Mark Butler
Hindmarsh · Australian Labor Party · Australia
“But earlier today we were all in here voting on the latest instalment in the member for Lindsay's ongoing but thus far unsuccessful campaign to rebrand the Liberal Party.”
“I thank the member for Werriwa for her contribution and for her really strong support for everything we're doing to make Medicare stronger and make medicines cheaper. I thank all members for their contributions to the debate on this bill. As the member for Werriwa said, Medicare is the very best of Australia.”
“I thank the member for his question, which is a question I've answered before in this place since the budget. As I've said on a number of occasions publicly and in this chamber, the additional support that over-65s have received since about 2004 for their private health insurance premium is something we did revisit given the significant p…”
“But, under ours, they'll receive an increase of more than 20 per cent, or an additional $160 million in this year alone, which means more doctors, more nurses and better care in Tasmania.”
“Importantly, this bill provides stability so patients can continue to benefit from the outcomes of these programs and strengthened access to primary care.”
“That approach gives providers and the government greater certainty while preserving the flexibility needed to keep program settings up to date as health system needs evolve. Importantly, the bill does not change the underlying policy settings of existing programs.”
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“It just reminds us that the leadership, the frontbench, of those opposite hate urgent care clinics. Their backbench, though, are very supportive of them—constantly advocating for one, sending us emails and starting up petitions! If only their frontbench let them get what they want! But I thank the member for Cunningham for her question and for her advocacy for a stronger Medicare in the Illawarra, particularly in Wollongong. She is a fierce advocate for strengthening Medicare, but also, I have to say, a really fierce advocate for better aged-care services. She understands the aged-care sector incredibly well and is constantly talking to me and to the aged-care minister about how we can improve things for her community, and I thank her for that. I also know that she is incredibly appreciative of the record investment in bulk-billing.”
“Once that strategy is delivered as a final document—and it will be very shortly—we will use that and the 10-year statutory review of the MRFF, which the Treasurer and the Minister for Finance recently received and published, to consider a range of things, including the matter that the member has now raised a few times in question time over the last couple of weeks and that was the subject of quite some advocacy by the medical research institute sector as well.”
“It's about 30 per cent and has been about 30 per cent through the course of its time. The ARC, I think, has a success rate closer to 20 per cent. The MREA from the NHMRC has a success rate of 15 per cent. We'd all like that to be higher, but the MRFF performs pretty well. As the Treasurer said last week, though, I think, the government is taking this very seriously. As I said and the Treasurer said, we are pulling together a single, united, national health and medical research strategy under the leadership of Rosemary Huxtable AO, former secretary of the finance department and former deputy secretary of the department of health. I can't believe the Leader of the Opposition is interjecting about health and medical research, but such is life.”
“We initiated the process to set it up when we were last in government, and I had ministerial responsibility for this area. To their credit, it was put in place—and now has a capital of about $24 billion—by the former government, and, as you say, it distributes about $650 million each and every year. I heard some remarks in a release from the member and a number of the institutes earlier today about the success rate and applicants that had not been able to receive funding from the MRFF. As the member well knows, success rates for all of the government's research funds are well short of 100 per cent, so well short of 100 per cent of good, worthy applicants are actually able to receive funding. I think, actually, the MRFF has a success rate above the others.”
“Thank you to the Prime Minister for giving me the opportunity to answer the member's question. Can I say, first of all, how much we value your experience and contributions in this place to health policy generally—particularly the time you're taking to represent and advocate the interests of the medical research institute sector, which has been in the building over the last several days. You and I were both at the AAMRI dinner the other night with a number of members—at least on this side of the House—and Senator Ruston was there as well. This is a question you've asked before, over the last couple of weeks, to me and to the Treasurer. Our position hasn't changed. I do want to take the opportunity to reaffirm our commitment to the MRFF. This is an institution of which both sides of the House can be proud.”
“I move: That, in accordance with section 10B of the Health Insurance Act 1973 , the House approve the Health Insurance (Extended Medicare Safety Net) Amendment (Indexation No. 2) Determination 2025 made on 4 November 2025 and presented to the House on 5 November 2025. Question agreed to.”
