Jenny McAllister (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the National Disability Insurance Scheme) | Hansard source

I thank the senator for the question. Not only do we want Australians to be able to see a GP for free; we want them to have the healthcare advice and the care that they need, whatever the time of day. Babies do not generally check the clock before they get a fever. Kids do not wait until Monday morning to fall off their bike. In fact, in my experience, those injuries generally happen at about ten past eight on a Friday night. Life is not nine to five, and neither is getting sick. And that is exactly why our government has launched 1800MEDICARE. It provides Australians with free health advice 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and it helps direct them to exactly the care that they need. If someone needs urgent GP care, the nurse can connect them with a free telehealth appointment with a 1800MEDICARE GP. This is what a government that believes in Medicare actually looks like. (Time expired)