Zhi Soon (Banks, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise today to support the National Health Amendment (Cheaper Medicines) Bill 2025. This government has introduced and passed legislation to deliver on many of its election commitments already. The legislation to deliver our promised 20 per cent cut to student debt has passed this parliament, and our legislation to protect penalty rates for thousands of low-income earners is well on the way. The legislation before the House today delivers on another of our election commitments—that we would make cheaper medicines even cheaper for Australians.

My community values their health and that of their families, and that was abundantly clear during the election campaign. My constituents want a healthcare system that is there when they need it and that doesn't break the bank. It is why the government's agenda of cheaper medicines, expanded access to bulk-billing and more fully bulk-billed urgent care clinics was one I was proud to present to the voters in Banks. I gave my commitment to the people of Banks that I would deliver cheaper medicines, and I am so pleased to have the opportunity to speak on this important legislation that delivers just that.

The Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme is one of many great Labor initiatives. While fiercely debated at the time of its introduction, it has become a foundational part of our healthcare system. It is our responsibility to ensure that the PBS remains a strong, reliable and accessible program for all Australians. This bill before the House will reduce the PBS general co-payment from $31.60 to just $25 from 1 January next year—delivering on the promise of accessible medications at the heart of the PBS.

In 2004, I had just finished high school and was an 18-year-old student studying at university. It feels like a long time ago now, but it was also the last time PBS medications were this cheap. Importantly, this legislation maintains the co-payment freeze for pensioners and concession card holders at $7.70. This is an incredibly important element of the PBS for the most vulnerable Australians, including seniors, and is something that I'm so pleased to see continuing into the future. It is so important that, when we look to programs like Medicare and the PBS, we ensure that those who have the greatest need for the life-changing, life-saving programs get access to the care they need—and this freeze does just that. Additionally, this legislation includes specific provisions to protect the availability of discounting by individual pharmacies. To be clear, all medications that can be discounted today will continue to be able to be discounted after the passage of this bill and when the co-payment is reduced to just $25.

Indeed, this is not the first time that the Labor government has invested in the PBS to deliver affordable medications for Australian patients. This legislation builds on the previous cut in prices delivered in 2023, where this Labor government delivered the largest reduction in the cost of prescriptions in the 80-year history of the scheme, and now goes even further to deliver even cheaper medicines for our communities. These massive cuts in the cost of the PBS medications are a tangible cost-of-living relief for some of the most in need in our Australian community. When combining the provisions of this legislation with the previous reduction in prescription prices, it amounts to a 20 per cent cut in the maximum cost of PBS scripts in the four years since Labor came into government in 2022. In fact, this government's $689 million investment in the PBS will result in 80 per cent of medications available under the scheme being cheaper than they were four years ago and save Australian consumers more than $200 million a year.

This is the sort of change that Labor governments deliver. During the debate on this legislation, we've heard stories from many colleagues about constituents reporting to them that they are skipping scripts and halving doses to try and make their medications go further. This isn't how it should have to be, and we owe it to our community to do all that we can to strengthen the healthcare system through legislation like this to make that a thing of the past. Already, the Labor government's cheaper medicines program has saved patients in my electorate of Banks $7.9 million. That is $7.9 million that my constituents have back in their pocket while still accessing the quality healthcare that they need.

I think, while considering this legislation, it is also important for the House to reflect on the impact that the PBS has on Australians. Siponimod is a medication for the treatment and management of relapsing multiple sclerosis. With the PBS, the cost of this medication is $31.50. Without it, it is $2,220. Everolimus, a medication used to prevent organ transplant rejection, costs $31.50 with the PBS. Without it, the cost is $1,469. Molnupiravir, a medication for the treatment of COVID, among other diseases, costs $31.50 with the PBS. Without it, it is $1,103. Aflibercept, a medication for the treatment of macular degeneration and other eye conditions, again costs $31.50 with the PBS. Without it, it is $934. Lastly, selpercatinib is a medication for the treatment of certain types of lung cancer. With a PBS script, it's $31.50. Without it, the total cost is in the hundreds of thousands of dollars.

