Rob Mitchell (McEwen, Australian Labor Party) | Link to this | Hansard source

It's a great pleasure to stand here today and talk about the new Turkish delight that is about to land in Melbourne. Turkish Airlines have decided to call Melbourne their home in Australia. From March this year, there will be flights leaving Melbourne three times a week to Istanbul. In Melbourne we have Australia's largest Turkish community, so this new expansion will allow easier access to visiting family and friends and provide greater connection to their homeland. It also means that we will have more opportunities for Australians to take on different adventures. For those who want to explore Turkiye, especially Istanbul, the city of two continents, this UNESCO World Heritage location is the perfect place to stop and shop.

Conversely, Turkiye will have greater access to Australia's best capital city and capital of food, sport, wine and culture. It's expected to bring thousands of new visitors to our beautiful state of Victoria, contribute more than $132 million annually to the state's economy and create an estimated 840 jobs in our aviation and tourism sector. This connectivity is so important for our future as a nation.

Turkish Airlines flights will increase Victoria's access to key European, Middle Eastern, Balkan and African markets through this new connection. You may not know, but the Turkiye, Middle East and Africa region is one of Victoria's major trading partners, with a two-way merchandise trade valued at almost $5.5 billion in 2022-23. Daily flights by Turkish airlines, which is what they hope to grow to, would add some 3,650 tonnes of airfreight capacity annually. This didn't happen quite easily. I have to acknowledge the Deputy Premier of Victoria, Ben Carroll, who is the minister; Minister Suleyman; and all of the Victorian government, which worked hard as we met with the Turkish Airlines CEO and all the people involved in that to make this happen. It's because Victoria's got a strong connection with Turkiye that this happened, and we should acknowledge that this is one of the wonderful things that are happening under the Allan government.

I'd also like to briefly talk about a very important birthday we celebrated at the start of February: 40 years of Medicare. I am proud to be part of a party that has stood and fought hard to make sure Australians have access to a free and universal healthcare system—a system that is the envy of the world. I'd like to say thank you to the team at Nexus GP Superclinic Wallan for allowing me to come celebrate with them. It was great being at the Wallan superclinic because this was one of the superclinics that were built under the Gillard government. Of course, when the Abbott government took over, the then health minister and now opposition leader refused to open the superclinic. That way, he could walk around and say the Gillard government never delivered their commitment on superclinics. It's childish sooking, but that's what you expect with him. At the end of the day, this was a Labor project that delivered for our community. It's been servicing everyone ever since, and Labor will always stand by Medicare and universal health care.