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

It's an honour to stand here today and speak about the incredible community that I represent in the electorate of Bullwinkel. As many of you know, my journey to this place began as a nurse and a midwife. Those decades on the front lines of our healthcare system shaped my view of the world, one rooted in pragmatism, compassion and a simple belief that everyone deserves access to quality care when they need it most.

This past month, I've been out and about in my electorate talking to nurses and healthcare workers on the front line. I had the pleasure of touring with WA state health minister, Meredith Hammat, in our region. We visited Northam Regional Hospital, which is in the western Wheatbelt, and Kalamunda Hospital, which is a specialist palliative care hospital in the Perth hills. For me, these visits are more than just formalities; they're an opportunity to listen to my former colleagues—the nurses, the doctors and the support staff—who are the backbone of our healthcare community. We spent some time discussing the unique pressures facing our hospitals, our workforces and the needs of our ageing population in the hills and beyond. Hearing their firsthand accounts is vital for the work that we do here in Canberra. Knowing their challenges ensures that our federal health policy translates into real-world relief for those on the ground.

I'm also incredibly proud to update the House on a project very close to my heart. I recently visited the site of the future Mundaring Medicare urgent care clinic, and I can confirm it will be fully operational by the end of this month. For the people of Bullwinkel this is a massive win. We know that too often families end up in the emergency department at Northam or Midland hospitals for things like minor fractures, infections and stitches when they could attend an urgent care clinic. Families will now have a dedicated place to go for urgent care, free of hip-pocket pressures, under Medicare. This doesn't just help the patients; it takes the pressure off busy emergency departments and also busy general practitioners.

Our community is defined by more than its services; it's defined by our people. On 26 January we celebrated Australia Day honours, and Bullwinkel was exceptionally well represented. I want to make special mention of someone who is not only a constituent and recipient of an award, but someone I'm lucky enough to call a neighbour as she lives just up the road, Professor Shirley Jansen AM. Shirley was awarded a Member of the Order of Australia for her monumental service to vascular surgery. As a clinician and researcher, she is doing truly groundbreaking work. She currently leads research into the world-first pharmaceutical therapeutic trials aimed at treating atherosclerosis by infusions. Effectively, she's looking for a way to clear the plaque from the artery walls—potentially a cure for peripheral artery disease. Her work at Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research and Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital is a testament to the world-class innovation that is happening right here in our own Australian backyard. Shirley, congratulations on this well-deserved honour. Your dedication to saving lives and preventing disability through your medical research and practice is an inspiration to us all.

I would also like to formally congratulate Major Don Cruden OAM, for his services to our veterans; the Hon. Raymond Halligan OAM, for his service to parliament and the people; Mrs Kathleen Lovelock OAM, for her leadership in the beef cattle industry; and Mr Barry Nicholls OAM, for his tireless work in community sport. I also want to acknowledge meritorious award winners Daryl Clohessy AFSM, Senior Constable Emma Wright APM and Mark Geary ESM. They represent the very best of our emergency and police services.

From the consultation rooms in our hospitals to the high-tech labs of our researchers, Bullwinkel is a community that cares and is leading the way. I'm proud to be its voice in this place, and I look forward to seeing our new Medicare urgent care clinic open its doors to help our residents very soon.

House adjourned at 20:00

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