Joanne Ryan
Lalor · Australian Labor Party · Australia
“I understand how difficult it is for those opposite. Having voted in support of this legislation, they've seen their vote overturned by their Senate colleagues. I understand that they're disappointed.”
“It's a four-page document that does two clear things. It gives the eSafety Commissioner something she has asked for. She has asked for a law that will allow her to compel documents in her investigation as to why big tech companies are not complying with the laws set by this country, set by this House and the other place.”
“These silos create delays and delays can mean claims held up, care interrupted, families unsupported and risks unseen. The failure this bill confronts is not a lack of courage from those who served but a lack of connection in the systems built to support them.”
“The Albanese government agreed or agreed in principle to 104 recommendations, and, significantly, this bill implements 15 recommendations and supports a further 20.”
“Schedule 1 of this bill strengthens information sharing to improve wellbeing, health and safety outcomes for Defence members and to limit the risk. The royal commission found that defence and veterans systems hold critical information but that information has too often been fragmented, delayed or unavailable when needed.”
“It is 1 July today, and that means pay rises for three million workers around this country and tax cuts for all Australian workers. This is good news for my community. And you know what else is good news in my community?”
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“Many supported neighbours, checked on vulnerable residents and helped clear debris while waiting for emergency crews. The spirit of solidarity across the electorate in the suburbs of Werribee, Wyndham Vale and Hoppers Crossing demonstrates the fighting heart of Lalor. The tornado that struck Lalor was frightening and destructive but it also showed strength and unity in our community. To every volunteer, very emergency worker and every resident fighter in Lalor, thank you. The Albanese government will continue to back you by building climate resilience, cutting emissions, and investing in safer and stronger communities across our electorate,.”
“I want to give my heartfelt thanks to all of the emergency service responders and frontline workers who served in our community on Sunday in the clean-up, and on following days; to our State Emergency Services, Wyndham and Wyndham West, and supporting metro units; to the CFA volunteers; to Victoria Police and Fire Rescue Victoria; to Ambulance Victoria crews and first responders; to Wyndham City Council staff for rapid debris cleaning and resident welfare checks; and to Powercor and utility workers, who restored power to thousands of homes. Their tireless work, often through the night and in dangerous conditions, reflects the best of public service. I want to recognise the residents and families in Lalor, who faced the storm with courage and compassion.”
“Tara in Werribee described how her partner was lifted off the ground and the pergola roof landed on Tarneit Road power lines. Bridgette Boyd said the wind nearly blew her backwards. Many describe the scene as like something out of a movie: frightening, fast and destructive. Bureau of Meteorology experts confirmed a clear tornado damage track through Wyndham Vale and Hoppers Crossing with a distinct east-north-east path typical of severe thunderstorm cells—a category consistent with a small tornado, with wind speeds up to 120 kilometres per hour.”
“On Sunday 26 October this year, Melbourne had its wettest day in 18 months, with 35 millimetres of rain recorded. On the same day, Werribee, Wyndham Vale, Hoppers Crossing and Manor Lakes saw a tornado. More than 650 calls to the state emergency services were recorded across Victoria. Wyndham SES had 184 calls, the busiest in the state, and Wyndham West had 40 calls. There were 260 buildings damaged, and 25,000 to 30,000 homes were without power. There was localised flooding in low-lying areas, and lots of families out with shovels, digging trenches to let the water out of their properties. Streets like Purchas Street in Werribee were among the worst hit: roofs and pergolas blown into power lines, widespread debris, and fallen trees and fences.”
“I declare that, unless otherwise ordered, these bills stand referred to the Federation Chamber for further consideration at the adjournment of the debate on the motion for the second reading of each bill.”
“To their teachers: thank you for your attention, for your care, for your dedication, for the hours you have spent preparing for their lessons—taking them through these things—and for the hours spent preparing them for these exams. I wish everyone in my community well in the VCE exams this year—the families, the students and the school communities that have wrapped themselves around them.”
