Rebekha Sharkie
Mayo · Centre Alliance · Australia
“People often say to me, 'What's the greatest thing that you love about your job?' I would say—what I love the most is actually never in the media—that what I love the most is when my team and I can help somebody with their aged care issue or their NDIS package or a Centrelink problem.”
“For all of us, and certainly for me, that is my team members, and some of them have been with me for many, many, many years. Whether they've been with me for a short time or a long time, I've got to say that every single member of my team has been fantastic. They really have. I love the team of people I work with.”
“These have all been incredibly worthwhile and important projects that our whole community has backed in together. One that we've all really loved and enjoyed being on is the Amy Gillett Bikeway. That's now been extended from Mount Torrens to Birdwood.”
“Ten years ago today, the community of Mayo put their trust in me to represent them. I'd particularly like to acknowledge former senator Nick Xenophon. Nick Xenophon put his trust in me to represent his party.”
“I mustn't forget Kangaroo Island and upgrades to Hog Bay Road which have improved safety. We've had such enormous population growth, but there is so much more to do. There's always so much to do. When I look at health, we have emergency departments that have been upgraded at Victor Harbor and a new emergency department in Mount Barker.”
“He is constantly asked by children and teachers if his skin hurts, if the eczema is getting worse and, by some children, 'What's wrong with you?' There are thousands of children just like Angus in Australia whose severe eczema will cause some long-term physical and emotional harm if they cannot access new treatments.”
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“As I've said before, we have taken away the Australian dream in just one generation, and I feel for young people. My three children are all desperately saving. One just got their block poured for a very modest home. It's their first dream home. But they saved for years and had second jobs to make it work. It's quite clear how we have done this. We've done it by inflating demand and through record migration. I have looked at the data of migration levels since Federation. Whenever we have exponentially lifted migration, we've caused inflation. It's just the way it is. It's a simple demand-supply proposal. It's Economics 101. I'm not sure if it's to create growth in the economy, but all it has done is price our kids out of homeownership.”
“There is a name for loans that are given to people who can't afford them. They're called subprime mortgages, and they caused the global financial crisis back in 2007-08. I remember it very well. This is government sanctioned taxpayer-supported subprime lending. Many people have short memories, but, back in 2007-08 in the financial crisis, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac loans collapsed under the weight of risky mortgage backed securities that they acquired and guaranteed fuelling a housing bubble in the US, in particular. When that burst, it sent shockwaves right across the world. Whole neighbourhoods collapsed. Whole neighbourhoods were boarded up with homes unsellable. Who is giving the government this economic advice? Surely the Reserve Bank wouldn't have supported this proposal?”
“Inflation is real. There were further inflation figures out yesterday which should cause everyone concern. They were higher than expected. In South Australia, the cap has been lifted from a house price of $600,000 to $900,000. This will just make the base price $900,000 for an entry level home in South Australia, because the artificial demand will create that as the default price. The minister said: Right now, we need to lean in and help those first home buyers get their foothold in the market. Quite frankly, I'm not sure what the 'lean in' vernacular means, but I can tell you what the outcome will be. It will be inflationary. It will not lower house prices, and it will catch young people and first home buyers desperately wanting to own their own home into a trap, and they will not be able to get out of it.”
“As taxpayers, people right across the nation with homes of much lesser value are going to be picking up the pieces. The kicker is that this is not going to make homes more affordable at all. All it will do is set the new base house price at the top level of this scheme for each state, because the demand for this scheme will be so high that it's going to artificially inflate house prices. Part of the reason why the demand will be so high is that we've had record net migration in this nation. Over one million people have moved here just in this government's last term, and they're all going to be wanting to partake in this proposal. I understand that. It's simple economics that this program, coupled with record migration, is going to add to the demand side of this equation. It's like pouring kerosene on an already lit bonfire.”
