Richard Marles (Corio, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Defence) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the member for his question and acknowledge his expertise in asking this question. In just under 34 hours, the Albanese Labor Government's Bulk Billing Practice Incentive Program will begin. Over the next four years, we will see around 4,800 GP clinics converted to fully fledged bulk-billing practices. Now, in the member for Canning's electorate, there are already three practices which have indicated that they want to participate in the program, and in the Leader of the Opposition's electorate of Farrer, there are 13 practices which have expressed an interest, and that's before the program has even begun. That is good news for both of them, not least of the reasons being it means that the next time these two meet they will have a nice, easy, comfortable icebreaker in their conversation before they get on to more difficult topics.

This represents the biggest increase in Medicare spending since Medicare was created. We will restore to Medicare every dollar that the Liberals cut. The Liberals froze the Medicare rebate for six years, putting bulk-billing into freefall. We know that they wanted to abolish bulk-billing through the introduction of a GP tax. When the Leader of the Opposition was the minister for health she said that the price signal of that tax was vital. She's told us that people don't value things unless they pay for them. She's warned us against a culture of dependency. All of this says that deep in her heart the Leader of the Opposition believes that Australians should not be able to go to the doctor for free, and that is why the Liberals represent a serious risk to Medicare.

Well, this government is about providing accessible health care. That's why on 1 January, in just a couple of months, we will also be capping Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme scripts at just $25. That's great for people who use Jardiance. Jardiance is a drug that manages chronic kidney disease, and it helps stop the progression of the disease to more invasive, debilitating and for that matter expensive treatments, such as dialysis. Jardiance retails for hundreds of dollars, but in just a couple of months those who are using it will pay just $25 a script. That is literally life changing, as it is for the millions of Australians who are dependent on access to affordable medicines.

There is a big difference in this chamber on health care. Whatever is going on over on that side, a core mission of our government is to provide accessible and affordable health care to every Australian.

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