“The netball grand final and the AFL grand final are done, school is back for term 4, and we're just into the beginning of the Spring Carnival. So what is next? It's the VCE exams—that's what's next in the minds of most of the people in my community. Year 12 students across Victoria are going to sit their English expression exam tomorrow, and I want to wish all the year 12 students in the schools across my community the very best for the final step in their school journey. I wish them all calm and clear minds as they embrace the final opportunity to demonstrate their learning and their capacity, and I want them to remember that the pathways to their futures will be many and varied beyond the last days of year 12. To their parents: please keep them fed and watered. That's what they need from you as well as your calm kiss and encouragement.”
“It will undo 10 years of neglect by those opposite. Worse than neglect; the freezing of the Medicare rebate for nine years meant doctors didn't get better pay. This changes all that. That is what this investment delivers, and that is why I am proud to move this motion to strengthen Medicare for every Australian.”
“We've also made medicines cheaper, saving families money at the pharmacy. We've capped the cost of PBS listed medicines at $25, ensuring people can afford the medicines they rely on. Labor created Medicare, and the Albanese Labor government will always work and act to strengthen Medicare because it is more than a policy; it is a statement of our values. It says that, in this country, access to health care is determined by your Medicare card, not your credit card. It says that, no matter who you are, where you live or how much you earn, you deserve high-quality, affordable health care. That is what Labor stands for. Labor stands for an Australia where people's health is a priority. Labor stands for an Australia where preventive health has benefits that are acknowledged by all. That is what this great investment delivers.”
“When you go to the Werribee Medical and Dental Centre, all you will need is one of these: a Medicare card. This is part of Labor's broader agenda to strengthen Medicare and ensure it continues to deliver affordable, universal health care for all Australians, from the smallest to the elderly. One of the real game changers in reversing a decade of cuts and neglect under the former Liberal government has also been Labor's Medicare urgent care clinics. Since it opened, more than 27,000 locals have been treated at the Werribee Medicare Urgent Care Clinic, one of the first of 90 clinics across the country to open. These clinics are making a real difference, allowing people to get urgent care when they need it without waiting in an ED or paying out-of-pocket fees and taking pressure off our public health system.”
“The Werribee Medical and Dental Centre, run by ForHealth, has been fully bulk-billed since 8 September, meaning locals can already see their GP without worrying about out-of-pocket expenses. ForHealth has stated that Labor's investment in Medicare and bulk-billing will see an increase from one in 10 of their clinics being fully bulk-billed to seven in 10 by this Saturday. This is just one of many clinics operated by this company across the country that are now going fully bulk-billed, including the Craigieburn Medical and Dental Centre in the electorate of the member for Calwell, who will second this motion today. It's another example of how Labor is delivering for the outer suburbs, across Melbourne and across this nation. This change alone will save my local community an estimated $570,000 in out-of-pocket costs every year.”
“I am proud to move this motion, which notes that the Albanese Labor government is delivering on its promise to strengthen Medicare, delivering the single largest investment in Medicare in 40 years. Our government is committed to universal health. We are investing $8.5 billion into Australia's greatest policy achievement: Medicare. This investment will deliver an estimated 120,000 additional bulk-billed GP visits in the community that I represent. From this Saturday, 1 November, every Australian will be eligible for the bulk-billing incentive, while GP clinics that fully bulk-bill their patients will be eligible for a new, additional incentive payment on top of that. This is great for patients, and it's a pay rise for our doctors. This reform is already delivering in my community.”
“I move: That this House: (1) acknowledges the Government's commitment to strengthen Medicare, including $8.5 billion to deliver an additional 18 million bulk billed general practitioner (GP) visits each year, hundreds of nursing scholarships and thousands more doctors in the largest GP training program ever; (2) notes: (a) this measure has already seen practices around Australia become fully bulk billed, with nine out of ten GP visits expected to be bulk billed by 2030 and around 4,800 fully bulk billed practices, which is triple the current number; and (b) that while the Government is expanding access to bulk billing by expanding the bulk billing incentive, by contrast the Leader of the Opposition, as the Minister for Health: (i) never increased Medicare rebates, the only health minister in Australian history to do so; (ii) doubled-down on the then Government's $50 billion cut to hospitals; and (iii) continued the fight for the former Leader of the Opposition's GP tax; and (3) further acknowledges that only the current Government will strengthen Medicare.”
