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

Today I rise to speak on the motion from the member for Indi and thank her for bringing this critical issue for rural health to the floor of the House. For my constituents in the rural portion of the seat of Bullwinkel, this isn't a theoretical debate; it is a matter of daily importance. It's about ensuring our families can get a doctor's appointment when they're sick. It's about having the confidence of quality care, knowing that it is available locally without a long drive to the city. It's about supporting our dedicated local clinics and hospital staff, who do such a fantastic job in the rural communities.

As a former rural and remote area nurse myself and a general practice nurse, I know that our rural communities deserve to be able to get the care they need, when they need it and close to home. The Albanese Labor government understands this, and we understand that a strong Medicare supports people. It eases cost-of-living pressures, and it takes pressure off our hardworking hospital staff. That is why we're getting on with the job of strengthening Medicare for all Australians, especially those who live in regional and rural communities. Through the 2025-26 budget, we're investing $7.9 billion to strengthen Medicare. This includes $644 million for more Medicare urgent care clinics and $660 million to build upon our health workforce.

You can't have a strong health system without a strong health workforce. For too long, communities across Bullwinkel have struggled to attract and retain doctors and health professionals when they need it. That's why I'm proud of our government's work in formally recognising rural generalism. It's a new specialty field within general practice, and this is a game changer. We aren't just training more doctors; we're training the right doctors for our communities—doctors with specific advanced skills where they're needed in primary care, in emergency medicine and often in obstetrics and mental health. This year, Australia will see the largest cohort of future GPs in our history. More than 1,800 doctors are commencing training. And, crucially, at least a quarter of these doctors are GPs in training in that new specialty of rural generalism. These are the doctors who will staff our local clinics and hospitals for years to come, and our government is funding their training.

And, of course, finding a doctor is only half the battle—affording one is the other. Our $7.9 billion is designed to make it easier for people in Bullwinkel to see a bulk-billing doctor. For the first time, from 1 November, we're expanding bulk-billing incentives to all Australians and creating an incentive for practices that bulk-bill every single patient. Here is the crucial part for my community: those incentives are higher in the regional and rural areas. This means any Medicare-eligible patient in Bullwinkel bulk-billed for a standard consult will attract a higher Medicare payment for their GP than a patient in the city would. A GP at a rural practice that bulk-bills every visit is expected to earn $24,000 more than a mixed-billing practice that provides the same services. So this is the direct, practical and funded incentive to make bulk-billing more viable for our local clinics. And we're already seeing the results. Since Labor tripled the bulk-billing incentive for our children and concession card holders last November, Australians in regional and remote areas have had nearly 2.5 million additional bulk-billed visits to the GP.

We are delivering a record $1.8 billion for our public hospitals on top of the workforce incentives, and we're committed to finalising the new five-year National Health Reform Agreement to give our hospitals long-term funding certainty. This is in stark contrast to the cuts and neglect of those opposite when they were in government. For the people of Bullwinkel, this means more doctors, lower costs and a stronger public health system, because, in Australia, your health care should be determined by your Medicare card, not your postcode.

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