Rebecca White's recent appearances (OpenAustralia.org)
Early Childhood Education and Care | Constituency Statements | House debates
I rise today to speak about the Albanese Labor government's commitment to early childhood education and, more specifically, what this commitment means for the families and communities in my...
I rise today to speak about the Albanese Labor government's commitment to early childhood education and, more specifically, what this commitment means for the families and communities in my electorate of Lyons. The Albanese Labor government believes that every child deserves access to the benefits of quality learning. The research and evidence are unequivocal: the early years are a vital time in a child's life and form the foundation for their physical, emotional, social, language and cognitive development. When we invest early, we set children up not just for school but for life. That belief is being realised on the ground in communities like Saint Marys, Bothwell and Westbury. Each of these towns will benefit from Labor's investment in new childcare centres. I acknowledge the advocacy of Tanya Greenwood, Kristy Scott, Rebecca Scarr, Janet Drummond, the Break O'Day Council and many more for providing the strong local leadership that helped secure $4 million in federal funding to build a new early learning centre in Saint Marys. This new centre will be co-located with the St Marys District School, supporting transitions and strong collaboration between early learning and kindergarten to year 12. What began 10 years ago as an effort to create more opportunities for local children quickly revealed something deeper—that expanding childcare access would also strengthen local businesses and local services and benefit the wider community. From 2027, a new 24-place early learning service will be built on the St Marys site, providing families with greater access to quality local early education at lower costs, while children are given the best possible start. I also want to turn to the community of Bothwell in the Central Highlands, where determination and grassroots advocacy have delivered an outcome that will make a real difference. Lisa, in Ouse, had to drive 144 kilometres every day to keep her son in temporary care in Brighton. That trip takes two hours each way. Another family in Bothwell described how child care would 'give us financial security and improve our family's mental health—it would allow me to get out of the house and to be a productive member of the community'. Many families have to take their kids to work with them. Recently, a local mum spoke of the challenge of driving a tractor with a toddler and a baby in the cabin with her. In Bothwell, a highly motivated community group led by Susan Dabbs and Joanne Barwick worked tirelessly to highlight the childcare challenges that have been impacting their town for decades. With support from the Central Highlands Council, they launched a community survey and gathered data, and they posted it on social media, community noticeboards and in the school newsletter and illustrated the need. The findings were clear. There was a critical absence of long-day-care and childcare services in the region. As a result of that work, from mid-2027, 20 places will be made available at a new purpose built childcare centre, co-located at the school site at Bothwell. This investment will transform families' lives and provide access to affordable and reliable child care close to home. This is what it's all about, and I'm proud to have been able to work with such strong advocates to deliver these outcomes for our communities.
National Health Amendment (Passive Immunological Products) Bill 2026; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
I move: That this bill be now read a second time. I am pleased to introduce the National Health Amendment (Passive Immunological Products) Bill 2026. This bill expands the definition of vaccine...
I move: That this bill be now read a second time. I am pleased to introduce the National Health Amendment (Passive Immunological Products) Bill 2026. This bill expands the definition of vaccine in the National Health Act 1953 to enable new and emerging therapies to be listed on the National Immunisation Program. The government is committed to ensuring that Australians can access the most clinically effective products through the National Immunisation Program. This includes the provision of new and emerging therapies, such as immunising monoclonal antibodies. One example is Beyfortus, which protects children and babies from respiratory syncytial virus, also known as RSV—much easier to say. In 2025, there were 78,000 cases of RSV in young children. The virus can lead to serious chest infections in babies and also lead to long-term respiratory problems such as asthma that persist into adulthood. The Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee has deferred a positive recommendation for Beyfortus because they are unable to recommend this product for inclusion under the NIP until the definition of a vaccine under the act is amended. Currently, new therapies are unable to be listed on the National Immunisation Program as they do not meet the current vaccine definition. Not listing new and emerging therapies will make it harder for Australians to access the health care that they need. Australians may miss out on innovative immunisation products that are readily available in other countries. Furthermore, not being able to list new and emerging therapies on the National Immunisation Program may lead to a fragmented approach in accessing these products nationwide. The bill will also contribute to the priority goals of the National Immunisation Strategy for Australia 2025-2030 which was released in June last year. Most notably, expanding the definition of vaccine will make a positive contribution to the strategy's priority areas of improving access to immunisation and to harnessing new therapies to respond to the evolving disease and vaccine landscape. A flexible National Immunisation Program that is fit for purpose in a rapidly evolving healthcare environment is important for all Australians. As new and emerging therapies are developed, steps must be taken to ensure that the program remains as effective as possible. The bill demonstrates the government's commitment to protecting Australians against preventable diseases by enabling access to the latest therapies nationwide and providing these products free of charge to eligible people in Australia Debate adjourned.
Economy | Matters of Public Importance | House debates
Our government knows that some people across our country are doing it tough. That's why we're so focused on helping them responsibly, thoughtfully, deliberately. If you look at the statement that...
Our government knows that some people across our country are doing it tough. That's why we're so focused on helping them responsibly, thoughtfully, deliberately. If you look at the statement that was released by the RBA today, it talked about an increase in private demand. It didn't talk about government spending, which is the premise of the motion that we're debating here in this House today. That's a false premise, because what we know is that what our government is doing is helping Australians. Have a look at what our government inherited from the opposition. They left us inflation with a six in front of it and rising. Now it's much lower than that. They left us with higher spending, no savings and bigger deficits. They went to the election with a plan for bigger deficits and more debt and a plan to hike up taxes for every taxpayer to pay for nuclear reactors. And weren't they popular—particularly in my home state of Tasmania, which is renowned for and proud of its renewable energy efforts with hydro? The fact that you were taking a plan like that to the election went down like a lead balloon. We are focused on the cost of living; they are focused on themselves. We're focused on turning two budget deficits around and making them budget surpluses. Wages have come up. Unemployment is down compared to what we inherited, and our government is focused on supporting Australians dealing with the cost-of-living issues that they are facing. And we are serious about that—not just empty statements from the Leader of the Opposition about a plan. What plan? The opposition doesn't have a plan. They haven't even got a plan to reconcile with their former coalition partners. It's false promises from the Leader of the Opposition. I think it's important to put it in context. Look at the decade of the former coalition government and think about that decade as a lost decade, a decade of cuts and neglect. They left the country with structural deficits, wages stagnating, a housing crisis. They did nothing about it. For the Leader of the Opposition to come in here and lecture us about our program to build more homes, to support Australians into homeownership and to support them into affordable and social housing, when they did barely anything at all to support Australians dealing with this, is offensive. Think about the way that they left families struggling to access affordable child care and people struggling to find a bulk-billing GP. How many Medicare urgent care clinics did you build? Zero. The member for Lyne up there is giving the member for Lyons a bad name because she gets ejected and people think it's me! Our government is building Medicare urgent care clinics; their government didn't build a single one. The records of those opposite speak for themselves. The Australian people voted them out for a number of reason. Amongst them was the fact that those opposite didn't have a plan to help tackle the cost of living. In fact, the opposition leader got up just now and said they've got a plan. Where is it? You certainly didn't take it to the election. You didn't present to the Australian people an option for them to vote for you, because you were outlining a range of measures to help to support them to deal with the cost of living, and you haven't done that since. The reality is that those opposite have nothing to offer Australians today. What solutions are they providing? Those opposite can't agree on who should sit where in the chamber. We saw that again today. We're focused on the cost of living and delivering for Australians; those opposite are focused on themselves. I thought it was notable today that, when the opposition leader was giving her remarks, the member for Hume was missing. Where was he? The division in the opposition benches is clear for all to see. Those opposite can't help but have a giggle about it because they know it's true. It's on display for all Australians. How can we