“In New South Wales, it's now going to be based at $1.5 million, so there's an increase of $600,000 on the top price that this program applies to. It's really open slather, as I said. In effect, a couple could get mortgage for $1.2 million, put down a five per cent deposit of $75,000 and the taxpayer is on the hook for $225,000. What could possibly go wrong? They only need to get sick or not be able to earn for a short period and, very quickly, those mortgage payments and that family's life or that individual's life would fall apart. At a rate of six per cent, monthly payments on a $1.2 million loan over 40 years are approximately $7,193 a month, with total interest paid of roughly $2.25 million. Who really pays when it falls apart? It's going to be the taxpayer.”
“You could say that they also limited the risk for us as taxpayers if a person or family defaulted. Now, the government's throwing caution to the wind on this. In my nine years in this place, I think that this is the most populist, reckless and inflationary public policy program I have seen, and I've seen a few. It is dangerous. It is going to drive up house prices like never before, and here is why. The scheme is now open to anyone who's a first home buyer, no matter their income. The scheme has been lifted to the most astronomical house prices, and all that's going to do is lift the default house price in each state to set the bar at whatever that threshold is. The government has lifted the cap for properties in all areas.”
“For many of us in this room, when we were buying our first homes, or perhaps even subsequent homes, we needed to pay mortgage insurance of some amount. It is designed to protect the mortgagor in the case of the mortgagee defaulting on the loan. Twenty per cent is calculated as the maximum expected decline on a property price, and, ultimately, it just safeguards the bank from losing money. Now, taxpayers will pick up the bill and will bear the burden of any loss from defaulted loans. Initially, this program was set for 50,000 homes. Initially, this program was capped, with a focus on assisting working Australians who were earning up to $125,000 as an individual or $200,000 as a couple. Initially, they were modest, 'first-home-buyer house value' caps on what you could purchase.”
“The government has pushed through what are radical changes under the Housing Australia Act through some bizarre, administrative ministerial direction so that we will not properly debate, in this place, this proposal. Instead, we are left with what I feel is an inferior take-note motion. The government is, in my view, circumventing the purpose of this parliament in what is feeling like a rather dictatorial and deeply concerning practice. If the government are so intent that what they want to deliver is good public policy, then they should debate this legislation properly. This legislative instrument builds on the government's initial Help to Buy scheme, where taxpayers are on the hook for the remaining 15 per cent of a deposit to relieve buyers of mortgage insurance. Mortgage insurance is a lot of money.”
“My question is to the Minister for Aged Care and Seniors. On 31 March, 87,597 older Australians were assessed and waiting for home care at their approved level. As of today, that figure is estimated to be over 100,000. Older Australians are dying while waiting for aged care. What justification does the government have for delaying the promised additional home-care packages from July to November this year?”
“I'm concerned about the cost of this new system for our older generations, who have built this country, raised younger generations and paid their taxes to support others in times of need. I also recognise the many benefits of the reforms, including an independent complaints process, safeguards for decision-making, protections for whistleblowers, enhanced quality safeguards and a rights based aged-care system. However, we are not doing right by older Australians in terms of the current waitlist for home-care packages and the enormous unknown volume of people just waiting to be seen. In conclusion, while I support this bill, and despite a royal commission, there are still many failings in how we deliver aged care in our nation. Overall, we need to do much, much better by our older Australians.”
“Despite Beryl having received aged care since 2020, and thus being no worse off in terms of co-payments, this price hike would create a stark deficit in her care from 1 November. It is clear that she would be worse off in so many measures. Fortunately, Beryl has since been approved for a high-level home-care package. Rather than increasing her care as hoped, a significant proportion of this additional funding will be absorbed by increased hourly rates for core supports and trying to maintain some of her other pre-existing services. Government assurances sent to Beryl in May that there were measures in place to ensure reasonable home-care fees appear empty, given the price hikes that she is going to experience.”
