House debates

Monday, 24 May 2010

Questions without Notice

Health

2:40 pm

Photo of Sharon GriersonSharon Grierson (Newcastle, Australian Labor Party) Share this | | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Health and Ageing. Will the minister update the House on the implementation of the government’s GP superclinics and of the level of community support for this program?

Photo of Nicola RoxonNicola Roxon (Gellibrand, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Health and Ageing) Share this | | Hansard source

I thank the member for Newcastle for that question. I know she has been particularly interested in the way that services are provided in the broader Hunter region. I am delighted to be able to tell her and the rest of the House that the implementation of the $275 million commitment to the GP Super Clinics Program has been going well. In fact, I can report to the House that around 50,000 services have already been provided under this GP Super Clinics Program.

I can see the member for Paterson smiling. Indeed, he should be. I was in Port Stephens last Monday to officially open the superclinic in Nelson Bay. The superclinic in Nelson Bay was a $2.5 million commitment. The GPs who were successful in their application for the superclinic intend to invest about the same amount themselves in expanding health services around the clinic. This clinic is going to have extended hours of operation. For example, it will be the first GP service open in the region on Sundays. It offers a dedicated service on Tuesday and Thursday mornings for residents of local aged-care facilities. It has received a grant to provide after-hours services as well. Four new GPs, two full-time registered nurses and a wide variety of allied health professionals are going to staff this new clinic. They are going to work in multidisciplinary teams to provide integrated patient-centred care.

Of course, this is a fantastic new addition for the community. Unfortunately, the shadow Treasurer and the shadow finance minister have turned their backs on these sorts of investments. Communities, like Port Stephens, who put up their hands for a superclinic in the future following the budget commitments made last week will not get support from the Liberal Party. Of course, they are joining a long line of Liberal members who oppose this. The shadow minister for health did not even turn up to the opening of the Strathpine superclinic in his electorate. He might have been busy looking at investments that had to be made! He did not even bother to be there.

Not every Liberal MP has given the superclinics program the cold shoulder. In fact, many people on the other side have embraced this idea with open arms. I feel it is necessary to bring some photographic evidence of this fact. I think people should be aware and I should declare first in the parliament that in politics you are sometimes required to do things that you never anticipated you would be required to do. I need to show this photograph taken at the opening of the Port Stephens superclinic. There are three people in it. One of them is Labor’s candidate for Paterson, Jim Arneman. He has a big smile on his face. The reason he has a big smile on his face is he was present at the last election when this commitment was made. He is our candidate again and I am sure he, as well as everyone on this side of the House, is delighted that these commitments are being delivered. Not surprisingly, as the health minister I was there at the opening of the superclinic. I did say that not everyone has given the superclinics the cold shoulder. I do need to provide this photo to the House.

Honourable Members:

Honourable members interjecting

Photo of Harry JenkinsHarry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | | Hansard source

Order! I think the minister has got the message across.

Photo of Nicola RoxonNicola Roxon (Gellibrand, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Health and Ageing) Share this | | Hansard source

I did think it was necessary to preface the showing of that photograph with the confession that in politics sometimes you do do things that you never expected you would ever do. There is of course a very serious point to this. There is a reason the member for Paterson was so happy about the superclinic opening in his electorate and there is a reason that communities around the country want these superclinics, and that is that they provide essential services to communities that need them.

You may not trust the photographic evidence. Perhaps the reason the member for Newcastle asked this question is that she was watching NBN TV on the night that the opening occurred. Of course, the member for Paterson was quoted on television as saying, ‘This has my absolute support,’ as indeed it should have. But, unfortunately, 23 additional communities and more than 400 GP practices across the country will not be able to have that benefit because, despite the member for Paterson’s words, the rest of the Liberal Party will not support these investments. The Leader of the Opposition, when the Minister for Health and Ageing, pulled a billion dollars out of our hospital system and he is fast already pulling the next billion out with the commitments that they have made in their budget reply.

So you do certainly get a sense of ‘Here we go again in health’. If you put the Leader of the Opposition anywhere near a health budget, you lose a billion dollars like that. Communities cannot afford this. GP superclinics are good for the community, as the member for Paterson clearly knows. I have taken the liberty of preparing a small gift for him to display in his office of the opening of the superclinic. I hand it over to him now.

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting

Government Members:

Government members interjecting

Photo of Harry JenkinsHarry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | | Hansard source

Order! I find myself in an unexpected situation, but the mirth will come to order as well.