take you seriously—how can Australians take you seriously—when you can't take each other seriously? You can't even show up for the speech the opposition leader gives in this chamber on the first day back of the parliamentary year on the official calendar. I think it was interesting, some of the remarks made by the opposition leader. She spoke about a 'pain the Labor Party simply does not understand'. Was she talking about herself—the pain of the coalition split? When she talked about going around in circles, stuck in some kind of holding pattern, was she talking about this malaise the opposition find themselves in as they negotiate behind closed doors to roll her? The government is focused on Australians. Our priority is supporting them to make sure they live a life of dignity and live a productive life. That's why we've been serious about taking deliberate steps to support initiatives that not only reduce the cost-of-living pressures Australian families are feeling but also increase the productivity of our economy. Look at some of the measures that our government has invested in. This is not wasteful spending, and I challenge members opposite to tell me which of these initiatives you don't support. Some of them we know—you don't support tax cuts, for one. We know you don't support tax cuts for hardworking Australians. You've made that plain. You voted against it, and you took a policy to the election to increase taxes. So we know you don't support that. Energy bill relief is another thing you didn't support. In fact, you wanted to spend taxpayer money building nuclear reactors—billions of dollars. That would have put power prices up through the roof for hardworking Australians. What about more free GP visits? This has been a hallmark of our Labor government that understands the value and the importance of Medicare. It's in our DNA. Do you propose to roll back the investments that we've made to fund Medicare urgent care clinics across our country? Is that reckless spending? What about the increase in the bulk-billing rate? We've seen 1,300 more practices convert to be fully bulk-billing across the country since 1 November last year. Is that reckless spending? Is it? Are you going to roll that back? Are you going to introduce the co-payment again? Why don't we go back to the ghosts of Liberals past, like the former member for Dickson, and introduce a co-payment? The opposition leader, when she was the health minister, did nothing about addressing the falling rates of bulk-billing. What did she do about the Medicare rebate? Did she increase it once? Doughnuts. I think the record of the Liberal Party speaks for itself, but maybe it's an interesting question for constituents in their electorates and the Australian public to ask them. Is spending on health care reckless spending? Is increasing the bulk-billing rate for Australians, who can now finally see a doctor for free, reckless spending? Is investment in Medicare urgent care clinics, which are supporting millions of Australians to see a health professional in their time of need, reckless spending? What about cheaper medicines and the $1 billion that Australians have saved on cheaper medicines because of our government's commitment to lower the price of medicines to support Australians to get the health care that they need? Is that reckless spending? These are serious questions for the opposition to confront, and there's no response. What about free TAFE? We know you're not a fan of that. This is a productivity-enhancing measure. This is about equipping Australians with the skills they need to be able to go and pursue their dreams to get a job here in our country and support in areas of economic activity, in child care, in aged care and in teaching. These are investments that are supporting Australians to live a good life. This is not reckless spending. What about the cuts we made to student debt of 20 per cent? Are you going to put that back on? You're going to increase student debt by 20 per cent. This is what Australians need to ask themselves when they hear the Liberal opposition leader talk about reckless spending. The RBA has been clear in its statements today. It's private demand that's been the key reason why they've made a decision as an independent board to lift rates. There is no doubt that this will hurt some Australians who've got a mortgage, and that is why our government has been so single-mindedly focused on delivering cost-of-living relief to all Australians. It's why we've supported pay rises for some who are working in highly feminised industries, like aged care and child care. It's why we've supported pay rises for those who are on the minimum wage. We're supporting parents through enhancing paid parental leave, access to cheaper child care and more childcare places, because I know that this is one of the key ways that we unlock opportunity for women, in particular, to participate in our economy. These are productivity-enhancing investments. This is not reckless spending. I would like to just finally make the point that, when Australians think about who's going to give them a fair go, I feel confident when I look at our benches that there is a competent group of ministers and a team here working every single day in their electorates for that single purpose—to give Australians a fair go. Do those opposite really think they have anything to offer Australians at the moment with respect to a comprehensive economic narrative? Do you? Really? You can't even work out who's going to be your shadow Assistant Treasurer. It's just embarrassing. You can mark yourself up if you like, but I think Australians are marking you down right now. (Time expired)
Bondi Beach Attack Victims | Condolences | House debates
I rise on the motion before the House and echo many of the sentiments already expressed by fellow members. Like members across this chamber, I want to honour the memory of the 15 innocent people...
I rise on the motion before the House and echo many of the sentiments already expressed by fellow members. Like members across this chamber, I want to honour the memory of the 15 innocent people who were killed in that violent antisemitic attack of 14 December. I acknowledge the injuries physical and psychological suffered by many others and extend my support to their families, friends and colleagues, whose lives have been permanently altered. I pay tribute to the first responders and medical staff who acted with professionalism and courage in circumstances no-one should have to face. And I recognise the acts of heroism and bravery, big and small, from ordinary people who put themselves in danger to help others. Events is like these stop us in our tracks. They intrude into ordinary life and remind us how suddenly the safety so many of us take for granted can be taken away. For many Australians, Bondi is not an abstract place. For some it's home. It's where they work, send their kids to school and spend time with friends and family. It's where they celebrate religious holidays. For others it's an icon, one of the most recognisable symbols of what it means to live in Australia. That familiarity and symbolism is part of what makes the attack so confronting. The other part, of course, is the fact that the perpetrators deliberately targeted Jewish Australians, a people who have suffered so much already and who are now once again forced to carry fear and grief simultaneously. The sheer cruelty of what those men did—the calculated evil, the unthinkable targeting of Australia's Jewish community, who were peacefully celebrating together—has left a deep impression on the soul of our country. On behalf of all my constituents in Lyons, I extend our condolences to the Jewish community, to the people of Bondi and to everyone affected. For Tasmanians and especially for people in my electorate, this tragedy carries a particular weight. Almost 30 years ago, Port Arthur became synonymous with grief—a grief no community ever expects to carry. For so many, the events of 28 April 1996 are not confined to history books or anniversaries. They shape the community to this day. They surface in quiet moments, and they return sharply when another act of violence occurs elsewhere in the country. I want to acknowledge that there are many in my electorate for whom this moment has reopened painful memories. Port Arthur also shaped how Australia understands its responsibilities after tragedy. In the aftermath, our nation made decisions that were difficult and at times contested but guided by a clear principle that the safety of the community must come first. And our elected leaders stood side by side, unified in their determination to make change, and together they led our community through one of its darkest times. Those decisions did not erase loss or numb the pain. What they did was reflect a collective willingness to do our best to protect against such a horror happening again and to come together and heal. In those dark moments of 14 December, we watched events unfolding with dread and a sharp pain in our chest as we came to understand that another heartbreaking tragedy was playing out on our soil. The lessons from Port Arthur remind us that if we are to truly honour a loss as profound as what we experienced at Bondi, then there are obligations imposed upon us as a nation. We must listen carefully to those who are hurting. We must respond with compassion and urgency to provide care and assistance. We must take tangible steps to further improve the safety of our community and eradicate hate. And we must never allow the passage of time to dull the memory of what occurred. For the families affected by the Bondi attack, the coming weeks and months will be as hard as those first days of grief. Support will be needed long after headlines disappear. The reason for this is well understood in communities like mine, where recovery has been measured not in weeks, months or years but in decades. Through this condolence motion, we honour those who were killed at Bondi and we extend our sympathy to all those who've been affected. We affirm our support for the Bondi community and for all Jewish Australians, not just today but in the weeks, months and years to come. We affirm that violence of the kind we saw in Bondi, and the antisemitic thinking that lay behind it, is not something we will ever accept or allow to be normalised in Australian society. We acknowledge that confronting antisemitism requires more than condemnation in moments of crisis. It requires vigilance, leadership and a willingness to do whatever it takes to stamp it out wherever and whenever it appears. We reaffirm, with sincerity, our commitment to a safer and more compassionate Australia.
