Sussan Ley (Farrer, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Women) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to appeal directly to those opposite, those government members covertly mentioned in today's edition of The Australian, for their non-role in Labor's 60-day scripts change from September. I'll quote from the article on page 7:

Labor MPs are being told not to voice concerns over the government's move to double drug dispensing in community phar-macies …

A key Labor insider … called and texted the offices of government MPs strongly advising them not to comment …

Some of you appear to have gone a step further, refusing to even meet with your local pharmacists. Pharmacists from across Australia are in the House this week, but apparently you are too busy to meet with them.

Sharon Claydon (Newcastle, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Direct your comments here. You are referring to me when you say the word 'you'.

Sussan Ley (Farrer, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Women) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Deputy Speaker. Possible store closures, opening hours cut back, staff laid off work—in many cases these are part-time mums—and lost dispensing fees, jacking up the price for other patients, including in aged care. Can I cast everyone's mind back to question time yesterday? When this government's Prime Minister dismissively responded to a question about whether pharmacists would be worse off, he said every government member will meet with them because every member here knows how important the role of community pharmacists is. The Prime Minister and the health minister have announced a major health policy without proper consultation on the impact that it will have on community pharmacies, and I can promise you—

Sharon Claydon (Newcastle, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Macquarie.