Brendan O'Connor (Gorton, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Industrial Relations) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My electorate of Gorton does not have a Medicare office. It did have a Medicare office in Deer Park but that was closed down by the Howard government. In February this year I wrote to the minister requesting he consider locating a Medicare office in Gorton. On 22 May the minister wrote in response to my letter that he did not believe there was a need for a Medicare office and explained there was new software that would provide access to a rebate if constituents in my electorate had expended moneys that went beyond the normal costs that would be covered by bulk-billing.

In the consideration in detail stage of the budget bills this week, I inquired of the Minister for Families, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs, who was representing Senator Ellison, why there was no need for a Medicare office in my electorate. He indicated and stressed that, because of this software, there would be no need at all for a Medicare office in my electorate. I have two ministers now on the record indicating there is no need for a Medicare office in Gorton. Indeed, he suggested that the software now would make Medicare offices obsolete.

I then asked: if that is the case, is it the government’s intention to close every Medicare office in Australia? If because of the software there is no additional benefit in having a Medicare office, wouldn’t it be a waste of taxpayers’ money to have Medicare offices across Australia? First of all, he indicated to me that he was not aware of any intention to close any Medicare offices and then he was advised by the army of staff sitting behind him that the government was not looking to close down any offices. So I have to conclude from the comments made by the minister that either he believes that taxpayers’ money is being wasted on Medicare offices or he believes that there is a use for Medicare offices, except for in Gorton.

I consider the government’s response to my request for a Medicare office in the fastest-growing area in Melbourne to be contemptuous. This government has to consider looking at the marginalised—not just the marginals—people who are in need. A large number of residents in my electorate have lower levels of income and lower levels of assets, and they find it very difficult not to be able to receive their rebate instantly after outlaying money on medical costs. I accept the view—and I have said this to the ministers—that the software should assist. But the minister did indicate to me that all doctors’ surgeries would have this facility, the Easyclaim facility. That is not true. There are only two participating doctors or pharmacies in my electorate that are looking to use this system. There is still some mistrust about the system and whether in fact people will want to use EFTPOS or credit cards to have payments rebated to them. So I have to conclude, based on the government’s answers to my request, that there is no real concern for the constituents of Gorton or that the offices across the country are unnecessary. I do not believe it is the latter. I do not consider that constituents want to see closures of Medicare offices.

The fact is that I have the fastest-growing electorate in Victoria. There are two transport spines in my electorate. One is the Calder that goes all the way through McEwen to Bendigo, as the member for Bendigo knows. There is an enormous amount of growth in that particular area; there is exponential growth in those communities. There is rapid growth along the Ballarat Highway towards the seat of Lalor and towards Ballarat, and there is a greater need for Commonwealth services. In fact, I know that my electorate is the fastest-growing area.

The state of Victoria has more than 60 Medicare offices; we have 39 seats. You would think that there was a chance for the fastest-growing area of Victoria to be in receipt of the next Medicare office. Indeed, the departmental staff did indicate that to me earlier this year. I would hope the government reconsiders its position, realises that Gorton constituents are as important as anybody else and provides the Commonwealth services that they need so they can have their Medicare costs rebated as quickly as possible.