Commonwealth Prac Payment | Matters of Public Importance | House debates
I rise on this matter of public importance and thank the honourable member for her contribution and for the work she did in the previous parliament to advocate for paid prac for these important...
I rise on this matter of public importance and thank the honourable member for her contribution and for the work she did in the previous parliament to advocate for paid prac for these important student placements. I am really proud to be a part of a government that on 1 July this year provided paid prac, made it a reality for the first time for students studying teaching, nursing, midwifery as well as social work, because we understand that we need to be able to support these students to learn the skills of a new career. A lot of the time they have been doing that and have not been paid for it and it has placed an enormous financial burden on them. We expect that with the support provided from 1 July this year that 68,000 eligible higher education and 5,000 VET students will complete their practical training each year, so we are talking about a significant cohort of students who will benefit from these changes. It is practical support for people while they are completing their practical training. These payments will help the students who need it most, by giving them the extra bit of financial support they need so they could focus on their studies, and we know that's important, because, for far too long, students just like the examples you gave have had to juggle work, study, care responsibilities and other commitments they have in their life, and it can sometimes mean that they don't complete their education, they don't complete their studies, and they don't go on to have the career that they dreamt of. No-one should have to choose, and that's why this first step on 1 July has been so important. We are starting with students studying teaching, nursing, midwifery and social work, which was recommended by the Australian Universities Accord. Almost every Australian will interact, at some point in their life, with a nurse, a teacher, a social worker or a midwife, and they are critical to the wellbeing of so many across our community. In 2025, the payment, which began on 1 July, is $331 per week, which is benchmarked to the single Austudy rate, and I've been advised that over 67,000 applications from higher education students have already been received in the first four months of the program. That is very, very good news. More than 80 per cent of those applicants have been processed, and more than 80 per cent of those have been approved. This shows we are tackling placement poverty head on. We are giving future teachers, nurses, midwives and social workers a chance to gain the qualifications to pursue their dream careers without having to worry about whether they can afford to do that. The review that is built into the legislation—I acknowledge the comments that were made by the honourable member—does mean that, after three years of operation, the program will look at how it is working, whether it's been effective and what might need to change. It will consider the effectiveness of the payments provided to students and the appropriateness of the expanding payments to other courses, including allied health. In addition to that, further consideration will be given to other recommendations in the accord, including that the government work with tertiary education providers, state and territory three governments, industry, business and unions to consider further support by employers to mitigate the risk of financial hardship and placement poverty for students in other fields. As the Minister for Education has said, the accord is not a plan for one budget, but a blueprint for the next decade and beyond. While I can, I would also like to reflect on some of the other steps our government is taking to support people who are going through higher education or VET training. As we heard from the education minister today, 20 per cent off the HECS debt is making a huge difference to those who have started studying in our country. This will benefit three million Australians and wipe $16 billion in HELP and other student debt, and an individual average HELP debt will see $5,500 wiped from that debt. This is going to make a massive difference for those students, and we know, as the education minister said, tomorrow 1.5 million young Australians will have their debt cut by 20 per cent, and another 1.5 million young Australians will have their debt cut next week. It is the biggest cut in student debt in Australian history. We promised it; we delivered it. The other example I'd like to give how we fixed HELP debt inflation. This was something that happened last year, and the government wiped a further $3 billion of HELP debt and capped the HELP indexation rate to the lower of either the consumer price index or the wage price index, and this has made system better and fairer and ensures that HELP debt can never increase faster than wages. Today, I had the privilege, as the Assistant Minister for Indigenous Health, to also launch a new scholarship program for Indigenous health students which provides scholarships for First Nations health students. About 80 are issued annually. It provides $1 million over three years, and it's being delivered by our co-sector—the Indigenous allied health association is running that program. It's part of our Closing the Gap initiatives—to transfer responsibility of these initiatives to the First Nations community. That was launched today. They've got a proud track record of delivering scholarships of this type, and I'm really excited to see a new round open up to invite 80 applicants to put their hand up. That's going to provide financial support to students undertaking a health degree from First Nations communities. It is direct financial support to assist them. Alongside things like paid prac, there are other programs that our government supports that are supporting those embarking on a medical degree and other allied health professions to ensure that people from rural and remote Indigenous communities can access higher education to pursue their dreams of becoming health professionals and address some of the workforce challenges across the country in a range of areas, particularly in health care. I am very proud of the work our government is doing to make sure that we have paid prac for the first time. I have spoken to many young Australians, mostly in my electorate in Tasmania, who have shared their stories of trying to manage a job and sometimes manage the responsibilities of having a family and paying bills while undertaking prac and not being paid for that. It can be incredibly difficult. It can be very exhausting, not only financially but mentally and emotionally, when you're trying to juggle all of those responsibilities. You might be doing that because you're trying to progress and further your own career, but, in many instances, you might also be doing it for your family. You might be the first in your family to embark on a career in one of these areas, or, if you're a carer or a parent, you might be furthering your own career to support your family. I acknowledge how hard that can be and what a juggle that's been for many Australians. That's why it's so pleasing to see that, from 1 July this year, 67,000 Australians have already made an application to the paid prac program and that tens of thousands of Australians have already benefited, and it's been operating for only four months. The review is in three years, as you well understand because you were such a strong advocate to include it. But I think it's important to recognise that this is just the start. There is, of course, more work that needs to happen. I'm thrilled to see the early results and also really proud to be part of a government that supports paid prac. We will see the benefits not only for those individuals but also for our health workforce, our teaching workforce and our allied health workforce in the years to come as these young students and people embarking on a career change graduate and are able to participate in our community. I commend the member for bringing this matter to the House so that we can talk about it in more detail.
Communications Legislation Amendment (Australian Content Requirement for Subscription Video On Demand (Streaming) Services) Bill 2025; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
I second the motion and reserve my right to speak later.
Lyons Electorate: My First Speech Competition | Constituency Statements | House debates
I'd like to take the opportunity today to speak on behalf of a group of remarkable young people who wrote to me as part of the My First Speech competition. Students from across the Derwent Valley...