“This will dramatically erode the care that people will receive from their package money, even for those guaranteed to be no worse off in terms of personal co-contributions. Charging twice as much per hour will only reduce the amount of care and services received. My constituent Beryl was provided with spreadsheets from her home-care provider. They showed that, if she were to maintain her current hours of personal care and domestic assistance following the introduction of Support at Home in November, she would have a funding shortfall of nearly $1,500 per month. Further, Beryl's funding would no longer cover the services she has received for years, including continence aids, Webster medication packaging, occasional meals, emergency alert monitoring and more.”
“Some carers report being asked by the assessor to comment on the abilities of the person being assessed without having the training to accurately describe this, all in the presence of the person that's being assessed. So, after waiting three to six months for an assessment and then up to a year—and now it's over a year—for the home-care package, when they finally receive care, older people will be paying more for it under this new system. Increases in the hourly rates for personal care and domestic assistance of up to 100 per cent have been flagged by some providers in Mayo. These increases are proposed to commence from 1 November. Some increases are above the indicative price guides that have been issued for Support at Home services.”
“We're not talking about the actual package; we are talking about someone conducting the assessment on a person, particularly when their needs change. Peter's family say there were advised by My Aged Care to book respite care for Peter in October without having an assessment conducted and approval in place. This was not tenable since they were told it would be costing $600 per day, compared with $40 to $60 per day if he had an assessment and approval for respite. Advocates advise that they are hearing from many older people seeking assistance with long assessment wait times. Some aged-care assessment providers are resorting to telehealth to address the delays. While this may seem quicker, telehealth aged-care assessments are unlikely to deliver the best outcomes for older people, particularly those with more complex needs.”
“While it may slow the growth of the actual waiting list—those numbers waiting for packages, those people waiting for packages—it inadequately reflects the buildup of unmet demand, which continues to rise. My constituents Valerie and Peter have been trying since April to secure a reassessment for Peter as his needs have changed markedly since his initial aged-care assessment in 2021. Despite growing urgency, their family's concerted efforts to contact My Aged Care and the assessment provider every week or two and support from my office, they've only just secured a telephone reassessment for Peter this week, three months later. It's unreasonable for families to have to advocate to this extent simply to secure an assessment date.”
“The government's choice to continue this state of affairs when they have the power and the budget to address the delay in delivering home care is unkind to our most vulnerable citizens. I would say it is unjust. Advocates share these concerns, and they have also called for the release of the additional packages per the government's pre-election commitment. Sadly, this has not been heeded. Delays are exacerbated by lengthening the wait times for aged-care assessments at the start of the process before someone is approved to go in the national priority system waiting list for home care. The government previously advised that the introduction of the single assessment system for aged care would help streamline assessment processes and clear backlogs. My constituents and peak bodies tell me that this is having the opposite effect.”
“They may have to be hospitalised or, as I said, relocate to residential care. And, as I said, some will pass away. Last year, I asked the former minister for aged care how many people had passed away or entered residential aged care during the 2023-2024 year while waiting for their approved level of home care. I was informed that 3,383 people died and 7,380 entered residential aged care while waiting for their home-care package that had been approved but was still not with them. These people had expressed the desire to receive help at home, preferred by them and cheaper for the taxpayer, and applied for this, but, in the end, they didn't receive it and their wishes were thwarted.”
“The government's decision to defer delivery of these additional packages until after the new act starts on 1 November, rather than 1 July as promised, is a great disappointment. This will do one of two things. People will either end up injuring themselves and going into hospital or, perhaps prematurely, into an aged-care home—that is, of course, if they can get a bed; or, indeed, they will die at home, perhaps prematurely. The peak bodies are also very concerned. National Seniors has pointed out that, every time we refer to a backlog of the 87,597 packages, we are actually talking about nearly 90,000 people. These are people, not packages, who are not getting the care that they need and so rightly deserve. During that year of waiting for care for their approved level of care, their health will likely deteriorate.”