“My question is to the Minister for Social Services. How is the Albanese Labor government easing cost-of-living pressures for Australians, including social security payment recipients? Are there any risks to this or alternative policies of which the government is aware?”
“I'm proud to represent this community and proud to be part of a government that is delivering real outcomes for Pasifika communities here and for our neighbours across the blue Pacific. I just want to give a shout-out to a group of Pasifika women in my community who have established themselves as a co-op, if you like. They have had input into policy ideas in our work in DFAT for years now—a quick text, because they've all been together and said, 'You know, there's a lack of emergency services training for Pasifika.' It's these things that bring these countries together. (Time expired)”
“What may seem like a technical policy issue in Canberra has very real impacts in places like Wyndham, Apia and Suva, where families rely on safe and affordable ways to send money home. But we're not stopping there. Over the next four years 1,500 Pacific workers will complete formal Australian qualifications, including in sectors like aged care, construction and hospitality. That's how we deliver not just jobs but skills, dignity and long-term opportunity. In the Pacific, stronger relationships are built on respect, trust and time—not just words but action. That's how this government is engaging with the region, and that's how we're working with the Pasifika communities here at home, in Lalor and across the country. We're not just building policy; we're building partnerships. And in communities like mine we're already seeing results.”
“Just last month I visited Fresh Select in Werribee South, one of Australia's largest lettuce and brassica growers, with the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Julie Collins. There we met PALM workers from Vanuatu. What I saw wasn't just a workforce. It was a relationship—a deep and personal link between our countries, built on trust, contribution and mutual respect. These workers don't just support local businesses. They support families back home. On average long-term PALM workers send home up to $15,000 a year in remittances, money that helps to raise children, fund education and strengthen Pacific communities. Seasonal workers remit around $1,000 a month. That's why Labor also took action to protect Pacific banking access when commercial banks threatened to cut off key services.”
“In Fiji, women's rugby has surged from 18 to over 80 teams. In PNG, a country with over 800 languages, the dream of a national NRL team is uniting the nation. In my community, in Wyndham, clubs like the Werribee Bears and Wyndham Rhinos do more than host games. They build belonging for my Pasifika communities. The Albanese government understands that real Pacific engagement begins with people. That's why we've expanded the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility scheme—the PALM scheme, as it's known—with over 30,000 Pacific workers now contributing to industries across regional Australia. These workers are helping to fill critical labour shortages, especially in agriculture, aged care and hospitality.”
“Their Sports Science Academy is thriving, driven in no small part by the engagement of Pacific Islander families. It's building more than athletes; it's building confidence, discipline and aspiration. Local sisters Uneeq and Beyonce Palavi, former students of Grange's Sports Science Academy and proud Tongan Australians, recently represented Tonga at the PacificAus Sports netball series. They are not just athletes; they are cultural ambassadors and an inspiration to young people across Lalor and beyond. This is why the Albanese government is investing in PacificAus Sports, supporting both grassroots and elite participation. I know firsthand some of the results from the PacificAus Sports program. They bring people joy in the streets of my community. We know that sport changes lives.”
“I rise to speak about the Pacific diaspora in our nation and in my electorate of Lalor and the people-to-people relationships they create for us with our friendships and place in the Pacific. In Wyndham, we are proud to be home to the second-largest Pasifika population in Victoria, with more than 10,000 Pacific Islanders across the local government area. In Lalor and in Gellibrand, the Pacific is not foreign policy; it's family. I've seen firsthand the vibrancy of this community—its music and church on Sundays, its youth groups, sports clubs and cultural festivals on the weekends. It's the voices and energy of young people proud of who they are and determined to shape their future. For example, at the Grange P-12 College, that pride is on full display.”
