Sussan Ley (Farrer, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. How many Australians today are using their credit card to see a GP?

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

The answer to that, because of those opposite and their undermining of the health system, is too many. Too many is the answer, which is why we want 90 per cent by 2030 to just use this little card here, this piece of green and gold plastic.

Alex Hawke (Mitchell, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Industry and Innovation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

A point of order on the use of props. You've been very strict on this side of the House. He's missing one of his props. He didn't bring up the credit card, as well.

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Lindsay used a similar tactic yesterday. I'm sure the Prime Minister will look after that card carefully and will continue with his answer.

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

I will because it's valuable. It's valuable, and everyone on this side of the House values their Medicare card. I'll tell you what: every Australian values their Medicare card as well—except perhaps some of those over there. Now, you can imagine the tactics committee meeting this morning sitting around and going, 'I know where they're vulnerable: Medicare. We think there's a bit of doubt out there in the community about their attitude towards public health care, because they never want to talk about it. They never raise it. I mean, has the Prime Minister got a Medicare card?' So that's why I brought it in—to confirm that that's the case!

I'll tell you what: for the 1½ million Australians who've been to the not 50 but 87 urgent care clinics, all they have needed is their Medicare card, and one-third of those have been under the age of 15.

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Leader of the Opposition on a point of order?

Sussan Ley (Farrer, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On relevance: it was a very tight question. How many Australians today are using their credit card to see a doctor? Perhaps the Prime Minister would undertake to come back with those figures if he doesn't have them, but he does need to acknowledge the—

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order. Resume your seat. Yes, it was a tight question, and I believe the Prime Minister answered it directly the way he gave an answer to it. Perhaps, if he wants to give further information regarding numbers or information, it may assist the Leader of the Opposition, but he just needs to be directly relevant to the Western, which he is very much doing.

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

I am giving some numbers here to assist the opposition: 1.5 million is the number of Australians that have been to Medicare urgent care clinics. Ninety-four: that's the number that support Medicare urgent care clinics. Twenty-seven million: that is the number of Australians who support Medicare. All of us here support bulk-billing. The truth is that, at the election campaign, like at other times, we have campaigned to strengthen Medicare. That is what we have done since we came into office in 2022.

Those opposite, when they came into office the last time government changed—and we have no doubt that the same thing would have occurred again as well—had an attempt to introduce the Medicare copayment and abolish bulk-billing altogether. We had $50 billion ripped out of the public hospital system. We had a failure to train enough GPs. We had a complete failure when it comes to aged care, summed up by that one word: neglect. We on this side of the chamber are very proud that Labor created Medicare. We'll strengthen Medicare. That's what we do each and every day. In the legislation that we have, of course, been talking about this week for cheaper medicines, that's a part of our strengthening Medicare. (Time expired)