I'd like to take the opportunity today to speak on behalf of a group of remarkable young people who wrote to me as part of the My First Speech competition. Students from across the Derwent Valley took the time to share their ideas for making our community stronger, fairer and more vibrant. From horseriders to skaters and musicians to future business owners, these young Tasmanians are showing us what it means to dream big for rural and regional Tasmania. Ella and Sophie raised concerns about litter and pollution along the Derwent river and our bush tracks. They see the beauty of our region and they want to protect it for generations to come. Cooper asked for a bigger skate park in New Norfolk because he knows that, when young people have places to gather safely, communities thrive. Jaidah called for more jobs for young people, not just for spending money but to help her family and learn independence. That's the spirit of regional Tasmania—practical, hardworking and community minded. Olive suggested more after-school programs, from sport to art and sewing, to keep kids active and engaged. Adam and Billy thought big about the future of the Derwent Valley, imagining new industries and workplaces that create jobs locally while protecting the environment. Alex wrote about wanting more opportunities in New Norfolk—new places to work, eat and play and even dirt-bike tracks that could host events and bring people together. Emillia spoke with passion about learning. She wants more teachers and specialists in music, art and languages so kids in regional Tasmania have the same opportunities as kids elsewhere. These ideas show us that our young people are observant, thoughtful and proud of where they live. They're paying attention and they believe in the power of community to make things better. Their voices remind us that opportunity shouldn't be determined by where you grow up. Whether you live in the heart of Sydney, in Hobart or in the Derwent Valley, every child should be able to learn, work and dream close to home. Their voices remind us of how important it is to listen to these young people. To Ella, Sophie, Cooper, Jaidah, Olive, Adam, Billy, Alex and Emillia: thank you for your honesty, your ideas and your love for your community. You've given us a glimpse of the future of regional Tasmania. It is built on creativity, care and confidence, because, when we uplift young people, we uplift the whole of Tasmania, and I'd like to thank each of them for participating in the speech competition.
Private Health Insurance (National Joint Replacement Register Levy) Amendment Bill 2025; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
I move: That this bill be now read a second time. The National Joint Replacement Registry is currently administered by the Australian Orthopaedic Association. The registry collects information...
I move: That this bill be now read a second time. The National Joint Replacement Registry is currently administered by the Australian Orthopaedic Association. The registry collects information from all relevant hospitals in Australia to define, improve and maintain the quality of care of individuals receiving joint replacement surgery. The Australian Orthopaedic Association receives funding to operate the registry through a Commonwealth grant agreement. The cost of the grant is efficiently recovered through the imposition of a levy on sponsors of joint replacement devices under the Private Health Insurance (National Joint Replacement Register Levy) Act 2009. The purpose of the Private Health Insurance (National Joint Replacement Register Levy) Amendment Bill 2025 is to provide that the person responsible for payment of the levy under the act is the person specified in the rules made under section 8 of the act. The Department of Health, Disability and Ageing has always charged the levy consistent with the policy intent. That is, the person who is responsible for a medical device listed on the prescribed list of medical devices and human tissue products on the levy imposition day is responsible for paying the levy. Currently, the act only recognises the person responsible at the time of the listing of a device, and not any subsequent person who is responsible for that listing over time due to business or other changes. Specifying the responsible person in the rules will allow limitations in the Private Health Insurance Act 2007 to be addressed. Provisions have been included to validate past levy collections. I commend the bill to the chamber. Debate adjourned.
Health Legislation Amendment (Miscellaneous Measures No. 1) Bill 2025; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
I move: That the bill be now read a second time. The Health Legislation Amendment (Miscellaneous Measures No.1) Bill 2025 makes important changes to legislation within the health portfolio to...
I move: That the bill be now read a second time. The Health Legislation Amendment (Miscellaneous Measures No.1) Bill 2025 makes important changes to legislation within the health portfolio to support our government's delivery of a stronger Medicare including more bulk-billing and thousands more doctors. Schedule 1 to the bill will amend the Health Insurance Act 1973 to make sure Medicare provider numbers can be allocated to new practitioners in a faster and more streamlined way. Amendments made by schedule 1 to the bill will enable the Chief Executive Medicare to approve the use of a computer program to make appropriate, non-discretionary decisions to allocate Medicare provider numbers. This will speed up the process of applying for a provider number, while all decisions to refuse a provider number would continue to be checked and authorised by the Chief Executive Medicare or their delegate. The bill will also validate previously issued Medicare provider numbers that were issued by a computer program. Overseas health professionals often face lengthy waits to receive their Medicare provider number. This delays them from commencing work in the Australian health system. In fact, the Independent Review of Australia's Regulatory Settings Relating to Overseas Health Practitioners, led by Robyn Kruk AO, reported that the wait time can be up to three months. Reducing the time it takes for Medicare provider numbers to be issued will help us grow our medical workforce sooner and start treating patients under Medicare quicker. Growing and supporting the health workforce is a priority for our government. Having the right workforce with the right skills in the right place is critical to the success of the government's agenda to strengthen Medicare. We are working with state and territory governments, education providers and regulators to implement the recommendations of the Kruk review. This will ease shortages in the health workforce by removing unnecessary barriers and expediting regulatory processes to bring more skilled health practitioners to Australia. The efficiencies that can be realised through implementation of this bill will lead to reduced processing times and allow health practitioners to provide services to the Australian community more quickly. Internationally qualified health practitioners currently supplement the domestic workforce and aid in addressing workforce shortages, making for a more sustainable health workforce overall. Schedule 2 to the bill will amend chapters 2, 5 and 6 of the Private Health Insurance Act 2007 to support the process for claiming the private health insurance rebate under the premiums reduction scheme. The private health insurance rebate is an initiative designed to make private health insurance more affordable for Australians by funding part of their premiums. The premium reductions scheme allows eligible people to choose to get the rebate at the time they pay their private health insurance premiums, rather than pay the full cost of the premium, and then claim a deduction back through their tax return at the end of the financial year. Under the scheme, the insurer reduces the premium payable by the policyholder by the amount of the rebate and then claims reimbursement of that amount through a system administered by Services Australia. As a result of systems limitations, some elements of the registration and claims-processing system were being administered inconsistently with the requirements of the act. Schedule 2 of the bill will therefore amend the Private Health Insurance Act 2007 to: A participating insurer will continue to be subject to regular post-payment compliance activities to ensure the integrity of the payment process. Schedule 3 to the bill will make essential changes to allow regulations to be made to modernise assignments of the Medicare benefits process. This process underpins Medicare bulk-billing. Last year, the parliament passed the Health Insurance Legislation Amendment (Assignment of Medicare Benefits) Act 2024, providing for generational change to modernise and simplify how patients assign their Medicare benefits. These changes recognised that patients and healthcare providers are no longer using paper based processes that existed when Medicare was first set up over 40 years ago. This bill will build on these changes and remedy minor issues identified during the drafting of supporting regulations for the Health Insurance Legislation Amendment (Assignment of Medicare Benefits) Act 2024. It will also extend the time available for software vendors to build and test new digital solutions, and for medical industry providers and patients to prepare for the changes. Bulk-billing is vital for timely and equitable access to health care. Access to bulk-billed medical care helps with cost-of-living pressures and ensures every Australian receives the best health care they deserve. This bill provides for regulations to specify the circumstances in which enduring bulk-billing agreements can be made. This will streamline the administration of MBS claiming, when services are bulk-billed by a preferred provider or organisation. The bill will also enable the minister to issue a legislative instrument to categorise professional services for application in bulk-billing assignment agreements. This will support the use of pre-assignment agreements, giving patients simple yet meaningful information to assign their benefits before services have been provided. The amendments will support simplified and streamlined billing for privately insured hospital systems, so they do not have to deal with bills from multiple providers. The bill will clarify wording to ensure that any eligible person covered under a private health insurance policy can assign their own Medicare benefits, not just the person in whose name the policy is held. It also amends mandatory notification requirements to reduce the administrative burden and cost for providers. The bill will delay the commencement of new assignment-of-benefit arrangements from 9 January 2026 to 1 July 2026. This will provide stakeholders with an additional six months to prepare before the new arrangements commence. Schedule 4 to the bill will amend part VD of the Health Insurance Act 1973 to ensure the consequences for bonded medical program participants who withdraw from the program or fail to complete their 'return of service obligation' are fair. The changes balance the personal circumstances of the bonded participant with the broader interests of the community. The bill provides capacity to make rules to ensure that past work completed by bonded participants—delivering health services in regional, rural and remote locations in Australia—can be fairly and consistently counted towards their 'return of service obligation'. I commend this bill to the chamber. Debate adjourned.