“I've asked advocates from the Council on the Ageing, COTA, National Seniors Australia, the Older Persons Advocacy Network, known as OPAN, and provider peak, Ageing Australia, for their comments on this bill, and I thank them for their ongoing feedback on all things aged care. I regret, as do these well-respected bodies, the delay in commencement of the new rights and protections for older people under the act but understand the need to defer the commencement from 1 July this year to 1 November this year to enable providers and older people alike to properly prepare for change. I was pleased when the government heeded our calls by making a pre-election commitment to fund an additional 83,000 home-care places from 1 July to address the huge number of people waiting a year or more for their approved home-care packages to be allocated.”
“People will need quick, easy access to these supports and to aged-care service offices to address any questions or problems that may arise out of the implementation of the new act. I note the bill avoids substantive changes to the Aged Care Act passed late last year. Unfortunately, this means some worrying policies, such as charging increasing co-payments for personal care, will not be revisited. I remain concerned that increasing co-payments or personal care may be detrimental to older people, who may feel they cannot afford the care they need. While help with a daily shower is not clinical care, a person's health can decline quickly, necessitating clinical care if they, for example, suffer an infection or a fall in the shower due to receiving inadequate personal care.”
“This bill also includes automatic processes to support decisions on the classification level of aged care to which a person is entitled, the prioritisation and allocation of aged-care places and means testing to calculate how much a person should co-contribute financially to their care. Automation warrants real concern and caution, in my view. That's particularly so given the sobering example of robodebt and the unfriendliness of online systems for older members of our community and those for whom English is a second or third language. I therefore urge the government to guarantee improved availability of services to assist older people with that transition. Over the last 12 months, my constituents have reported sporadic difficulty and lengthy waiting times on the Services Australia aged-care line and My Aged Care.”
“This seems to be cutting things very fine for providers, who will need to prepare for implementation, and for recipients of aged-care, who need to know what to expect. I understand the bill includes a time limited rule-making power to enable the government to move more quickly to address emerging issues following the implementation. This is highly unusual and concerning, and I do not think this place should write a blank cheque by providing the minister with the power to make rules which could alter and override rights, entitlements and obligations set out in the act. That is the express intent of the parliament, without parliamentary consideration. That's the purpose of us being here.”
“It aims to ensure the act's smooth implementation through transitional changes from the old to new act, including ensuring correct payment of aged-care subsidies; provision for interim services to be provided in high-demand periods; allowing access to unspent funds; clarifying information sharing between the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing and Services Australia, which will be very important; provision of substantial penalties for misuse of personal information; and requiring five-yearly reviews of the Aged Care Quality Standards. The bill refers to aged-care rules, the final version of which are not due to be tabled until October. I hear of a 1 November start date.”
“In representing Mayo, the oldest electorate by median age in South Australia and among the top 10 oldest in the nation, I have the privilege of assisting my constituents with their aged-care issues and other issues they and their loved ones experience. I wish to lend my voice to support my older constituents as we consider the Aged Care and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2025. This bill will provide for technical and consequential amendments to give effect to the Aged Care Act 2024.”
“This vulnerability is through no fault of our own. We need the federal government to step up, help us and make those words reality.”
“There are workers without incomes, families facing hardships, small businesses struggling to stay afloat and whole industries in jeopardy. South Australia's beachside communities are facing an uncertain future, and there is no end in sight. We can all help by visiting affected communities, and I would say that to everybody in Mayo: go down and visit, go to the pub or go and do your shopping down at one of our coastal communities and support our local businesses. These communities deserve more support from the federal government. The Prime Minister recently said that the people of Australia voted and said, 'Yes, we do judge a society by how it looks after the most vulnerable.' Well, right now, Prime Minister, we are incredibly vulnerable in Mayo and in South Australia. We need those words put into action.”
“The $14 million from the Commonwealth is not enough; that's less than half a roundabout. The Prime Minister should declare this a natural disaster, a national emergency, because it is a disaster of national significance. It feels like it's a bushfire under the sea. The National Emergency Declaration Act 2020 allows for preparation, response and recovery from emergencies that cause or are likely to cause nationally significant harm. There is a broad definition which constitutes nationally significant harm; harm to life, health, animals, plants and the environment are included among the criteria. An emergency declaration would trigger federal assistance, payments including one-off financial support and a short-term income support payment for those whose income is affected by disaster. We need a COVID-style package offering help.”
