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

My question is to the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister has said, on at least 71 occasions, that it is free to see a GP and all you need is your Medicare card, not your credit card. But the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare has contradicted the Prime Minister with data showing Australians paid more than $166 million in out-of-pocket costs to see a GP in the month of May alone. Why does the Prime Minister say things he knows are untrue?

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

I thank the member for her question. We're strengthening Medicare. We are cementing quality, bulk-billed health care at its heart. It's something we are absolutely committed to and something that I announced in the electorate of Bass with the $8½ billion commitment that, before I had finished speaking, the coalition then backed in. They backed in that position.

Back in 2023, in the budget, we tripled the bulk-billing incentive for pensioners and concession card holders. When those 11 million Australians go to the GP, they're bulk-billed 90 per cent of the time. It is our plan for Medicare in action, and it is working. That is why we took that principle and then made a decision to extend it to all 26 million Australians for the very first time, lifting bulk-billing rates for every patient to 90 per cent by 2030.

This is an important part of the reform agenda, where Labor not only created Medicare but will always work to strengthen it. I know it annoys those opposite to see this little bit of green and gold. Green and gold are the same colours that our athletes proudly wear. Why do they wear the green and gold? It's because it's a source of Australian pride. Just as we take pride in Australian athletes—I see Emma McKeon up there and Jess Fox; I see some great athletes of the past, the present and, indeed, the future—we take enormous pride in the fact that, unlike some countries, where people can't get health care because they don't have the money to pay for it, here in Australia, we have a different system.

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

Order! I want to hear the Leader of the Opposition on her point of order.

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

With your indulgence, it's clear with the noise in the gallery, the Prime Minister didn't actually hear my question. May I repeat it?

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

No. Order! I heard the question. If I heard the question, the Prime Minister would have heard the question. It was easy. Resume your seat. If you wish to take a point of order on relevance, you can do so.

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

A point of order on relevance: I highlighted the more than $166 million in out-of-pocket costs to see a GP and asked the Prime Minister why it is that he does not tell the truth. You do need your credit card as well as your Medicare card.

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

Resume your seat. I remind the Leader of the Opposition not to add additional remarks during her point. The Prime Minister has the call.

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

That is exactly why we are doing this—so that we allow more people to see a GP for free. But there's a big distinction between the two sides of the parliament. We, on this side, think that people value Medicare because of what it says about our country—that we look after people. The other side say things like this:

The price signal is about somebody paying a bit extra when they go to the doctor and not receiving a bulk-billed consultation … That's what we mean by the price signal, and I think that's vital.

Who said that? It was the health minister at the time—the health minister who followed Peter Dutton, who tried to abolish bulk billing altogether. (Time expired)