Mark Butler (Hindmarsh, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the House) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Richmond. For more than 20 years in this place, she has been one of the strongest voices for better health care for regional Australia. We're soon going to be able to announce together the location of the new Medicare urgent care clinic in the Tweed valley, which I know she is looking forward to enormously.

Like everyone else on this side of the House, at least, she's also looking forward to this Saturday, because 1 November is going to be a red-letter day for health care in this country. On 1 November we're listing the fourth contraception on the PBS in just 12 months. After 30 years of not a single addition, this is four in just 12 months. On 1 November, as the Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government said, new Medicare rebates are going to save around 300,000 women $400 to access contraceptive IUDs and implants. On 1 November, as the member said, the largest investment in bulk-billing in the history of Medicare kicks off. It's an investment that's good for doctors and it's an investment that's obviously, and most importantly, good for patients.

The reason the member for Richmond is such a strong supporter of this investment is it's particularly good for regional Australia.

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