“We also had a lot to celebrate locally with club achievements. We recognised some remarkable premierships, from the Wyndham City Rhinos and the Glen Orden netball club to the Werribee Softball Association, which hosted Victoria's largest association-run tournament, with over 500 players. The Werribee Districts were premiers. The Werribee Hockey Club were premiers in two divisions this year. The Wyndhamvale Football Club brought home the premiership as well. Although the colleagues here from Queensland may claim to be the national champs, in Lalor we have lots of champs.”
“Her message of resilience and balance deeply resonated with everyone present. We also celebrated some local sporting champions. Jett Lewer, who plays lacrosse, represented Victoria in the under-18s and played for the Australia under-16s at the APLU sixes in South Korea. Addison Bishop-Worn, who plays baseball with the Werribee Giants and was selected for Australia's under-18 world cup squad, was key to Victoria's 2023 youth championship win. Ben Howard, who plays baseball, was senior state champion with Aces Sporting Club and was selected for the under-18 US baseball tour. Alexis Campbell, who plays basketball and represents Vic Metro, competed at the national under-14 club championships but also finished in the top five in the Western Football Netball League under-16 best and fairest.”
“From early morning set-ups to fundraising and mentoring young players, their contribution goes far beyond game day, and nights like this remind us that sport is about connection, inclusion and community spirit. We were privileged to hear from our own local Olympian, Amy Cashin, a proud young woman raised in Werribee. Amy has represented Australia in the 3,000-metre steeplechase at both the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and the Paris 2024 Olympics and, most recently, at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo. It was wonderful to welcome Amy home and for her to have the opportunity to share her knowledge and her insight with local coaches and some local sporting champions. Alongside her athletic career, Amy has recently completed her PhD on coaches' mental health, showing the same discipline off the track as she does on it.”
“Last Thursday, 2 October, I had the pleasure of hosting the annual sports presidents night for Lalor. This is a night in Werribee that brings together in one room people from across sports to celebrate our local sports, our local achievements and our local young people. The event brought together club presidents, volunteers, young athletes and families from right across the electorate. It was a celebration of local sport, community pride and the people who keep clubs running week in and week out. It gave me an opportunity to thank the many volunteers, coaches, committee members and parents whose efforts ensure our clubs continue to thrive.”
“I declare that the following Federation Chamber orders of the day, government business, are returned to the House for further consideration: Appropriation Bill (No. 1) 2025-2026, Appropriation Bill (No. 2) 2025-2026 and Appropriation (Parliamentary Departments) Bill (No. 1) 2025-2026.”
“I declare that the following bills stand referred to the Federation Chamber for further debate: Appropriation Bill (No. 1) 2025-2026, Appropriation Bill (No. 2) 2025-2026 and Appropriation (Parliamentary Departments) Bill (No. 1) 2025-2026.”
“I want to thank you for the work to capture the perpetrator and the work on Sunday, under trying circumstances in light of that so-recent event, keeping Melburnians safe on our streets.”
“The biggest threats right now are investment scams; business e-mail compromise; impersonation of trusted brands, like banks, the ATO and Australia Post; romance scams; and threat-and-penalty demands. The impact is personal and profound, with savings wiped, invoices diverted and confidence shaken. My message is simple: pause before you pay. Don't click on unexpected links or attachments, don't share personal details, verify invoices and make a phone call to make sure you're paying who you think you're paying. Finally, I want to mention recent events in Victoria: the murder of two Victorian police officers and the injuring of a third—officers doing their jobs to keep us safe, two of them cut down. I want to send my condolences to family and friends and all the VicPol members who have been touched by this incredible event.”