“Kai recently completed his Surf Rescue Certificate, and that training gave him the skills and the calm to act when it mattered most. More than that, it was his heart, courage, compassion and mateship that made the difference and saved those lives that day. We should celebrate and support programs like Surf Life Saving, youth volunteering and first aid education, because these programs not only teach skills, they also give young people the confidence to act when it truly matters. Their bravery saved two lives. They've made their families, their surf club and our state incredibly proud.”
“These young men didn't wait for someone else to take charge. They didn't freeze or second-guess the situation. They drew on their training, their teamwork and their instinct for doing what is right. Because of them, that grandmother and her grandson are alive today. Their bravery has already rightly been recognised. The boys received a ministerial award from South Australian education minister Blair Boyer. They have been nominated, quite rightly, for a Surf Life Saving award. And today I'm proud to announce that I've nominated Kai, Cruz, Louis and Riley for a bravery commendation through the Governor-General's office, an honour that I believe they richly deserve. These young men remind us of the power of youth, training, teamwork and community spirit.”
“Kai and Cruz paddled straight out into the rough surf to reach the young boy, while Louis and Riley worked to help the grandmother, using their boards to bring her safely back to shore. Kai later said, 'I had to stay calm, because this can't be the last moment of their lives.' Those are remarkable words from a 14-year-old boy. What makes his actions even more extraordinary is that Kai was undergoing chemotherapy at the time. He was fighting his own battle, yet when he saw someone else in danger, he didn't think of himself, he thought only of saving others. In fact, today, 5 November 2025, is a special day for Kai. It's his final day of chemotherapy, and I know everyone here will want to join me in wishing him strength, good health and congratulations on this truly inspiring milestone.”
“Today I'd like to share a story that captures the very best of our young people—their courage, their compassion and their instinct to help others, even in the face of real danger. Earlier this year at West Beach in my electorate, a grandmother and her young grandson were swept into a powerful rip after the boy fell from the rocks. In a matter of seconds, what began as a normal afternoon turned into a life-or-death emergency. On that same beach were four remarkable teenage boys—Kai Nixon and Cruz Campbell, both just 14 years old, along with their friends Louis Kempster, 16, and Riley Kellock, 18. When they saw what was happening, they did not hesitate for a moment.”
“Thank you, Prime Minister, for giving me the opportunity to respond to that. I haven't had a conversation with the member over the last several days, but I'm very pleased to report to the member and to the House that, as far as I can tell, every single general practice clinic in the member's electorate has indicated that, as a result of our investment on Saturday, they will be 100 per cent bulk-billing. That's every single GP clinic in the electorate of Fowler.”
“This is the guy who, every time we mention health care, like Pavlov's dog, whips out the credit card—he whips out the AMEX every time we say 'Medicare'. I thought this: in a week where those opposite could barely come to a single position on a resolution that says the sun rises in the east and sets in west, the one thing that always unites them is how much they hate bulk-billing.”
“GP after GP that I have met have told us how much they appreciate having the investment from us that allows them to bulk-bill more of their patients, even if, I do acknowledge, some doctors continue to argue as they have for 40 years that they would prefer the investment to go to them without strings attached around patient outcomes. Then there is the coalition. The day before our record investment—which, apparently, they supported in the election campaign—had even started, the shadow minister already said it was unravelling, which is about as funny as I remember John Howard saying that Medicare was one of the Hawke government's greatest failures, not to be outdone in the comedy stakes. The Leader of the Nationals said this week that 'the best friend of Medicare at the moment is the National Party'.”
“In just the first week of our record investment in bulk-billing, the number of GP clinics in the electorate of Aston that are bulk-billing all their patients all of the time has tripled, and that number is just going to keep growing. This investment, as the question indicates, has obviously been very broadly supported by patient groups. I know that, as a cancer survivor, this member is particularly focused on the response of a group like the Cancer Council, who have said: This is a significant step forward for cancer care in Australia, saving patients hundreds of dollars, and strengthening the integral involvement of general practice in cancer care support.”
