Sally Sitou (Reid, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Health and Aged Care. How is the Albanese Labor government continuing to build on Medicare and the PBS? How has the government's approach been consistent with the public debate about the development of Medicare and the PBS since their inception?

Mark Butler (Hindmarsh, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Health and Aged Care) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Reid for her question. She is an outstanding part of this extraordinary generation of new talent who were elected to the Labor caucus at last year's election.

One of the constant themes of postwar politics and one of the enduring differences between our side of politics and that side of politics is the question of universal health coverage—the ability to obtain an essential medicine or to see a doctor, no matter your means and no matter your circumstances in life. Back when Ben Chifley initiated the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme in the 1940s, the Liberal Party said no. Back when Gough Whitlam initiated the Medibank system in the 1970s, the Liberal Party said no. They then abolished it. When Bob Hawke initiated Medicare in the 1980s, you guessed it, the Liberal Party said no—time and time again. The godfather of the modern Liberal Party, John Howard, described Medicare as 'a total disaster', as a 'nightmare' and as 'one of the great failures of the Hawke government'. He actually described bulk billing as an 'absolute rort'. While they finally raised the white flag on Medicare in the nineties, they have always viewed it as a basic safety net rather than a system of universal coverage. Echoing John Howard's description of bulk billing as an 'absolute rort', the Leader of the Opposition when he was health minister said there were too many free Medicare services.

This side could not be more different. Labor's commitment to Medicare and to the PBS has never wavered. It's always been unshakable. You see it in Tuesday night's budget delivered by the Treasurer: a $6 billion investment in strengthening Medicare and the next chapter in our commitment to cheaper medicines for six million Australians living with chronic disease. After six years of a Medicare rebate freeze initiated by the Leader of the Opposition, you see it in the biggest increase to the Medicare rebate in 30 years, since Prime Minister Paul Keating was still in office. After all of the declines we've seen in bulk billing, you see it in the centrepiece of the budget: a $3.5 billion investment in tripling the bulk-billing incentive. This is a game changer for mums and dads and a game changer for pensioners and concession card holders who rely on bulk billed doctor's services. That's the difference between them and us. John Howard described bulk billing as an 'absolute rort'. The Leader of the Opposition said there were too many free Medicare services. For Labor, bulk billing is the beating heart of Medicare, and that's why it was the centrepiece of Tuesday night's budget.

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, we tried to help the member for Banks. We really did. We hung in there. If he were next, we wouldn't have done this! I ask that further questions be placed on the Notice Paper.