Luke Gosling (Solomon, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I want to talk about the health services and facilities available to Territorians. In the Northern Territory, we're going to have more doctors like my good friend here the member for Macarthur when we put an extra 40 a year through Charles Darwin University. This is all part of the Albanese Labor government's strengthening of Medicare—more doctors, more urgent care clinics and cheaper medicines. And, all the while, this is helping Territorians with the cost of living.

Now, the Medicare urgent care clinics provide bulk-billed care for urgent but non-life-threatening conditions, seven days a week, with extended hours and no appointment needed. Medicare Urgent Care Clinics are taking the pressure off hospitals like the Royal Darwin and Palmerston Regional, so that they can focus on their job for Territorians with life-threatening injuries. The urgent care clinic in Palmerston opened in 2023 has seen 26,000 presentations and is one of the best in the country. We've announced an urgent care clinic for Darwin as well, and the EOI process will open this month.

Our government, the Labor Albanese government, is making the largest investment in Medicare since its creation over 40 years ago, expanding the bulk-billing incentive and making sure we've got more GPs on the job.

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