Lisa Darmanin (Victoria, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

In the months leading up to this year's May election, I spent countless hours out in the Victorian community knocking on hundreds and hundreds of doors and speaking to hundreds and hundreds of people on the phone, talking to them about what their concerns where, what their experiences were and what they want to see for our country. I spoke to parents and young people, and to those juggling jobs and care. I spoke to older Australians who have worked throughout their lives and who now need more support to access the care they deserve. I spoke to students navigating their futures and to migrants making Australia home.

What I heard was really clear. People weren't asking for the world; they were asking for something much more fundamental—something that should be a given in a country like ours. They wanted a government that listens, one that focuses on what really matters: health care, housing, education and a fair go. That's exactly why we went to the election with a clear plan to protect and expand Medicare, putting it at the front and centre of our agenda. And Australians responded resoundingly at the ballot box, re-electing a Labor government committed to delivering on these promises. I'm proud to be a part of that government.

One of the issues raised with me time and time again across Victoria, no matter their background or circumstance, was health care. Parents wanted to know if they could get their kids to a local GP when they had a fever, a sprain or a worrying rash. Women bravely shared their stories of long, painful journeys through the healthcare system, searching for answers that never came quickly or easily. Older Australians told me of the frustration and anxiety that come from not being able to afford care or get a timely health appointment. These are stories along with statistics. They are the reality for millions of Australians, and I want to thank the people who shared their stories with me over the last three to four months. It's really not easy to open up to someone that you've just met when you're talking to them on their front door step or on the phone. It is a privilege to hear these stories, but it is also a responsibility that we must act on them. That is exactly what this government is doing. Labor created Medicare, we protected it, and now we are strengthening it for the future.

When we came to government in 2022, it had never been harder or more expensive to see a doctor. After nearly a decade of cuts and neglect under the coalition, bulk-billing was in freefall, general practice was on the brink, people were delaying important treatment that they needed, they were waiting longer, they were paying more and some were walking away from the system altogether, giving up. Strengthening Medicare was at the heart of our election commitment, and it remains a top priority for our government. In just two years, we've delivered the largest investment in Medicare since it was established more than 40 years ago—a whopping $8.5 billion to strengthen bulk-billing, boost the workforce and improve access to urgent care. Let me share what that means on the ground. We promised to open 50 Medicare urgent care clinics. We've already delivered 87 urgent care clinics, well ahead of schedule. And we are not stopping there; we're opening another 50 clinics, bringing the total to 137 across the country. That means four in five Australians will now live within 20 minutes of one of these clinics. These clinics are open seven days a week with extended hours, no appointment necessary. They accept walk-ins and they don't need a credit card—just your Medicare card.

They are already having a huge impact. Over 1.5 million people have walked through the doors of a Medicare urgent care clinic across the country and received the urgent care that they need, without the wait at a busy hospital emergency department, reducing the strain on our public health system. I've seen this impact personally. Earlier this year, my dad was visiting Melbourne from Queensland when he came down with a nasty ear infection on a public holiday weekend. Rather than having him wait for hours at a hospital emergency department, the urgent care clinic near my house meant he could see a doctor quickly, get the urgent treatment that he needed and enjoy the rest of his day with us. These are the kinds of services that we hope we never need but are grateful to have when we do.

It's easy to reduce healthcare reform to lines in a budget. But the real value is what it means to people's lives—not having to wait in pain, not having to choose between groceries and a GP visit, not having to rush to an emergency room and then wait for hours because there's nowhere else to go. That's the kind of stress and uncertainty no-one should have to face. That is what good government is for, to make sure essential services are there when people need them, to provide security in uncertain moments and to ensure that care is available not just for some but for everyone. This is how Labor governs—building a country where dignity, fairness and compassion aren't just values that we talk about but principles that we put into action.

But we know that urgent care is only part of the solution. Australians need regular ongoing access to high-quality affordable care. That's why we're reversing the damage done to Medicare by the coalition's funding freeze and we're going further. In just two years we've delivered the two largest increases to Medicare rebates in 30 years. As a result, bulk-billing rates are on the rise again in every single state and territory. We're also making a transformative change to bulk-billing incentives. For the first time, we're expanding them to all Australians, and we've created a new incentive for practices that bulk-bill every patient. This will mean nine in 10 GP visits will be bulk-billed by 2030, and the number of fully bulk-billed clinics will triple to around 4,800 nationally. It's not just good health policy; it's smart economic policy.

Notwithstanding what you heard earlier from Senator Scarr, our government has a track record in health. And protecting Medicare is in stark contrast to those opposite, and I think the Australian people know it.

