Paul Scarr (Queensland, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

Of course they get sick, Senator O'Neill. Of course they do. As I said, I'm trying to strike a more conciliatory tone and look forward. The issue is that, if you're providing the same incentives to someone to work 15 minutes down the road from Parliament House as you're providing to someone in Mildura, over five hours from Melbourne, or Emerald, three hours from Rockhampton, the incentive obviously isn't going to work. The problem is so widespread around this country that there's a fundamental issue with the incentive system, and that's what we're talking about here.

There's also a fundamental system issue, in my view, with what's referred to as the Modified Monash Model, which is the way in which different areas are categorised, and I've spoken to different communities across Queensland with respect to the application of that system. To give you one example, the town of Rosewood in my home state is put in the same classification as Ipswich. Again, me being a senator, this is one of my patron seats, and the demographics, the geographical challenges and the ability to attract medical staff are completely different in those two areas, but they are considered to be in the same category. This system, this modified Monash system, does not reflect what happens on the ground, the realities of local communities, and it is a system which we really should look at—it really is.

I'd like to finally, with indulgence, thank someone who brought this to my attention, and that is Mr Lyall McEwin. Lyall has served for many years as chair of an aged-care facility in a little town called Rosewood. He talked to me about his frustration as the chair of a community organisation providing aged-care services. He talked about the issue in terms of attracting health professionals to that aged-care facility, when he's in the same category as Ipswich, which is more of a major metropolitan centre. There are major, major issues with this system—major, major issues in relation to this system and in relation to every Australian's legitimate expectation to be able to access health services, GP services in particular, whether or not they live in Mildura, whether or not they live in Fyshwick, down the road from Parliament House, or whether or not they live in Emerald, in country Queensland, And that is something which all of us should be united in attempting to fix.

Question agreed to.