“As for the locals at home, our five per cent deposit for first home owners and two per cent for single parents is now up to 4,080 people that have already taken up that opportunity in the electorate of Lalor—fantastic news. Scammers are targeting Tarneit and Werribee. They're targeting communities nationwide, and our community is on the frontline. Recent analysis from a major bank shows Tarneit and Werribee, both in our electorate of Lalor, are among Australia's top five scam-affected postcodes over the past year and the top two in Victoria. This sets off alarm bells for all of us—alarm bells already heard by this federal government and reflected in legislation to address it, with implementation imminent. In the meantime, the scammers are sophisticated and fast moving.”
“Labor is delivering on its social and affordable housing program. It is building momentum. We are up to 5,000 social and affordable homes now completed with federal government investment since the Albanese government was elected. Most of these have been built from the ground up, start to finish, across Australia. These homes are now supporting those doing it tough, from women and children escaping domestic violence to older women at risk of homelessness. These homes have been built across Australia, and we've got 45,000 more to come and 25,000 social and affordable homes now in construction and planning. We are getting on with and delivering what we promised the Australian public.”
“There is one proudly in the seat of Lalor, on Station Place in Werribee, that has seen over 24,000 presentations, and those presentations have been extraordinary from state to state. We're reducing the cost of medicines. We're increasing bulk-billing. We've tripled that incentive so that we'll get more bulk-billing happening in every GP clinic around the country. It's happening in my electorate now. Suddenly, people are ringing the office to say: 'I went to the doctor. I got bulk-billed. The world is back on its axis.'”
“It's clear that the new member for Cook is also from the shire, and I say that with all its permutations. The member for Cook might want to know what Labor are doing rather than have a fantasy about what Labor might do. What are Labor doing? Delivering on cheaper medicines—that's what Labor are doing. It will be $25 for a PBS script from 1 January next year. After already being reduced from its heights in the $40 range down to the $30 range, now it will go down to $25 per script for PBS listed medicines, and there will be a $7.70 limit for concession card holders and pensioners. This is what Labor's doing—addressing the cost of living and making sure that we have a healthier population. That's what Labor's doing. That's what we've done with the urgent care clinics.”
“A two per cent deposit will allow people to get into the space where they're given that opportunity to put a roof over their head and the heads of their children in a home that they own and that they can't be removed from because someone wants to sell the property. The two per cent deposit for single-parent families is absolutely a critical part of this process. It will see single parents in my community, whether they be mums or dads, get a roof over their head and the heads of their children, through a government that's prepared to back them, help them and assist them by creating a space where they can do that with a two per cent deposit. That is something that I think will be achievable for a lot of the people in that circumstance in my community.”
“I'll go back and share that situation with the House. When I became a single parent, I was talking to someone at the credit union that held my mortgage about the changed circumstances and how I was quite sure that I was capable of meeting those mortgage payments on my own. The manager stepped out, having heard me in this conversation, and said: 'Can you come in? I just want to have a quick chat?' He said to me, 'Let's just pay it for 12 months, and then we'll look at it,' because the instinct of a bank is to tell a single parent that they can't afford to do this. I'm proof they can afford to do it.”
“This is something that is going to support young people that I represent and support young people across the country to become homeowners who pay off the capital as well as the interest, making sure that they join the ranks of people who own their own home. We've already seen that on the ground in electorates across the country. The number of young people who have already taken up this opportunity is actually really impressive. I look forward to seeing more and more—particularly, if I think about it, the two per cent deposit for single parents. I think this is an incredibly important part of this legislation and one that not many people are paying a lot of attention to, but, as someone who, as a single parent with three children, was paying off a mortgage and working part time, this would have been a game changer for me.”
“In a community like mine, the people who manage to get the five per cent deposit and get into the market will be forever grateful. They will remember that moment when they secured that home loan, just like most of us across the country do. I distinctly remember securing the home loan and buying my first property with my husband at the time. It was a great moment. It meant that we could stop renting. It meant that we were going to be moving into something and start paying that mortgage down. It was a fantastic moment. Of course, properties then were more accessible in terms of our incomes and what the property prices were.”
