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

Growing up there were two quintessential Australian things that my parents treasured most: their Australian citizenship—they framed those certificates, such was the value they saw in them; it meant that they were welcomed in this country and that they belonged here—and their Medicare card. The little green card meant they could see a doctor, go to the hospital and get the help they needed, regardless of their income. Medicare was a big Labor reform that has benefited generations of Australians, cementing universal health care as a feature of modern Australia.

It's hard to imagine an Australia without Medicare. And yet, for nine years, those opposite tried their hardest to make that a reality as they eroded our universal healthcare system. Whether it was through a GP tax, by ripping $50 billion out of our public hospitals, or by freezing the GP rebate, they tried to strip away Medicare. I'm proud to be part of the Albanese Labor government that is now strengthening and boosting Medicare after a decade of neglect. We're providing the largest investment in bulk-billing in the history of Medicare by tripling the GP incentive for kids and concession card holders. Only Labor can be trusted to strengthen Medicare for all Australians.