Kara Cook (Bonner, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to speak on the National Health Amendment (Cheaper Medicines) Bill 2025, a vital step in our government's mission to ease cost-of-living pressures and strengthen Medicare for all Australians. This bill is not just about legislation; it's about lives. It's about making sure no-one is left behind when it comes to accessing the medicines they need to stay well, live with dignity and look after the people they love. It's about real people and real families in Bonner and across this country who are being squeezed by the cost of living and are relying on us to make practical, compassionate decisions as a government

Cheaper medicines are a cornerstone of Labor's commitment to strengthening Medicare, right alongside more bulk-billing, more doctors and nurses, more urgent care clinics and more support for the people doing it tough, because we know this: when medicines are affordable, Australians don't delay treatment. They take their medication as prescribed. They stay healthier, they stay out of hospital and they stay in the workforce. It's better for our health system, and it's better for our economy. I saw this firsthand while doorknocking in Lota during the election campaign. I met a mother of three who told me something I haven't forgotten. Her kids had all come down with illness that week. She did the right thing and took them to the doctor, but the clinic no longer bulk-billed. With the out-of-pocket costs from the GP visit and the price of the medications, she found herself facing a decision no parent should ever have to make: 'Do I fill the prescriptions, or do I buy food for the next week?' That's not an isolated story. That's the reality for too many Australians. It is simply not acceptable in a country as prosperous as ours.

This bill is part of our response. Under this legislation, families like hers will save money every time they fill a script. The PBS general co-payment will drop from $31.60 to just $25. That's direct, immediate cost-of-living relief where it's needed most. This is the fifth wave of medicine affordability reform under this government, and it builds on real results. In July 2022, we cut the PBS safety net for concession card holders, delivering 73 million additional free scripts and saving pensioners more than half a billion dollars. In January 2023, we made the largest price cut in PBS history, slashing general script costs from $42.50 to $30, saving Australians $770 million. In September, we introduced 60-day prescriptions for hundreds of common medications, saving patients $250 million and eliminating 35 million unnecessary pharmacy trips. Earlier this year, we froze PBS prices for the first time in 25 years, protecting Australians from the rising cost of inflation. Together, these reforms have already saved Australians $1.5 billion. This bill will add to that, with more than $200 million in additional savings each year.

In Bonner, the difference is already being felt. Locals have saved over $10.5 million across 1.6 million scripts—a clear sign that our policies are working. With this bill, we're going even further, rolling PBS prices back to 2004 levels. This will benefit more than 5.1 million Australians. I know it will mean the world to that mum in Lota and to thousands of other families across my community, from Mount Gravatt to Manly and from Wishart to Wynnum. For her, this isn't politics. It's peace of mind.

The Albanese Labor government is also delivering for women and girls across Australia with bold, long-overdue reforms in women's health. Our $790 million women's health package is about bringing more choice, lower costs and delivering better care. We've listed new contraceptive pills on the PBS for the first time in over 30 years; boosted access to long-acting contraceptives, like IUDs and implants; introduced a new Medicare rebate, starting 1 July next year, for women experiencing menopause and perimenopause; listed three new menopausal hormone therapies after more than 20 years without any additions; invested $127 million in endometriosis and pelvic pain support, with 22 new clinics already operating right across our country; and launched national pharmacy trials to improve access to contraceptives and treatments for uncomplicated UTIs, backed in by $100 million in funding.

These reforms are designed by listening and acting on what women have been asking for for decades. This week, I had the privilege of meeting with Renee, Kate and Jess, long-time women's health advocates from Queensland, representing the Pelvic Pain Foundation of Australia, QENDO and the Australian Coalition for Endometriosis. We discussed the findings of the endometriosis roundtable report and the ongoing barriers facing women with endo and pelvic pain, conditions that affect one in seven Australian women. They're fierce advocates, and I want to thank them publicly for their work. Their voices are shaping policy that truly matters. Their advocacy has helped bring new PBS listings like Slinda, a contraceptive pill now listed for the very first time in our country. Over 100,000 women are expected to benefit from the reduction in contraceptive costs each year—women who, otherwise, could be paying over $250 annually for their contraception.

Closer to home, I want to mention a major local health commitment we made during the election campaign: the brand-new Medicare urgent care clinic in Carindale that Labor is delivering. The tender process is now open, and, when the clinic opens, it will offer bulk-billed, extended-hours care for people who need help urgently, but don't need to spend hours waiting in a hospital emergency department. For families in Bonner, this clinic will mean faster care, lower costs and less stress. Already more than 360,000 Queenslanders have visited a Medicare urgent care clinic. Every week, more than 5,600 Queenslanders are receiving care from one of the 16 clinics across the state, and I can't wait to open our very first Medicare urgent care clinic in Bonner. This is what strengthening Medicare looks like on the ground and in people's lives.

The Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme is one of our proudest national achievements. It's how we ensure every Australian can access the medicines they need without being priced out of care. The cheaper medicines bill strengthens the PBS, reducing the cost of medications to just $25, making our system fairer, more sustainable and better equipped to meet today's challenges, including the cost of living. But, above all, it makes life a little easier for millions of Australians—for the pensioner in Tingalpa, the single parent in Mount Gravatt East and the working family in Lota. It delivers for the people I represent, and I'm so proud to stand here as the federal member for Bonner and support it.

This is how we strengthen Medicare, this is how we deliver real cost-of-living relief and this is how we build a fairer, healthier Australia, one reform at a time. I commend this bill to the House.

See this speech in context