“Earlier this year those opposite were telling any journalist who stood still for five seconds that they were going to romp in at the last election in Aston. But they didn't reckon on the fighting spirit of this member. They didn't reckon on the energy that she brought to campaigning for our plan to build Australia and strengthen Medicare. She knows that is right plan for her community in Melbourne's east. She knows that. The Maroondah Medicare Urgent Care Clinic in her electorate has already seen thousands and thousands of members of her community across seven days a week, delivering high-quality urgent care, fully bulk-billed, completely free of charge.”
“But it's also good for the practice, and it's also good for the individual doctors. That's why the member for Gilmore is out there talking up our record investment.”
“In just one week, the number of GP clinics in Gilmore that bulk-bill every patient that comes through their door has doubled. Today, almost half of the practices in Gilmore are 100 per cent bulk-billing, and that number will continue to grow because these clinics in regional Australia get an even bigger boost from our record investment than clinics in the city. The Medicare payment for a standard bulk-billed consult in a town like Moruya last week was $44. This week it is $87, double the price it was last week. It has doubled in one week. And those bulk-billing clinics, for 100 per cent of their patients, get 12½ per cent loading on top of that. That is why these clinics are making the shift. It's obviously good for their patients. The patients can go to their doctors when they need it rather than when they think they can afford it.”
“She recently visited Grand Pacific Health Centre in Nowra, where the practice manager, Charise Morris, said this: 'This will make a huge difference. If people don't have to pay that gap for general consults, that's food in their mouths.' The Sussex Doctors at Sussex Inlet posted this on Facebook—she brought this to my attention: Healthcare made more affordable at Sussex Doctors! We're proud to be a Fully Bulk Billing Clinic, ensuring everyone in our community can access quality medical care. The Prime Minister will love this: Your appointment covered by Medicare—just bring your card. The Bomaderry Creek Health Centre also said on Facebook that they're bulk-billing all patients from 1 November 2025. Recently, the member met with GPs at the Queen Street Medical Centre at Moruya. They're also taking up this expanded bulk-billing incentive.”
“The member for Gilmore is an amazing advocate for a stronger Medicare on the South Coast. Because of her relentless advocacy, we'll soon be extending the operating hours at the Batemans Bay urgent care clinic to 18 hours a day, seven days a week to soak up some of the demand that is going to flow from changes to the hospital at Batemans Bay that the New South Wales government has made. We'll also shortly announce details of the urgent care clinic at Nowra that is going to soak up some of the demand from the really busy emergency department at the Shoalhaven District Memorial Hospital. But it's not just better urgent care that the member for Gilmore campaigns about. She's been out and about talking up our record investment in bulk-billing.”
“Today, well over 1,000 general practices that last week were charging gap fees are this week bulk-billing every single patient that comes through their doors. That will grow every single day as we go about the hard work of delivering on our promise to strengthen Medicare.”
“It's a system that means Australians visit their GP when they need to, rather than when they feel they can finally afford to. Over three budgets now, this government led by this Prime Minister has steadily repaired the damage and the vandalism done to Medicare by the Liberal Party. We've delivered the three biggest overall increases to the Medicare rebate in the 30 years since Paul Keating was prime minister: number 1, number 2 and number 3. We tripled the bulk-billing incentive that doctors receive to bulk-bill pensioners, concession card holders and kids—which has turned the bulk-billing rate around for those 11 million Australians. It is back up to 92 per cent. And from this weekend, for the first time ever, we've extended bulk-billing support to every single Australian.”
“Today, three in four GP clinics in the member for Calwell's electorate are bulk-billing every single patient who comes through their door because of the record investment that kicked off, from our government, on Saturday. When we came to government, bulk-billing was in freefall. That's not my description; that's the word that was used by the college of GPs—and it's no mystery why. After Peter Dutton froze the Medicare rebate for a couple of years, the current Leader of the Opposition as health minister not only locked in that freeze but extended it for four long years. Surprise, surprise: when you freeze the income of GPs, bulk-billing starts to come under pressure. Well, we're turning that around. We are turning that around because, for Labor, bulk-billing is the beating heart of the Medicare system.”