Women's Health Week; Reference to Federation Chamber | Statements on Significant Matters | House debates
I move: That further statements in relation to Women's Health Week be permitted in the Federation Chamber. Question agreed to.
Health Legislation Amendment (Improved Medicare Integrity and Other Measures) Bill 2025; Third Reading | Bills | House debates
by leave—I move: That this bill be now read a third time. Question agreed to. Bill read a third time.
Health Legislation Amendment (Improved Medicare Integrity and Other Measures) Bill 2025; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
Thank you to all members who've made a contribution on the Health Legislation Amendment (Improved Medicare Integrity and Other Measures) Bill 2025. I've appreciated listening to everybody's...
Thank you to all members who've made a contribution on the Health Legislation Amendment (Improved Medicare Integrity and Other Measures) Bill 2025. I've appreciated listening to everybody's speeches. I'd just sum up by saying that Australia has a world-class health system, largely thanks to the various health benefits schemes such as Medicare which help Australians pay for the health care that they need. We've heard lots of contributions today talking about how important Medicare is for our various electorates and, more importantly, the people who rely on access to great health care in our country. In 2023-24 payments for health benefits including medical services, pharmaceutical services and private health insurance rebates totalled at least $65.1 billion in Australia. The government is committed to protecting this investment and strengthening Medicare by improving the compliance framework that ensures its integrity. The government commissioned the independent review of Medicare integrity and compliance known as the Philip review in November 2022 to respond to concerns about the operation of the Medicare system. The Health Insurance Amendment (Professional Services Review Scheme) Act 2023 and the Health Insurance Amendment (Professional Services Review Scheme No. 2) Act 2023 made amendments in response to recommendations of the Philip review. This bill will support the integrity and sustainability of Medicare by addressing a range of issues to enable the department to conduct more efficient, timely and effective compliance activities. The bill will improve payment integrity by reducing the timeframe for making bulk-billed claims. The bill will allow investigative powers to be used consistently and effectively across all health systems and schemes, including Medicare and the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, and will improve the processes related to pharmacy approvals. The bill also makes several sensible amendments to the Therapeutic Goods Act 1989 to enhance the capacity of the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing to manage and alleviate the consequences of therapeutic goods shortages and to support compliance and enforcement activities undertaken in relation to unlawful therapeutic goods and unlawful vaping goods. These amendments are consistent with this government's unwavering commitment to public health and mitigate the public health risks associated with therapeutic goods and vaping goods by supporting strong and effective regulation under the Therapeutic Goods Act. The bill also amends the Public Health (Tobacco and Other Products) Act 2023. These amendments are largely clarifying in nature and have been identified as necessary during the implementation to ensure the smooth and consistent operation of the act. I commend the bill to the House. Question agreed to. Bill read a second time.
National Health Amendment (Cheaper Medicines) Bill 2025; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
Financial Framework (Supplementary Powers) Amendment (Health and Aged Care Measures No. 4) Regulations 2024; Disallowance | Regulations and Determinations | House debates
Firstly, I would like to recognise the member for Kooyong and her deep expertise and professional background that she brings to this place, and I acknowledge that this is something of deep...
Firstly, I would like to recognise the member for Kooyong and her deep expertise and professional background that she brings to this place, and I acknowledge that this is something of deep interest to her. However, the government won't be supporting the disallowance, and I'll explain why. The motion moved by the member for Kooyong seeks to disallow item 12 of schedule 1 to the Financial Framework (Supplementary Powers) Amendment (Health and Aged Care Measures No. 4) Regulations 2024 made under the Financial Framework (Supplementary Powers) Act 1997 on 24 October 2024. The item underpins the government's expenditure on Australia's onshore manufacturing capability and pandemic preparedness. The government supports transparency and accountability. In this instance, there are genuine reasons why the precise details of the agreement between Moderna and the Commonwealth must remain confidential. The fact is that the agreement between Moderna and the government secures more than just vaccines. In supporting the development of a domestic manufacturing capability, the arrangement promotes Australia's sovereign capability, resilience and pandemic preparedness; Australia's onshore production of vaccines using mRNA technology, a technology which was successful in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic; and the enhancement of Australia's research and manufacturing ecosystem and workforce to support our world-class capabilities to develop and produce the next generation of medical technology. The agreement is a part of a three-way 10-year arrangement, ending in 2032, between the Australian government, the Victorian government and Moderna. It is the reason why Australia is now one of the few countries in the world with an end-to-end mRNA vaccine manufacturing capability. Like other vaccines—and I think this point will be particularly relevant to the member for Kooyong—vaccines manufactured by Moderna and supplied under the agreement with government must be approved by the Therapeutic Goods Administration for quality, safety and efficacy. These principles will not be compromised—and I want to emphasise this point. The Moderna vaccines must also be assessed by the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation. Importantly, the vaccines are also subject to an independent health technology assessment, consistent with the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee guidelines. These assessment arrangements for Moderna onshore vaccines are the result of significant negotiations between the department and Moderna and are commercial-in-confidence. The agreement was established in line with the Australian government's legal obligations and policy mandate and completed in accordance with the Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act 2013. Moderna Australia's manufacturing facility was completed in late 2024, with regulatory approvals now underway. Registration and supply in Australia will only commence following approval of the manufacturing facility and vaccines by the TGA. This is a crucial investment in our domestic manufacture of vaccines in Australia and our preparedness for future pandemics, and, for these reasons, the government will oppose the motion from the member for Kooyong.
Suspension of Standing and Sessional Orders | Business | House debates
On behalf of the Leader of the House, I move: That so much of the standing and sessional orders be suspended as would prevent the private Members' business notice relating to the disallowance of...
On behalf of the Leader of the House, I move: That so much of the standing and sessional orders be suspended as would prevent the private Members' business notice relating to the disallowance of item 12 of the Financial Framework (Supplementary Powers) Amendment (Health and Aged Care Measures No. 4) Regulations 2024 made under the Financial Framework (Supplementary Powers) Act 1997 on 24 October 2024 and presented to the House on 4 November 2024, standing in the name of the Member for Kooyong, being called on immediately. Question agreed to.
I present the explanatory memorandum for this bill and move: That this bill be now read a second time. Today, I introduce the Health Legislation Amendment (Improved Medicare Integrity and Other...