“On the way, they can save about $30,000 in mortgage insurance and they could pay up to a quarter of a million dollars towards their own loan, rather than paying rent across that savings period. It's important to note that we are bringing this good news to the parliament after decades of neglect in the space of addressing housing or the Commonwealth being a partner to the community in housing, and after having both the Liberal-National coalition and the Greens block our work, in this space, across the last few years. They didn't support our 100K homes for first home buyers, they voted against Help to Buy and promised to abolish the scheme before the last election. They've given up on homeownership. This government is just getting started. Now they're attempting to raise taxes on builders and scrap 80,000 new rentals in the process.”
“It means less time to save for that deposit. So rather than saving over many years for a 20 per cent deposit, it might take only two years to save for a five per cent deposit, depending on what you're earning and in which part of our great country you're living. If we look at my community, where the median house price is $600,000, we're talking about a five per cent deposit being quite attainable for the young people that I represent—not just those I represent but those who come and join us in our affordable housing area, in the city of Wyndham, from outside of Wyndham. They will also be able to come and buy one of the new homes that go up every week in the area I represent.”
“In the first term, we took the Commonwealth from being a negligent bystander under the coalition to being a bold and ambitious government under Labor—more bold and ambitious since the Second World War. But let's be clear: the job isn't done. It's still too hard to build and too hard to buy in this country. This announcement is about allowing all first home buyers to buy their own home with just a five per cent deposit or the Family Home Guarantee, where a single parent could secure their mortgage with a two per cent deposit. Of course, as has been referenced, this is also about people not having to have that insurance that could cost over $30,000 on, say, an $800,000 home. This means people will get out of their rental into the situation where they're in their own home, so they can stop paying rent and start paying their mortgage.”
“That is the secret to adding to supply. This is about saying to a generation of Australians who feel left behind on housing that we want them to have a home of their own, with the security that brings, and to support young Australians do just that. I might take a moment, Deputy Speaker Chesters, to talk about what this means for single parents. We'll be continuing the Family Home Guarantee that helps them buy a home with a two per cent deposit. This is extraordinarily important in a community like mine. We'll be delivering this three months early, from 1 October. This crisis wasn't created overnight and it won't be fixed overnight, but real progress is being made, right across the country, as is seen in the electorate I represent.”
“It's pleasing to hear that those opposite understand that supply is critical to the issue of housing, and it's a generation-made problem that we're facing today. It's interesting to hear that they understand that supply is key to that. Yet they spent the second half of our first term in government blocking supply and blocking measures from Labor that would have driven supply. It is fascinating. We're all here today to talk about the five per cent deposits that this government have created for new homeowners and have brought forward, to 1 October, changes where the caps will better suit each state or city, and to talk about how things work. It's also to celebrate, in my case, the 1,880 participant households that have already used this system and the 3,140 individuals who are reflected in those households.”
“I support the wise decisions being made by this government to keep not just my community but all Australians healthy, supporting them when they need support and making sure that every family across the country can access the medicines that parents and their children and the children's grandparents and everybody in the community needs. This is Labor government 101. Those opposite should take note. They should back universal health care. They should back cheaper medicines. They should support every measure this government is bringing forward not just to reduce people's costs but to keep our community healthy. Debate adjourned.”
“When the Liberals were in government, we saw the neglect of our healthcare system. We saw the introduction of co-payments. We saw the freezing of the indexation for Medicare rebates. We saw them strip Lalor, Wyndham and the outer suburbs around the country of DPA status. This was a decision felt deeply by many in my community. I fought to have it reinstated. I support the health minister on the measures that he is introducing in this piece of legislation. I support the health minister in reinventing universal health care through the tripling of the Medicare incentive.”
