Claire Clutterham (Sturt, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

Strengthening Medicare was a key focus of the Albanese Labor government's election platform. We committed to making significant investments to make it easier to see a GP, to reduce the costs of medicines, to promote and give women's health the urgency and attention it deserves, to open more urgent care clinics and Medicare mental health centres, and to train more doctors and more nurses and to take steps to encourage those doctors and nurses from the bush to stay in their communities.

As a former volunteer director on the board of the Royal Flying Doctor Service, I'm particularly proud of the announcement on 6 February this year that the Albanese government will invest more than $1 billion to train more doctors in more communities. This is an historical five-year grant agreement that will facilitate the continued growth of Australia's GP and rural generalist workforce in the years to come. The record 2,100 doctors who will commence GP training in 2026 includes rural generalist trainees who are vital to serving the needs of rural and remote communities across our vast landscape.

The healthcare services provided by rural generalists are vital. A rural generalist is the first port of call for an incredible range of issues—the link between home and other required healthcare services, regional communities rely on their rural generalist doctors both for their health and as leaders in their communities, where they are part of the foundation that makes a sustainable, thriving community.

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