I present the explanatory memorandum for this bill and move: That this bill be now read a second time. Today, I introduce the Health Legislation Amendment (Improved Medicare Integrity and Other Measures) Bill 2025. Australia has a world-class health system that offers affordable, high-quality, accessible health care to all Australians. This is due in large part to the various health benefit schemes—including Medicare and its programs—that help Australians pay for the health care they need. The government is committed to protecting and strengthening Medicare—and part of this is improving the compliance framework that ensures the integrity of these rebates. The Independent Review of Medicare Integrity and Compliance undertaken by Dr Pradeep Philip, known as the Philip review, was commissioned by the government to respond to concerns about the operation of the Medicare system. In 2023, the Health Insurance Amendment (Professional Services Review Scheme) Act 2023 and the Health Insurance Amendment (Professional Services Review Scheme No. 2) Act 2023 made priority amendments in response to this review. This bill implements further improvements responding to Philip review recommendations. The bill implements a measure announced in the 2024-25 budget: reducing the timeframe during which Medicare claims for bulk-billed services can be made from two years to one year. Claims relating to bulk-billed services can currently be made up to two years after a health service has been provided. This change will improve payment integrity and reduce the number of incorrect and fraudulently submitted claims. This will have minimal impact on patients and practitioners, as most claims are already made within 12 months. There will be discretion to accept claims after that time, to ensure patients are not disadvantaged. Currently, a range of legislative provisions across health portfolio legislation are creating barriers to effective compliance activities, particularly when it comes to deterring and responding to serious noncompliance and fraud. The bill responds to these barriers by allowing investigative powers to be used consistently and effectively across Medicare and the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme. Changes will also enable powers to be used in the investigation of Criminal Code offences and remove the need for AFP assistance with executing warrants for suspected Criminal Code offences. These amendments will improve investigative powers in health portfolio legislation and ensure they can be put into practice consistently, effectively and proportionately to respond to behaviour that jeopardises the integrity of health benefits schemes. Under the National Health Act 1953, a pharmacist can request that the Minister for Health and Aged Care exercise a discretion to approve the supply of pharmaceutical benefits at particular premises. This is currently a two-stage process, which can take up to six months. This is frustrating and time-consuming for the applicant and may also delay the community's access to pharmaceutical benefits. In this bill, the two-stage process is proposed to be streamlined and condensed into a single-stage process of up to four months. This will help to reduce a significant administrative burden. And it will provide the community with more timely access to pharmaceutical benefits. The amendments improve existing powers to obtain information about potential fraud and noncompliance and enable the recovery of amounts if they should not have been paid. The Philip review recommended the 'expansion of powers to ensure all types of serious non-compliance can be effectively dealt with' and 'a reduction in regulation and legislation that hinders compliance activities'. The Philip review concluded there are limitations and restrictions around current compliance processes. For example, if incorrect payments are identified, current provisions don't always enable amounts to be appropriately recovered. This is because some recovery mechanisms rely on outdated claiming processes and requests for hard copy documents. These matters are restricting the ability of the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing to protect the integrity of Medicare programs and payments. These changes will enable appropriate inquiries to be made about Medicare payments if available information suggests potential noncompliance or fraud. If payments are found to be incorrect, amounts could be recovered. Changes will also improve the ability of regulators to protect patient safety by removing some restrictions on the admission of information obtained under the Professional Services Review's 'notice to produce' powers as evidence in relevant proceedings, including proceedings for the purposes of the national law for the health practitioner registration and accreditation scheme. This will remove some restrictions on the admission of information obtained under the Professional Services Review Agency's 'notice to produce' powers as evidence in proceedings, including proceedings under the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law. The existing restrictions will no longer apply in respect of prosecutions related to a failure to produce documents, proceedings to recover debts relating to the Professional Services Review Scheme and some other proceedings related to non-compliance. The restrictions will also not apply in respect of documents produced to PSR under notice and passed onto Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (Ahpra) or a national board under certain provisions in the Health Insurance Act, or information obtained or generated by Ahpra or a national board from its own investigation, triggered by documents produced to PSR under notice. This will enable Ahpra and associated health practitioner boards to use PSR related material to trigger their own investigations into allegations involving risks to patient safety. This will also allow Ahpra and health practitioner boards to admit evidence in national law proceedings if it was referred to them under the legislation for the reasons of a significant threat to life or health or noncompliance with professional standards. These changes are required to ensure all appropriate steps are taken to protect patient safety and that the existing requirement to refer the information to Ahpra and health practitioner boards is not frustrated. These changes will enhance the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing's capacity to address identified risks to patient safety and manage and address the consequences of noncompliance and potential fraud. The bill makes several sensible amendments to the Therapeutic Goods Act 1989(the Therapeutic Goods Act). The bill enhances the capacity of the government to manage and alleviate the consequences of therapeutic goods shortages in Australia. It allows the secretary of the department to approve the importation or supply of substitutable unapproved products from overseas if the secretary is satisfied that the approved medicine, biological or medical device, in the reasonably foreseeable future, may become unavailable or be in short supply. The bill supports compliance and enforcement activities in relation to both unlawful therapeutic goods and unlawful vaping goods. Specifically, the bill broadens the circumstances in which section 52AAA applies to ensure that forfeiture arrangements can extend to the range of circumstances in which goods may be seized under the Therapeutic Goods Act, rather than, as currently, only the circumstance where goods are seized under a warrant issued under section 50. This amendment will help deter the trafficking of such goods by sending a strong message to bad actors operating in this space that the Therapeutic Goods Association (the TGA) will take unlawful goods permanently. This bill lowers the threshold that must be satisfied before the secretary may give an enforceable direction to a person under section 42YT of the Therapeutic Goods Act. The current requirement is that a direction is necessary to protect the health and safety of humans. The amendment will result in a more balanced approach that a direction must be considered and issued in the interests of public health and safety. This approach ensures the more appropriate availability of such directions to protect Australians from new and emerging public health threats. The bill enhances the ability of state and territory officers to monitor, investigate and enforce compliance with the Therapeutic Goods Act and regulations by allowing for the provision, inspection, copying and retention of documents or information. The bill also clarifies that section 61, which authorises the release of information in relation to therapeutic goods and vaping goods in certain circumstances, is not a secrecy provision. The bill includes other minor amendments to the Therapeutic Goods Act, to keep the act up to date and to assist with the TGA's important functions. The bill also amends the Therapeutic Goods Act to make minor consequential amendments to support the government's ground-breaking vaping reforms. Finally, the bill amends the Public Health (Tobacco and Other Products) Act 2023 (the tobacco act) which commenced on 1 April 2024. These amendments clarify the intended operation of the provisions and are amendments that have been identified as necessary in the implementation phase of the legislation. The measures in this bill will further the government's efforts to strengthen Medicare and will assist in the implementation of our world-leading tobacco and vaping reforms. I commend the bill.
Moscow Olympic Games: Australian Team; Reference to Federation Chamber | Statements on Indulgence | House debates
I move: That further statements on indulgence on the Moscow 1980 Olympics be permitted in the Federation Chamber. Question agreed to.
Health Insurance (Pathology) (Fees) (Repeal) Bill 2025; Third Reading | Bills | House debates
Address-in-Reply | Governor-General's Speech | House debates
I would be kidding myself if I tried to pretend that standing here to give my first speech as the federal member for Lyons wasn't a little overwhelming, in part because I'm standing in the same...
