Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Government Business in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

That is what the opposition did, and they do not like to be reminded of that. An urgent problem we are addressing is Australia’s serious doctor shortage. We inherited a situation where workforce shortages are impacting on 59 per cent of Australians, where one in six working families are struggling to get to see a GP, where some towns require and rely on locum support and where often the only alternative for care is the local hospital. It was the Liberals who got us into this mess—those on the other side—and it was they who recklessly ignored it and did nothing to remedy it after 12 long years of neglect. The Rudd government’s health reforms will tackle the doctor shortage, expand capacity and deliver better health and hospital services. Our $632 million investment will train a record number of doctors. In total the Rudd government’s investment will deliver an additional 5,500 new training GPs, 680 medical specialists and 5,400 prevocational general practice program training places over this decade. Our package, combined with earlier workforce investments, will deliver around five million extra services to the community by 2013. These major investments will meet projected shortfalls. They will target communities that are underserviced and address specialities where shortages are most acute. They will also help reduce pressure on hospitals by improving access and availability of GP and specialist services. (Time expired)