We all know that regular check-ups, preventive care and early intervention can catch issues before they become crises. It keeps people out of hospital and in their communities, living healthy and productive lives. We know these reforms aren't something that can be willed into existence with the wave of a magic wand. This is not just feel-good policy; it is important for a productive and healthy society.

We are conscious, always, of the impact these reforms will have on the workforce, and we know that, to achieve the level of bulk-billing that we aspire to, we need more doctors. That's why we're also investing $662 million in the largest GP training program in Australian history. By 2028 we'll be funding 2,000 new GP trainees every year. We're expanding our capacity with overseas trained doctors, too. Seventeen thousand new doctors have joined the Australian system in the last two years—more than at any time in the past decade. We're not just filling the gaps; we're building a future-ready healthcare workforce.

For Australians managing chronic conditions or filling prescriptions every month, we're delivering real cost-of-living relief. In 2023 we made the largest cut to the cost of medicines in the history of the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, reducing maximum script prices by more than 20 per cent, saving Australians over $200 million a year. We've made around 300 medicines available on a 60-day prescription, and we've lowered the PBS safety net threshold, saving Australians more than a billion dollars on their medications so far—over $1 billion in savings. That's more money in the pockets of Australians. And, from January, you won't pay more than $25 for a PBS script. For pensioners and concession card holders, the price of a script will be frozen at $7.70 until 2030. The last time medicines were $25, it was 2004; we were all watching the Athens Olympics and the classic Jets banger 'Are you gonna be my girl' won single of the year at the ARIA Awards.

When people can afford their medicine, they take it. When they take their medicine, they stay well. Making medicines more affordable and accessible means people can stick to their treatment plans, manage chronic conditions more effectively and avoid preventable hospital visits down the line. When they stay well, they live better and they live longer. It sounds very simple because it is, and it's one of the most powerful ways we can build a fairer health system—a system where no-one misses out on the care that they need because of their income or circumstances; a system that doesn't just treat illness but also protects dignity, because, in a country like ours, no-one should be left behind.

We're also delivering record funding for public hospitals, with an additional $1.8 billion next year alone, bringing the Commonwealth contributions to over $33.9 billion in the year 2025-26. That's a 12 per cent increase year on year—and a stark contrast to the coalition, who cut $50 billion from our hospitals when they were in office. This investment will support the long-term reform of our health system, in partnership with the states and territories, because public hospitals shouldn't be political footballs. They should be at the centre of care, staffed and resourced to meet the growing needs of our population.

Finally, we are acting boldly on the health challenges of today, especially when it comes to young people. We've introduced world-leading reforms on vaping to protect children and adolescents, and the results are already coming in. The Cancer Council's Generation Vape study showed that vaping rates amongst 14- to 17-year-olds are on the decline. We're also cracking down on the black market in illegal tobacco, investing over $350 million to give law enforcement the tools that they need to fight criminal activity and protect public health.

All of this—the clinics, the doctors, the cheaper medicines and the cracking down on vaping—forms part of a single, simple mission: to restore fairness, equity and dignity to the healthcare system. It's a promise—a uniquely Australian promise—that we look after one another, especially in moments of vulnerability. It reflects the best of who we are—that, no matter your income, your background or your postcode, you should be able to see a doctor and get the care you need when you need it in your community.

It was a Labor government that built Medicare, against fierce resistance, because we believed then, as we do now, that access to health care should be universal. Access to health care should not be something reserved for the wealthy or the well-connected. Labor created Medicare, we defended it from cuts and attacks, and now, under the Albanese Labor government, we are strengthening it and expanding it for the future, because Medicare isn't just a health system; it is one of the defining achievements of modern Australia, a cornerstone of our social compact, which is why it was also a cornerstone of our election campaign and Australians roundly supported our agenda. It says something profound about the kind of country we are and the kind of future that we want to build—fairness, compassion and a commitment to equality. That is the Labor difference. We don't just talk about fairness; we legislate it, we fund it and, importantly, we deliver it. And we don't just protect Medicare; we fight for it and we make it better, because we believe health care is a right and not a privilege.

Under Labor, the promise of Medicare will endure, and we will never stop working to ensure that promises reach every Australian not just in name but in reality. Labor made that promise decades ago, and we will continue to deliver it. Under this government, we're making good on it again through this bill. We are investing in health care not as a luxury but as a right; we are rebuilding Medicare not for headlines but for people; and we are doing the work day in, day out to ensure no Australian is left behind when it matters most.