“My electorate of Mayo, and virtually the entire coastline of South Australia, is in the midst of an environmental catastrophe. The harmful algal bloom is an unprecedented natural disaster. On top of the environmental impacts, there are devastating economic and social impacts for businesses, industries and communities. I'm hearing stories of businesses experiencing financial hardship, staff having their hours reduced and families cancelling beach holidays. This is affecting coastal communities in every sense. The South Australian government has offered business owners $10,000 grants, and up to $100,000 is available for commercial fishers and aquaculture licences. This is a positive start but this support does not go far enough, and the federal government needs to step in and help more.”
“My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for the Environment. The Great Southern Reef stretches from Western Australia across the southern states to New South Wales. It has more unique biodiversity than the Great Barrier Reef but receives just a fraction of the federal funding. With the algal bloom catastrophe in South Australia, will the government commit to properly funding monitoring of the Great Southern Reef?”
“In the last two decades, Need for Feed has delivered more than $45 million worth of fodder across the country to farmers impacted by drought, flood and fire. I'd really like to thank Graham—he's an inspiration and a true Australian—and all the Need for Feed volunteers for showing such incredible care and assistance to our farming and rural communities. It's about saying: 'We're there with you. We're standing with you.' We've had good rain in South Australia, but there's no food on the ground, and this work is lifesaving not just for the animals but for the farmers, too, so thank you to Graham, Need for Feed and the Lions Club of Australia.”
“I want to express gratitude for one of our country's most generous and caring organisations, the volunteer-run Lions Club, and their Need for Feed project. I recently attended a dinner with the Lions clubs of Victor Harbor and Goolwa in my electorate of Mayo where I had the pleasure of meeting the pioneer for Need for Feed, Graham Cockerell, and he's an inspirational man. It started with just one small truckload of Graham's own hay, which he delivered to a drought affected farmer 20 years ago. Over the weekend, Graham and Need for Feed were part of a huge convoy of trucks across the Nullarbor Plain from Western Australia, carrying 6,000 hay and straw bales to drought-hit farmers across South Australia, including in my electorate of Mayo.”
“But science must inform decision-making for the future, and we must invest in science. We need to invest to help our communities that are being so terribly impacted by this dreadful algal bloom crisis.”
“The Great Southern Reef Foundation has been calling for baseline monitoring across the reef, which stretches from Western Australia, South Australia, Victoria, Tasmania and all the way along the New South Wales coast. The federal government invests in monitoring the Great Barrier Reef and we should be investing in the Great Southern Reef. We've already got facilities like the Goyder institute's Coorong Lower Lakes and Murray Mouth Research Centre—often known as CLLMM—which, if provided with additional funding and parameters, is well positioned to monitor the frequency and intensity of algal blooms in the Coorong and Lower Lakes region and to do research, more broadly, on issues affecting the climate. As far as what can be done to address the environmental disaster, marine experts from across the world are largely at a loss.”
“I'm encouraged by the $14 million investment by the South Australian government into research, real-time monitoring and community and business support, and it's good to see the federal government has matched that amount. But, really, that spend, from a federal perspective, is like a drop in the ocean. It does not come close to recognising the magnitude of this disaster. It is a national crisis. This harmful bloom might be in South Australia now but it could potentially cross into other states, and we need further investment in science to determine what causes these blooms and where and when they might occur in the future. This information will help communities plan for future bloom events and their impacts.”
“It's an environmental catastrophe, nothing short of a natural disaster, and it is devastating to witness. Then there are the socioeconomic impacts for coastal communities and industries such as commercial and recreational fishing, aquaculture, tourism and beach recreation. There are potential health consequences too, and some of my constituents report symptoms akin to an allergic reaction, respiratory issues, eye itches, sneezing and rashes. Right now, we have no idea how long this bloom will last or where it will move next. That's where we are right now. The next question is: what can be done and how should the federal government help?”