During this debate, the House has heard stories from members, including the members for Dickson and Moore, about how important the PBS and Medicare system have been in their own lives. The PBS truly is the lifeblood, almost literally, for so many Australians across our communities.

I mentioned earlier that my community made it clear during the election campaign that they wanted to see government that's delivering a stronger healthcare system and one that is delivering it on an ongoing basis. This government has reduced the number of scripts a concession card holder or pensioner must fill before the PBS safety net kicks in by 25 per cent. We've rolled out 60-day prescriptions and dispensing, which is saving millions of patients across Australia both time and money, and we took decisive action to freeze the co-payment rate for the first time in 25 years.

Investment in the PBS and reducing the cost of medications is a big part of this government's agenda for protecting and strengthening Australia's healthcare system. But it is broader than that as well. On 1 July this year, the Labor government made a $1.8 billion investment in hospitals across the country in partnership with state governments, including $407 million for hospitals in my state of New South Wales, to cut waiting lists and reduce emergency department waiting times so Australian patients can get care on the days they need it most.

While this government is boosting hospital funding, we're also making sure there are more ways for Australians to interact with the healthcare system. I'm sure I don't need to remind anyone in this place that, at the election in 2022, Labor promised to open a network of 50 fully bulk-billed urgent care clinics and delivered 87. Banks, my community, is served by the clinics in Bankstown and Carlton, and they have been a tremendous success, keeping more than 10,000 patients out of our local emergency departments at Bankstown-Lidcombe and St George hospitals or, even worse, from not being able to access care at all. As the government further expands the network of urgent care clinics to more than 130 nationwide, more and more Australians will be able to access these fantastic services.

The government is also investing in women's health to deliver more choice, lower costs and better health care for women across Australia and demonstrate that women's healthcare needs are being taken seriously, including the first PBS listing for new oral contraceptives in more than 30 years, expanding the network of endometriosis clinics to 33, expanding their scope to include menopause care and adding more endometriosis medications to the PBS.

The government is investing in the mental health services available to all Australians, backed by Medicare, including the commitment to 31 new and upgraded Medicare mental health centres that offer free walk-in medical health care to anyone who needs it, and to boost the mental health workforce, with 20 new specialist care centres as well as 58 new, upgraded or expanded headspace services for young people aged between 12 and 25, including one that serves my community in the suburb of Hurstville.

The government understands the noble work of looking after others. This is why we are investing in our healthcare workforce so that those who care for our sick, our injured and our vulnerable are supported and recognised, not just in rhetoric but in their pay packet. We have also introduced programs such as fee-free TAFE and the paid prac payment that supports aspiring nurses and healthcare professionals to get skilled, to get qualified and to get into our healthcare workforce without being financially worse off.

While those opposite don't like to admit it, when we came to government bulk-billing rates were falling, as were the number of GPs able to bulk-bill all their patients as a result of nine years of cuts and neglect. This government did the hard work, made record investments in Medicare in the last term of parliament to restore bulk-billing rates for those in our communities who need it most, and got results. Bulk-billing rates began to climb in every state and territory as a result of millions of additional trips to the GP that wouldn't have been bulk-billed without our tripling of the incentive.

When I spoke to the constituents in my electorate about bulk-billing, they appreciated what the government had achieved in this space, but they also wanted to know what else the government could do to make it easier for them to see a doctor. I was so pleased to be able to present the government's commitment to the largest investment in the history of Medicare to ensure that nine out of 10 visits to the doctor would be bulk-billed by the end of the decade.

In conclusion, I'd like to reiterate my support for this legislation. It delivers on cost-of-living relief and greater access to health care in one package. This legislation is good for our nation's health and good for our country's hip pocket. I commend the legislation and thank this government for supporting the community of Banks by making sure that it isn't a trade-off between health care and the balance in their bank accounts.

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