Sam Rae (Hawke, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Albanese government was elected on the promise of strengthening Medicare, and that is exactly what we're doing. But the effects of the Liberals' GP crisis are still being felt in our community in Hawke. When the former government froze the rebate for six years and ripped billions of dollars out of primary care, it's no surprise that they left our health system in such a disastrous state. But, just as every Labor government does, we're cleaning up the mess left behind by the Liberals opposite. I've been in contact with many locals whose stories are all too familiar, like Ed in Melton, whose regular doctor retired recently, and the practice was unable to transfer him to another doctor. Not only that but they're no longer offering bulk-billing, so, for those who can stay with the practice, every consultation now comes with a private fee. For Brad in Sunbury, his GP clinic is struggling with staffing and has transitioned to mixed billing, making it harder for people to access necessary care. With new suburbs popping up all around the area, Brad's concerns are timely, and I look forward to working with him and the other GP practices locally, as well as the community, to fix these problems. These aren't unique stories, but it shouldn't be this way. This is exactly why the Albanese government is strengthening Medicare through a $750 million investment in primary care, $220 million for our Strengthening Medicare GP grants, and our Strengthening Medicare Taskforce, which has worked tirelessly to look at the best ways to boost affordability and access to primary care. We're doing the work to fix the crisis left by those opposite and strengthen Medicare for generations to come.