“The member for Calwell has, frankly, had too much contact with the healthcare system over the last 12 months. First of all the system was caring for his mum, and then for his wife Natascha and for their beautiful baby boy, Noah. Noah returned home on election day after a long stay in the neonatal unit in Northern Hospital. That was six months ago today, and we're delighted he's doing so well. The member told us in his first speech how much he cherishes Medicare as a son, as a husband and as a father, and I know how hard he's working to strengthen Medicare as a member of this parliament. Last week, fewer than 40 per cent of GP clinics in the member for Calwell's electorate bulk-billed all of their patients. In just a few days, that number has this week almost doubled to over 75 per cent.”
“On 1 November, as the Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government said, new Medicare rebates are going to save around 300,000 women $400 to access contraceptive IUDs and implants. On 1 November, as the member said, the largest investment in bulk-billing in the history of Medicare kicks off. It's an investment that's good for doctors and it's an investment that's obviously, and most importantly, good for patients. The reason the member for Richmond is such a strong supporter of this investment is it's particularly good for regional Australia.”
“I thank the member for Richmond. For more than 20 years in this place, she has been one of the strongest voices for better health care for regional Australia. We're soon going to be able to announce together the location of the new Medicare urgent care clinic in the Tweed valley, which I know she is looking forward to enormously. Like everyone else on this side of the House, at least, she's also looking forward to this Saturday, because 1 November is going to be a red-letter day for health care in this country. On 1 November we're listing the fourth contraception on the PBS in just 12 months. After 30 years of not a single addition, this is four in just 12 months.”
“When they are, they'll be relieving pressure on local hospitals, they'll be delivering high-quality urgent care completely free of charge, and they'll be doing what the member for Sturt promised her electorate we would do: delivering a stronger Medicare.”
“She also promised a Medicare urgent care clinic for eastern Adelaide, one of 50 that we promised at the last election. We've already got 90 urgent care clinics operating around Australia, operating seven days a week—extended hours—and, already, more than two million patients have gone through those clinics, one-third of them under the age of 15. Every single one of them has been seen completely free of charge, fully bulk-billed. All they had to take was their Medicare card. I'm delighted to say to the House that expressions of interest for the remaining 47 clinics have already closed and have already been assessed. We'll be in a position over the next few weeks to make announcements about the locations of those clinics, and I hope that they will all be open by Christmas time.”
“Dr Trehan, who runs that clinic, told us that that clinic does currently charge gap fees to some patients to cover the costs of running the clinic. But she also told us that from this Saturday they will start bulk-billing all of their patients all of the time. Tomorrow we'll be visiting another clinic in her electorate making exactly the same shift. Already, some 1,000 clinics have informed us that they will be shifting to full bulk-billing next week after charging gap fees this week. That number is growing every single day, and it's on top of the 1,500 clinics that are already 100 per cent bulk-billing clinics. But the member for Sturt didn't just promise more doctors, more bulk-billing and cheaper medicines—although she did promise that.”
“Thanks to the member for Sturt—the best member for Sturt since Stormy Normy Foster won the electorate back in 1969, the 'Don's party' election. She's already giving terrific representation and service to the beautiful eastern suburbs of Adelaide. and she's making an amazing contribution to the debate around stronger Medicare and cheaper medicines that's deeply informed by her time as a board member of the iconic Royal Flying Doctor Service. Like everyone else on this side, the member for Sturt can well and truly look her electorate in the eye already and say, 'I'm delivering on the things that I promised I said I would deliver.' This month, she and I visited a terrific GP clinic, the Paramount health centre in Campbelltown in her electorate.”
“This bill gives the Australian CDC the tools it needs to lead Australia's public health response, making our system stronger, smarter and better prepared to protect all Australians. I commend the bill to the House.”
