Jo Briskey (Maribyrnong, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Only weeks ago and with almost no notice, community health provider cohealth announced it would close its general practice services, including in Kensington in my community. This decision came with no consultation, with little transparency and with little regard for the impact on patients, staff and the broader community. From that moment, my office, alongside residents, acted quickly and with purpose. My simple focus was unwavering: standing up for the Kensington community and ensuring no-one was left without the health care that they depend on.

When cohealth first announced the closures, residents were understandably shocked and distressed. This is a service the community helped build. It is a service they are fiercely protective of, and they made it clear that they would fight for it. I brought their concern straight here to Canberra and I made it clear that our community deserved better than a shutdown, and we won. This didn't happen by accident. It happened because the community refused to be silent. Residents organised, healthcare workers and unions stood up, and together we were a voice that could not be ignored by cohealth.

As a result of that advocacy, the Albanese Labor government has stepped in with funding to keep the GP services operating until next year. We've also secured an independent review—something that I pushed for from day one—to deliver transparency, accountability and, importantly, the long-term delivery of GP services for this area. The work is not done, but I'll keep standing up with locals, holding cohealth to account and pushing to secure sustainable primary health care in Kensington.