Marion Scrymgour (Lingiari, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Regional Development, Local Government and Territories. What is the Albanese Labor government doing to deliver for regional Australians, and why is unity so important to delivering for our regions?

Kristy McBain (Eden-Monaro, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Regional Development, Local Government and Territories) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Lingiari for her question. If we want to see what delivery in regional and remote Australia looks like, we need look no further than the member for Lingiari. She does such an amazing job representing her communities, and our thoughts are with communities that may be impacted by the Daly River flood, which is coming soon.

I'm proud to be part of a government that's delivering for our regions. We're investing billions of dollars in remote, rural and regional Australia whilst those opposite are investing in self-interest. Just yesterday I joined colleagues to announce the Regional and Remote Airport Support Program, providing financial relief to regional councils who were impacted when Rex Airlines went into voluntary administration—and while those opposite were exercising voluntary self-destruction.

We are delivering in programs across all portfolios to help regional Australians with health, with housing and with education, from home batteries to cheaper child care to more home-care packages. We're delivering $10,000 payments to assist housing apprentices with cost-of-living pressures while ensuring Australia gets the workforce it needs to build more homes across our country. We've waived HECS debts for doctors and nurse practitioners working in our regional communities, to attract them outside of our big cities, while those opposite have waved goodbye to one another. We're delivering cheaper medicines from 1 January this year. Our plan is to make the biggest cut to the cost of medicines on the PBS—

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

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

The minister will pause. There's far too much noise. Because he was on a warning and because he's continually ignoring the respect out of the House, the member for Cowper will leave the chamber under 94(a). No matter what time of the day you're warned, it carries over. I know he's a good sport.

The member for Cowper then left the chamber .

Kristy McBain (Eden-Monaro, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Regional Development, Local Government and Territories) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

As I said, PBS medicines are now $25 or less thanks to our investment in Medicare, saving Australians over $200 million a year. The last time they were that price was in 2004. Silverchair were still together as a band—and so were the coalition! Our Medicare urgent care clinics have been a game changer for health care in our regions. There are now 122 urgent care clinics that have opened across the country, and 39 of those have been in regional, rural and remote areas. Last weekend, the latest Medicare urgent care clinic opened in Bega, in Eden-Monaro. No appointment is needed. Patients can walk in. It's all bulk-billed. Chloe from Tura Beach said: 'Excellent doctor with detailed care. Not a long wait. So easy and a relief to receive treatment promptly on the weekend without a visit to the emergency department.' Isn't that a good news story?

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

They hate it.

Kristy McBain (Eden-Monaro, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Regional Development, Local Government and Territories) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I know! They hate it. But it's good work for all of us; we believe in Medicare on this side of the House. We believe in Medicare not only for the cities but for all the regional areas too.

The other thing we did was increase Roads to Recovery funding to $1 billion a year, and 85 per cent of that is going to regional councils. On this side of the House, 24 members represent regional areas. (Time expired)