at its very heart.

I would like to make two points. Firstly, on trade and diversification, which is vital for regional jobs and prosperity. This government has actively worked to stabilise our relationship with China, lifting nearly $20 billion in trade impediments which were caused—I think we all remember why—and were critical for our wine, barley, beef and lobster industries. This directly benefits our primary producers across WA and, in particular, barley for the farmers of Bullwinkel. Farmer Chris told me that barley, his crop, dropped in value to zero overnight when the markets were axed. He lost $50,000- to $60,000 there and then.

This government is also aggressively diversifying and strengthening ties with existing partners, like India, and forging new relationships with key markets, such as the United Arab Emirates. Our new trade agreement with the UAE, for example, means reduced and zero tariffs for WA exports like beef, chickpeas, seafood and, in Bullwinkel, sheep meat—new markets for sheep meat. This is what we're doing. We're creating new opportunities. We're not failing our regions at all.

Secondly, on investing in our people and essential services—because regional development is also about investing in our people through skills, training and vital services—I have worked in health in regional and remote areas for decades. In health this government has made the single largest investment in bulk-billing, aiming for nine out of 10 visits to be bulk-billed by 2030. We have delivered 31 urgent care clinics in the regions out of the 87 that we delivered, and we're going to deliver 50 more, including one in Bullwinkel. We're strengthening Medicare with a $606 million investment to deliver more doctors, with 50 per cent of additional GP traineeship places specifically for regional and rural areas. This includes $248 million for salary incentives for junior doctors to specialise in GPs and rural generalists, rewarding doctors for going regional. Since November 2023, Australians in regional, rural and remote areas have seen nearly 2.5 million additional bulk-billed GP visits.

I was so proud to attend the opening of a Medicare mental health clinic in the township of Northam, in the western wheat belt, with the Assistant Minister for Health and Aged Care last year. We have located that mental health clinic specifically in a rural area for regional people, in the township of Northam. It's co-located with Holyoake drug and alcohol abuse services. You just need your Medicare card. You don't need a referral. You don't need an appointment. You simply walk in. This is what we're doing for mental health care of people in regional Australia.

Let's contrast this with the opposition's plan. The only plan I heard at the election for the regions was to build a nuclear reactor with no consultation in a water-deficient area on top of a geologically unstable, discontinued coalmine in Collie. (Time expired)

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