Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

Approximately 19 million Australians are eligible to benefit from this change, with about 3.6 million Australians to immediately benefit once the legislation comes into effect. Those of us on this side understand that making medicines cheaper will ease the squeeze on household budgets for so many Australians. But another difference between us and them is that we on this side understand that Medicare and the PBS are the foundations of Australia's world-class healthcare system. And do you know why we understand that? Because they're Labor reforms. They're both initiatives of Labor governments, and it is only Labor governments that make these nation-building reforms to transform the lives of Australians: the PBS, a legacy of the Curtin and Chifley governments, and, of course, Medicare, a legacy of the Hawke government. This government will continue to strengthen both Medicare and the PBS. (Time expired)