“Experts believe this toxic bloom has been caused by several factors: a marine heatwave sending water temperatures at least two degrees above normal; and a nutrient influx from the floods that came down the River Murray. Where does this leave us? If we look at the Coorong, locals and scientists say the bloom has been causing severe ecological damage, killing off species including coastal crabs, snails and worms—species essential for food sources for both fish and shorebirds. On our beaches, locals describe areas as a marine graveyard—and it is horrific to see. More than 14,000 marine deaths have been reported, affecting more than 400 species. And that's just what people have found washed up; goodness knows what's happened out in the ocean. We're talking about fish, stingrays, sharks, sea dragons, sand crabs and so much more.”
“This outbreak might have first been recognised in our patch of the world, but it now stretches along metropolitan Adelaide, the Yorke Peninsula and across the Eyre Peninsula, and it's made its way into one of the most fragile ecosystems—the Coorong. If you're unfamiliar with the Coorong, it's at the mouth of the River Murray and it's a RAMSAR site. It's a wetland recognised for its international importance. Concerningly, testing has confirmed the presence of this toxic algae in the Coorong north lagoon. What is causing this environmental disaster? Algae are naturally occurring and found globally in saltwater and freshwater, but some algae produce toxins. When that grows excessively it becomes incredibly harmful, and that's what's happened in South Australia.”
“South Australia is in the grips of two natural disasters: the ongoing drought across large parts of our state affecting our primary producers and rural communities; and the environmental disaster along our coastlines and in our oceans—the toxic algal bloom, unprecedented in terms of scale, impact and duration. It was back in March this year that the harmful algal bloom was first identified in a couple of popular fishing spots in Mayo, in Waitpinga and in Parsons Beach. In Mayo we take in the Adelaide Hills, the Fleurieu Peninsula and Kangaroo Island. We have more than 715 kilometres of coastline, a coastline that's been ravaged by this harmful algal bloom.”
“My question is to the Minister for Communications. Just 1.6 per cent of Australians solely use a landline, while nearly 90 per cent have a smart phone. Will the government expand the Universal Service Obligation to the mobile phone network in the regions and, if not, why not?”
“Domestic demand for water has reduced the water pressure to such an extent that filling up a tank, which once took around half an hour, is now taking an hour and a half, extending critical delivery times. My office has been in contact with the office for the South Australian minister for water. There are practical steps that we can take to improve water deliveries, which are being shared between our offices. We need to work collaboratively and quickly, and I'm pleased that our offices have a mutual desire to fix this issue.”
“Some parts of South Australia have had the lowest rainfall since records began. In 2024 Strathalbyn received just 68 per cent of their average rainfall; Cape Willoughby, 62 per cent; and Gumeracha, just 59 per cent. The dams are drying up, and there's no feed in the paddocks. While we're accustomed to periods of drought, households in Mayo not connected to mains water are running out of water—no water for drinking, no water for washing clothes and no water for cleaning the children. For many, this is their first time. Typically, water carters fill up empty tanks; however, the demand is so great that some households have been told that they can't get a tanker until March. Some are making the heartbreaking decision to leave their homes. I'm advised that one water carter has more than 50 customers who have run out of water.”
“There's around a $31,000 difference in pay and that is meaning fewer students are going through this pathway. We also need to lift the Commonwealth supported places to study medicine. That has effectively flatlined in the last decade. With an ageing population and a growing population, what we're seeing is a shortfall of 10,000 GPs across Australia. That's what the AMA is saying. That's the cliff that we're facing. It was great to hold this forum, and I look forward to fixing this issue with the parliament.”
“On 1 February I co-hosted the inaugural SA future GP forum with the General Practice Registrars Australia. That brought together registrars, pre-vocational doctors and general practice students from across 21 universities across Australia. The aim was to hear how we can help these students and registrars ensure they go through a pathway to being a general practitioner. That's because fewer than 10 per cent, or around 10 per cent, of medical students actually decide to become GPs now. That's down from 50 per cent in previous decades. Why? There's a few reasons One of the reasons is the inequitable pay difference between being a registrar in a hospital and going into a GP practice. What we know is that we need to fund medical practices around Australia to take on students, to take on registrars.”
