Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Hansard source

That's fine. I'm not questioning it. I'm saying I haven't seen it. My answer is in relation directly to the question not the preamble. The question was: what are we doing? There is no doubt that our health services over the last two years were significantly affected by the pandemic. Services that would normally be provided through hospitals, through people going to GPs and through people seeking health treatment because they had a concern, significantly changed during the pandemic.

We are working with the states and territories, as you would expect, through the National Health Reform Agreement, regarding transitioning out of the pandemic and the COVID focus. There'll be significant pressure on the hospitals, but also in primary care, as people come forward. There is no doubt there was delayed seeking of health attention or seeking of health assistance and access to services through the pandemic. It will take some time to work through that, but we are working with the states and territories—through the Prime Minister and the first ministers through National Cabinet—about pressures in the health system and transitioning away from COVID-19 and the COVID-19 focus.