“Labor founded the affordable medicines scheme under the Chifley government in 1948 with the aim of subsidising life-saving and disease-preventing medicines for the community. Today this life-changing scheme has been expanded and provides timely, reliable and affordable access to necessary medicines for all Australians. In 2023, Labor delivered the largest PBS price cut in history, and now we're taking it down to $25. This is Labor doing what matters because it is the right thing to do. It's the right thing to do—it's the right fiscal thing to do. It's not just cost-of-living relief. It's not just good health. It's also part of that preventive cycle that saves governments money at the back end. The healthier our population is, the less demand there is on our health system and on our hospital system.”
“Labor made Medicare possible, and we are still the only party that strengthens it when families need relief most. Those opposite may wince, but Medicare stands because Labor built it and Australians back it. Labor doesn't just talk about universal health care; we created it and we continue to modernise it so Australians are not left to decide whether they can afford to refill their scripts or to put dinner on the table. They are not left to make hard decisions that people in other countries make every day. Under those opposite, what we saw was an Americanisation of our universal healthcare system, a system that we're incredibly proud of and that Australians are proud of. It's a foundation of our society. It's a foundation of our egalitarian ethos.”
“This is going to make another real difference in communities like mine and in communities across the country. It was a commitment we took to the election because we knew that universal health care was a part of Australia's identity. It's about accessibility, which provides the foundation for every cost-of-living measure this government introduces. We're using medicine, health and every measure we can to assist families in electorates like mine to get control of that family budget, to literally get control of their lives and to maintain a level of calm in their homes when they come home from work. Only a Labor government builds and defends this universal health care—from Whitlam's Medibank to Hawke's Medicare to this bill around cheaper medicines today.”
“They start a practice and the cycle continues. We've reinstated that DPA status in my electorate, and it is making a world of difference to community members because lots of the clinics opened by overseas doctors, who have come to share their lives with us, are bulk-billing every patient who walks through the door. Now they're able to give them scripts that people can afford, and our pensioners and anybody who is eligible for PBS scripts is benefitting from all of that. This bill will reduce the PBS general co-payment from $31.60 to just $25 from 1 January next year. It doubles down on what we've already done to make those scripts cheaper by bringing them down to $31.60. Now they're going to come down by another 20 per cent. It will slash the maximum cost of PBS medicines.”
“It means that you don't have to go to the doctor as often, and it means that we can protect that universal health system that we're so proud of. As the member for Lalor, I have fought to have the DPA status reinstated for my community. That status was ripped away from us by the previous government, and that saw a 30 per cent drop in GPs in my community. The way the DPA works is that doctors trained overseas—many live in my community—get a DPA-status placement where they work longer hours or after hours so that a clinic stays open until 10 o'clock, staffed by an overseas doctor working to have their accreditation acknowledged in Australia. That is the bread and butter of GP clinics in my electorate, where we train overseas doctors in Australian practice. People get their credentials then buy a house and dig in.”
“The Albanese Labor government is providing practical, immediate cost-of-living relief with long-term benefits for every community. Think about it. We come to government, and there's a cost-of-living crisis. Interest rates are spiralling. What do we look to? We look to the things that families need right now, like control of the family budget. We look to controlling the energy costs inside their homes. We look to the cost of medicines. What an insightful decision from our minister for health, to look at recommendations that may have come to previous governments and been shoved aside as not important or not a priority. In this scenario, this government comes into office and embraces the 60-day script, an idea rejected by the previous government, because of what it means in a cost-of-living crisis.”
“As a teacher, I have seen what cost-of-living pressure can do to families. I've seen it, and I've lived it with families, with kids walking into the school gate who've come from a home where the bills are stacking up on the fridge and chaos is looming. Parents lose control of their lives, and that chaos impacts on young people as they walk into the school gate. Anything a government can do to create a positive budgetary frame for families to reduce the pressure of cost of living is a good thing. This legislation is not just about great medicine. It's not just about quality of life. It's not just about living longer. It's actually at that grassroots level of giving people control of their household budgets. It's a cost-saving measure. It's a cost-of-living measure as well as being a health measure.”