“Their platforms use AI sensors to monitor residents and communicate with residents to optimise carer and ambulance response times in emergencies. It monitors health indicators, like heart, pulse and breathing rates, and also whether someone has had a fall. It creates alerts when predictive indicators are triggered. It also automates data collection for staff roster management and for reporting healthcare providers' quarterly statistics to the Department of Health and Ageing. DreamsEdge was founded by technologists who wanted to support their own ageing parents, and it is now improving the safety and the quality of life of older Australians. So congratulations and well done to DreamsEdge, and thank you for coming and meeting with me in my electorate.”
“Across the country there are thousands of entrepreneurial businesses making a difference to everyday Australians. One such business, in my electorate of Mayo, is DreamsEdge, a small Australian company working on innovative technology for elder support. The fantastic work of small technology companies is often drowned out by the chorus of gratitude towards large companies and international consulting companies. Consequently, many of the wonderful advances in technology created by small to medium companies goes unnoticed, and it fails to be adopted by government. DreamsEdge focuses on technology that helps older Australians to stay in their homes safely and also assists in residential aged-care facilities.”
“The brunt of the impact of this is in regional Australia. It's not in Mitcham, Morphett Vale or Elizabeth. This is in the regions, and the regions must have this addressed.”
“We need to seriously lift the number of medical places, because our population has grown substantially but we've only seen very marginal increases. I think that in the last couple of years there have been maybe 100 extra places across the nation to study medicine, while we have an ageing population. These are two very simple policy matters that are contained and can be addressed. Those things could change One sits in education and one sits with the health minister. So I support the member for Calare's motion in saying that this is a critical issue. If, as people do in some parts of my electorate, you live an hour or an hour and a quarter from the city and you can't get in to see a GP, or you move to the area and the GP says, 'We're not even going to add you to our books,' that is a very serious issue.”
“If you are a registrar and you want to go down the GP pathway, you have a shortfall of about $30,000 every year in costs. If you stay in the hospital and work as a registrar in a hospital setting, you get access to study leave and paternity leave, as well as that difference in income. That is a real barrier to people who want to be GPs going and doing the study to become GPs. So we need to address that. That funding was cut in 2014, and it hasn't been brought back since then. That, I think, has had a huge impact. The other issue is that we haven't lifted Commonwealth supported places to study medicine in pretty much a decade. Again, the number was frozen in 2014 and governments of both persuasions have not lifted it.”
“On the Fleurieu and the south coast, where the median age is north of 60, the doctors have closed their books. They're saying, 'Well, we're not putting anyone on, because we can't get any doctors into the region.' I've written to the health minister about this. So what are the solutions? What do the general practitioners tell us are the solutions? Just over a week ago, we had a general practitioners register forum in my electorate. I co-hosted this. It was the SA Future GP Forum, held in McLaren Vale. They talked about a number of issues, and they also, importantly, came up with solutions. We know that some time ago—maybe 10 or 15 years ago—around 50 per cent of medical students were looking to go into general practice. Now that's down to 10 per cent. There are a few reasons for this. One of the reasons is the cost difference.”
“In South Australia, an overseas doctor can go and work in Mitcham, a very nice, well-heeled area, instead of going out to the bush, and that is what they are doing. They are living in North Adelaide and working in Elizabeth. They are living in Unley and working in Morphett Vale. They're living in Mitcham and working in Mitcham. They are not going to the bush. That is something that changed with the change of government, and that has had a profound impact on my electorate. I'm in a region. I can only imagine what it's like out in Grey or Lingiari, way out west. In my electorate, what that's meant is that we've had closures in Meadows and Yankalilla. These are clinics that have closed. We have had historic shortages across Kangaroo Island. It has taken weeks—sometimes a month—to get in to see a doctor.”