“The bill supports the Australian CDC in managing important public health information and upholding strict safeguards to protect certain sensitive information through amendments to the Freedom of Information Act. The bill repeals the act that established the Australian National Preventive Health Agency, which ceased operations in 2014. In the future the Australian CDC may take on more work in some areas that ANPHA focused on, such as chronic disease; however, this will be considered following an independent review in the future, giving the CDC time to build its core strengths. Finally, the bill includes transitional rules to make sure that the relevant parts from the old system move smoothly over to the new one.”
“The National Health Security Act 2007 will be updated so the Australian CDC can coordinate disease data from across the country. It will help keep the list of notifiable diseases up to date and act as Australia's main contact for international health emergencies. The CDC will also take charge of managing security-sensitive biological agents, which is another step in keeping Australians safe. The bill amends the National Occupational Respiratory Disease Registry Act 2023 to give the Australian CDC responsibility for the National Occupational Respiratory Disease Registry, helping us better understand and prevent respiratory diseases.”
“I want to thank the members who contributed to the debate on the Australian Centre for Disease Control (Consequential Amendments and Transitional Provisions) Bill 2025. This bill makes sure the Australian CDC has responsibilities under existing laws to protect our health more effectively. The Australian CDC will be independent and science driven, using advanced data to spot health risks early and give the best advice to government. It's about making sure we're ready to respond quickly and smartly to health threats. To do this, the bill updates the Biosecurity Act 2015 so that the CDC's director-general will decide which diseases we monitor at our borders. This means we'll focus on the diseases that pose the biggest risks to Australia.”
“After the further cuts to medicine prices that we'll see on 1 January, Australian women for the first time will have access to the widest possible range of contraception for no more than $100 a year. More choice, better access, lower costs—that's what we're delivering as part of our Strengthening Medicare agenda.”
“Already, half a million Australian women have filled 1.2 million cheaper scripts, saving tens of millions of dollars at the pharmacy counter and, just as importantly, getting the dignity, respect and recognition that our system should always have been giving them. But there is more that we can do. This week, we will list a fourth new contraceptive—this one a ring—which will give women even more affordable choices around contraception. On Saturday, new Medicare services will become available to allow women to access long-acting reversible contraceptives, like implants and IUDs. We think 300,000 women every year, because of that measure alone, will save around $400 to access that different type of medicine. Affordable, accessible contraception is not a luxury. It's not a discretion. It is essential health care.”
“For more than 30 years there wasn't a new oral contraceptive pill listed on the PBS; for 30 years there was not a new endometriosis medicine on the PBS; and for 20 years there was no new menopause hormone treatment on the PBS—not because they didn't exist; they did. They were widely used. It's just that no-one bothered putting them on the PBS, meaning that women had to pay top dollar for cutting-edge clinical treatment. We changed that earlier this year, with an $800 million women's health package. You have seen already, in just 12 months, three new oral contraceptive pills—Yaz, Yasmin and Slinda, widely used by women—three new menopause hormone treatments and two new endometriosis medicines at affordable PBS prices.”
“Thank you to the member for Corangamite for that question. I wish the Assistant Minister for Health and Aged Care was able to give the answer, under standing orders, because she is leading such terrific work in this area. She and I joined literally dozens of female members of our caucus earlier this morning to announce the latest measures in our women's health agenda. Having a government that is 57 per cent women, as health minister you are under no illusion about the truism that you cannot be serious about strengthening Medicare without getting serious about women's health. For too long we have heard that women have been getting a raw deal from the PBS and from Medicare in far too many areas.”
“Since we first tripled the bulk-billing incentive two years ago, the member for Clark's electorate has seen the biggest increase in bulk-billing of any electorate in the chamber, a 14 per cent increase, and more will come after Saturday. In Tasmania, we have seen the benefit of our policies to get more doctors and nurses into the system. The member for Clark has two urgent care clinics in his electorate, taking pressure off the hospitals that his question talks about.”
