Stuart Robert (Fadden, Liberal Party, Shadow Assistant Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Labor government's decision to cut additional Medicare-subsidised psychology sessions is callous and insensible to the pain Australians are currently experiencing. Mental health support could not be more critical during a cost-of-living crisis, with energy bills skyrocketing and many families struggling with basic necessities. This decision by those opposite is a blatant cut to Medicare—let's be very clear about it—showing a complete disregard for the importance of accessible mental health support for Australians, particularly as communities continue to face difficult times. Instead of proactively working to continue to improve mental health support, particularly for Australians with complex needs, the Labor government has completely cut support for everyone.

The government are ignoring the needs of the community, the expert advice from healthcare professionals and of course the independent evaluation they commissioned. The independent evaluation of the Better Access initiative has recommended that the additional 10 sessions should continue to made available and should be targeted towards those with complex mental health needs—statement of the bleeding obvious.

The Labor government has got to stop the irresponsible attack on the mental health services that Australians rely on, and has to explain why it has gone against recommendation 12 of the review and the needs of vulnerable Australians by cutting this support. Unfortunately, for students of history and for those who have been in this place longer than five minutes, this is a tragic repeat of history, as the current health minister cut the same program in 2011; you wouldn't read about it! It is another example of this Labor government making it up as they go along, and, when that fails, reverting back to failed notebooks from decades ago. As mental health minister in the Gillard government in 2011, Minister Butler cut the same program from 18 annual sessions to 10—extraordinary!

Labor's history in the health portfolio is not pretty. When last in government, they couldn't list all the medicines recommended for the PBS, let alone make them cheaper. Labor stopped listing medicines on the PBS in 2011. They cut funding for mental health services and for the private health insurance rebate, all because they couldn't manage the economy back then.

The Prime Minister and the health minister have demonstrated that the Labor government is once again prioritising pet projects against the mental health of Australians. They are cherrypicking from the report they commissioned and pointing to accessibility issues. You would think the solution to access would be to invest in the program and to increase the workforce. Instead, those opposite have decided to slash accessibility, tighten the entitlement and force those suffering from mental health to rush in their treatments—postponing lifesaving therapy because the Albanese government can't manage the economy. It's not new but it's still appalling.