I would be kidding myself if I tried to pretend that standing here to give my first speech as the federal member for Lyons wasn't a little overwhelming, in part because I'm standing in the same spot so many of my political heroes have stood and in part because of the weight of responsibility that comes with the knowledge that I'm here to be the voice for my electorate. But it's also because I know all too well how significant this opportunity is—to be a member of a Labor government with the capacity to make profound impact on the lives of people right across our country. I'm going to strive every day to make sure that I don't waste a moment, because I know that all the moments add up, and I can assure those of you who have never been there—that's most of my new colleagues here—that the opposition benches are not the place you want to be if you're serious about making a difference. Timing in politics is everything, and I plan to make the most of my time here. As I stand here and reflect upon my role in this House, I want to acknowledge the traditional and original owners of the land upon which we do our work, the Ngunnawal and Ngambri people, and pay my respect to elders past and present. I extend my acknowledgement to my home state of Lutruwita/Tasmania and to the Palawa people, who, despite the worst oppression and dispossession, endure and continue to share with us their story, language and cultural practice. It's a lesson in generosity that we benefit from as a nation. Tolerance, inclusion, respect and indeed kindness are attributes that make as all better people and a stronger community, and fundamental to the reason why I am here is community. When I was 18, I worked in hospitality, waiting tables and working in a bar while I was making my way through uni. I was working a shift one afternoon in a Hobart restaurant when I took the lunch order to a table and put the plate down in front of a man seated with a group of his friends. There were the usual friendly smiles, and then the man asked me where I'd gone to school. I told him I'd attended Sorell school, the local public school in my regional town. He looked at me and said, 'Haven't you done well for yourself?' In that moment, my polite country upbringing went into autopilot and I probably said something like, 'Thank you,' and smiled, but inside I felt the sting of his words not just because I felt judged by somebody who knew nothing about me but because I felt he had insulted my town and my school with his offhand remark. It triggered in me a need to protect the place and people I cared the most about and to stand up for them. It's a feeling that's never left. I've always been incredibly proud of my community and the people who've supported me my entire life. I'm a country girl through and through, a fiercely proud Tasmanian and someone who was taught early on to never give up. I'm the daughter of a plumber and a teacher. My Mum, Anne Pitney, moved in with my dad, Lindsay White—he's here in the gallery today—on what would become our family farm, known as Redbanks. They lived in a run-down Federation-style weatherboard house that had been used by the previous farmer to store hay in. For the first decade of my life, I woke up in the winter seeing my breath, because it was inevitable that the open fire would have gone out overnight, and sometimes the frost on the ground outside was enough to put the water pump into hibernation. And as cold as that was, I still think Canberra is colder. Mum and Dad then did a bit of a reno and we got a wood heater, which was a life changer. My brother, Jeremy—who's also here today—and I had a lot of fun on the farm. We climbed trees, rode our bikes, played cricket, kicked the footy and shot at tin cans with our air rifles. I rode horses and learnt how to drive in a tractor. We would help with the jobs of feeding hay out to the beef cattle, looking after the pigs or milking the dairy cows. We were taught the value of hard work and we were brought up with the motto that there is no such thing as can't. My brother and I were taught a lot of life lessons on the farm. First among them was to feed the animals before you feed yourself. Farmers are stewards of the land and I've never met a farmer who didn't care deeply about the animals they look after or the land they work. The principle of feeding the animals before you feed yourself is a lesson in looking after those who need your help before you help yourself, and it's an ethos I carry with me to this day. I was lucky that my family was so much bigger than the four of us. We were surrounded by people who loved us, from aunts and uncles and cousins to grandparents who were constantly in our lives. My grandma Ethel continues to play a role as great-grandma in the lives of my children, Mia and Hudson, and I'm so grateful to my big and wonderful family, who continue to be such an incredible support to me every day, especially Dad, Mum and Andrew. My most important job is mum to Mia and Hudson, and I love watching them both grow up—far too quickly, but it's incredible to see them learn about the world around them with such open minds and kindness. My favourite time of the day is reading a book to them in bed as they snuggle in for a cuddle. They remind me of what really matters and they motivate me to make the most of each day. I realise how fortunate I am to be able to tell a story like this, a story of love and support and encouragement, and I try not to take it for granted. Life is big, and my philosophy is that we should fill it with as much as possible and always say yes to opportunities. I know that I've been able to feel capable of taking on new challenges because of the support that I've had not only from my family but also from my home town and local community. I grew up at Nugent, known for farming and forestry and our vibrant community hall. It's like so many of the regional towns right across the electorate of Lyons. It's full of doers who work hard, volunteer for the local fire brigade or community event or raise funds for charity. The people who have shaped me and taught me the values of fairness and to look out for one another are the same people who taught me the value of friendship and loyalty. Whether it's working bees or hay carting, everyone helps out in the country, and I feel so lucky that I got to grow up in a place where everyone is like my extended family. Nugent will always be my home, and there's nothing that beats the smell of the bush or that feeling of walking into the community hall and seeing everyone again. It's also a reminder for me of what really matters. People need people. Each of us has an innate need to be connected to something or someone who helps give us meaning and purpose to know that we matter, and it's important for me to hold that thought front of mind when we make decisions so that we build stronger and more resilient communities and empower people to live good and happy lives. Standing here in this place, I am humbly reminded of my responsibility to uphold the best of what my community has taught me—to act with integrity, to promote fairness, to work with others and to treat everyone equally. My electorate of Lyons is my home. It's the place where I was raised, where I went to school and where I now live and raise my two gorgeous children. To be elected to represent my friends, my family, my neighbours, my community in the Australian parliament is the greatest honour and one that is deeply personal. The vast electorate of Lyons was jointly named after Joe Lyons, Tasmania's only prime minister, and Dame Enid Lyons, the first woman member of the House of Representatives. I stand here in service of my community as the first ever woman elected to represent this seat in the federal parliament. I stand here with determination to work hard, to be a voice for my electorate, to fight for us and to represent our interests to the best of my ability—to elevate our story to the national stage. It is a story of a regional landscape that is wild and beautiful, of coastlines that are drawcards for tourists and playgrounds for children, of farmers who toil to produce the best potatoes and beef, of winemakers and distillers who win global awards, of renewable energy that is steeped in our state's history of hydro-industrialisation, and of people who are creative, resourceful and resilient. But we have our challenges, too. There are struggles with access to health care, difficulty finding safe and permanent housing, concerns about whether our young people will realise their ambitions, and the ongoing problem that distance from services and employment creates for people living in regional areas. I'm here not only as a voice for my electorate but also to work as a problem-solver, to help find solutions to the things that hold us back. I put my hand up for politics because I fundamentally believe that politics is the best way to effect change at a population level and improve people's lives. And I'm so excited to be part of a government that has purposeful ambition to uplift the lives of Australians. Thank you to everyone who has welcomed me to this place following the election, and particularly a big thanks to you who have helped to establish my office and help me find my feet. I've been humbled by the support I've received, and most notably from my electorate, who put their trust in me to represent them here. I value and respect the relationship I have with the people of Lyons, who I had the honour to represent in the Tasmanian parliament for nearly 15 years. My election to this place marks the sixth time they've placed their faith in me, and I'll do my very best to honour that responsibility. But nothing I have ever achieved has been achieved alone. There are people in this chamber, in the gallery and back home in Tassie who've all helped me get to where I am today, including my fabulous girlfriends, who've been the strongest support to me over decades and continue to be a constant source of inspiration and advice. My friends, along with my community and family, are the reason I stand here today. But my family grew when I joined the Labor Party, and I've been incredibly lucky that I've made friendships that will last a lifetime, from bonds forged through campaigns and caucuses to those shared with people from across our movement as we've worked alongside one another to push forward a progressive agenda. I will never stop finding it remarkable how people give their time, often in a volunteer capacity, to help support our movement and campaigns. I cannot thank enough the huge number of people who've been with me over the years and have given their time to support the 2025 campaign. I said on the day I stood alongside Prime Minister Anthony Albanese as he announced that I was the endorsed candidate for the seat that the contest would be won by the margin of our effort—and the effort was enormous. Thank you to all the volunteers from the mighty Australian Labor Party, from the rank-and-file members who gave their time, to our union affiliates who put in an extraordinary effort, to my campaign manager, Celeste Miller, who's here in the gallery—and I'm going to point you out, even though I know you hate it!—and who skilfully juggled it all and did so with such poise and calm determination. There is not a person I have met who can say no to you, and it's not because you intimidate them into compliance—although you do sometimes give me a look that makes me think twice about whether my idea was such a great one! But it's because you have that rare ability to empower people to believe in themselves. My campaign team was a powerhouse of the very best people who share a common passion to make a difference and have fun while doing it. I had the super-human efforts of Margaret and Greg Luckman, who led teams of volunteers as we doorknocked across the 35,000 square kilometres of Lyons, and the boundless enthusiasm of Martyn Summers, who was the first to put his hand up to help with any task. Thank you to Bronwyn for lending him to us. You are two of Tassie's finest Labor members. There was the clever and creative genius of Heidi Heck. She put her hands up for more things than she probably expected to at this election, and she did it all with grace and professionalism. There was the ballast that is Stuart Benson, one of my oldest friends in the Labor Party, who weighed in when needed and kept things on track in a way that only someone with his experience and knowledge can do. There was the guidance of Michael Aird, who's been a reliable source of support and advice to me over the years and who was once again there for me during this campaign. Celeste Di Bar, with all her positive energy and practical effort, helped our fabulous volunteers engage with the campaign. To the fabulous and enthusiastic Joe Birch, who I know will be watching this speech and who demonstrates the most incredible dedication: thank you for your hard work as chief whip, always keeping us on track. Jane Atkinson, very ably and with all her trademark diligence, rallied volunteers and prepared booth kits for the 72 polling places across Lyons. The same goes for wonderful people like Kate; the mighty efforts of Robyn, who was there for me everyday; the dedication of self-proclaimed president of our gang, Allan; and the absolute stars Paul and Jonathan, along with the pinnacle of organisation, Anne. There were the enormous efforts of Dave, Morris, Bish, Luke, Zac, Bron; the hard work of Ella, Lachlan, Lauren, Nick, Gayle, Lucy, Elias, Tahnee and Brad; and the energy of Richard, Rod, Scott, Ben, Casey, Craig and Lee and so many others who helped deliver mail, put up a poster, knock on a door, make a phone call, stand on pre-poll, hand out on polling day and even lend me a car. There were over 100 individuals who turned from supporters into active campaigners and joined us in having thousands of conversations across the electorate about Labor's agenda, not just for the election but for our country's future. Thank you to the union movement, who were incredible in the way they provided support to our effort to hold the seat of Lyons. I would like to recognise the SDA, RTBU, CPSU, PPTEU, TFTU, UWU, ASU and MUA. It was an energetic and fun campaign, and this result has only been made possible by the effort put in by all of you. We are stronger together, and this time we were unbeatable. There are just a few more important people I want to specifically acknowledge. To Gordon Luckman, Jarryd Moore and Stephen Briggs: thank you. I've been involved in many campaigns over the years and I know how much effort and time it takes to coordinate and rollout a statewide election strategy. We knew we could rely on you to meet every challenge. The entire team at NatSec were phenomenal, and my thanks go to Paul Erickson and Jen Light for the support and friendship they've shown me over many years. Of course, to the Prime Minister: I'm honoured to stand here as a member of your team, to stand here in support of the Labor government's agenda and to do all I can to progress our ambition for this beautiful country and to uphold our shared values of fairness, equality and social justice. Thank you for encouraging me to be a part of it and for the trust you place in me as we deliver on our promises in this government. The final thankyou goes to someone who has been my friend for nearly two decades: Brian Mitchell. Brian was elected as the federal member for Lyons in 2016 and served the electorate with distinction and pride. He loved the job of representing the people of Lyons here in Canberra, and I want to acknowledge the significant generosity of spirit he demonstrated to me as the federal candidate for Lyons at this election. As it turns out, we've done a bit of a swap, with Brian not yet officially but looking very likely to be newly elected to the Tasmanian parliament following the weekend's election, which is great news, an outcome for our community that I believe will help us deliver great results for our electorate. For me, today marks the beginning of a great opportunity to put into effect the knowledge and experience I've gained over the course of my life to deliver improvements for the community who made me who I am. My job is to repay their investment in me by giving voice to the needs of regional Tasmania and to challenge the assumption that the best we can aspire to is limited in some way by the school we went to or the postcode where we grew up. I love my community and I'm a fiercely proud Tasmanian. I dedicate myself to telling our story and to making you proud as we build our future together.
Health Insurance (Pathology) (Fees) (Repeal) Bill 2025; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
I move: That this bill be now read a second time. The Health Insurance (Pathology) (Fees) (Repeal) Bill 2025 relates to the fees imposed on the pathology sector for certain categories of...
I move: That this bill be now read a second time. The Health Insurance (Pathology) (Fees) (Repeal) Bill 2025 relates to the fees imposed on the pathology sector for certain categories of pathology applications. This bill provides reforms for the current charging arrangements imposed on the sector for categories of accreditation applications. Under the Health Insurance Act 1973, pathology services must be rendered by or on behalf of an approved pathology practitioner (approved practitioner), in an accredited pathology laboratory (accredited laboratory) operated by an approved pathology authority (approved authority) to be eligible to receive Medicare benefits. Practitioners (pathologists) are required to sign an undertaking to the minister that they will comply with the requirements of the legislation and certain administrative arrangements. They must pay an acceptance fee to become an approved practitioner. Similarly, the proprietor of a laboratory must sign an undertaking and pay an acceptance fee to become an approved authority. Laboratory premises may be approved by the minister as an accredited laboratory following the submission of an application and relevant supporting documentation. This includes an accreditation assessment and payment of the accreditation fee once the premises are provided with an in-principle approval. The accreditation requirements impose obligations on approved practitioners, accredited laboratories and approved authorities to undertake to meet, or demonstrate compliance with, quality assurance standards for pathology services provided under Medicare. The Health Insurance (Pathology) (Fees) Act 1991 (pathology fees act) specifies the fees which must be paid for the acceptance, and approval of, applications for the approved practitioner, approved authority and accredited laboratory. This allows approved providers to be identified in the Services Australia billing system of Medicare eligible services. These fees were arbitrarily set to be between $500 and $2,500 in 1991. The 2022 Health Portfolio Charging Review identified that the fees set against each of these application categories have not been reviewed or changed since the pathology fees act came into force. Further, when investigated, the fees were found to exceed the administrative cost of processing these application categories. As such, this arrangement does not align with the Australian Government Charging Framework (2015). Removing the fees applied to the three categories of applications through the repeal of the pathology fees act will resolve this misalignment with government charging policy. It will provide fee relief in addition to reducing the administrative burden for the pathology sector. The consequential amendments included in this bill remove all references to the payment of fees for these application types from 1 July 2025. In line with this intended commencement date, provisions have been included to allow the refund of fees collected between 1 July 2025 (inclusive) and the commencement date of this bill where the applicant's approval has come into force on or after 1 July 2025. To preserve the high level of confidence in the accuracy of pathology testing in Australia provided under Medicare, the administrative requirements including accreditation obligations will remain unchanged. I commend the bill to the House. Debate adjourned.