“This is the week when we are debating a bill to introduce a centre for disease control. This is the week when the Assistant Minister for Health and Aged Care is rolling out a whole range of new measures to deal with the neglect that has been there for so long around women's health. This is the week when we are introducing an entirely new aged-care system under the leadership of the Minister for Aged Care and Seniors, and, at the end of this week, we will be introducing and rolling out the biggest-ever investment in bulk-billing in the history of Medicare. The member for Clark knows more than anyone else in this chamber the benefit of investment in bulk-billing.”
“I thank the member for his question and recognise his passion over many years in this place for better services in his part of Tasmania in particular but the country more broadly. He knows there is a lot of pressure on our health and aged-care systems after a decade of cuts and neglect, after a once-in-a-century pandemic and with very significant demographic pressures. Like the member's state, my state is slightly older than the rest of the country. We're feeling those pressures more than most, but we are seeing it right across the system. I respect the member's passion for this area, but I don't agree with a lot of the suggestions in his question. I have to say that this week is a particularly weird week for the member to suggest this is not a government focused on bold reform.”
“I've been an advocate in this area for many years, as a spokesperson for the Labor Party on climate and since shifting to the health portfolio as well. That will be a piece of work for the CDC. We don't support the detail of the amendment the member for Kooyong has proposed today, although I suspect there will be an ongoing debate about that, and a number of other matters the member has raised, as this bill progresses, as I hope it will, to the other place. I want to ensure members on the crossbench, as we continue to engage around the passage of this bill through the other place, that I am keen to continue an open dialogue with members of the crossbench in this chamber as the government reaches a final position in relation to some of the amendments in the Senate.”
“As I'm sure the member knows, the interim CDC has already assumed responsibility for things like dust diseases and the establishment of a registry in this area. We do see a role for the CDC in managing the public health impacts of poor occupational health and safety, but the government's view is that Safe Work Australia is still the proper place for the development of policy and standards and for enforcement in relation to occupational health. But, certainly, we are keen for my portfolio through the CDC to do things like manage the emerging public health impacts associated, for example, with silicosis and other areas of public health. I have a great deal of sympathy for the remarks the member has made in relation to the climate health impacts.”
“I thank the member for Kooyong for her long engagement on this question, a debate to which she brings many, many years of experience. I genuinely thank her for that. As members know, including members on the crossbench who have taken a deep interest in the bill's progress and the debate leading into its introduction, the Senate committee of inquiry into this bill reported on Friday. We're going through that report. There's significant overlap between a number of amendments the members of the crossbench are proposing in the bill today and the Senate inquiry materially. I have a lot of sympathy for a number of measures contained in some of these amendments. I want to address a couple of them, though. We don't support what I understand to be the impact of the member for Kooyong's amendment in relation to occupational health and safety.”
“This will allow us to monitor its performance, adapt to new challenges and ensure that the legislation continues to support the CDC's mission, particularly in improving the availability and use of public health data. This bill establishes a permanent, evidence based institution to ensure that Australia is better prepared, more united and more accountable in the face of future public health threats. It is a long-overdue reform, one that honours the hard lessons of the past and builds a stronger, healthier future for all Australians. I commend the bill to the House.”
“It will also streamline data-sharing across the Commonwealth and states and territories, supported, of course, by strong privacy safeguards. These data functions have been developed using a privacy-by-design approach, ensuring that transparency and individual rights are protected at every single stage. This bill is the result of more than three years of policy development and public consultation. It closes the governance and data gaps that undermined our pandemic response. It reflects the input of key stakeholders. And it establishes a CDC that is built to deliver real, lasting impact. To ensure the CDC remains effective and fit for purpose, the government will conduct a legislative review every five years.”
“This will help rebuild public trust, counter misinformation and ensure that communities and businesses have the information they need to act effectively during future crises. Data will be at the heart of the CDC's work. The COVID-19 inquiry highlighted a critical weakness in our pandemic response. Decisions were often made without sufficient evidence due to fragmented and inaccessible data. This bill addresses that gap. The CDC will lead the development of a modern approach to national public health data that enables faster detection of risks, more consistent responses across jurisdictions and stronger foundations for planning. The CDC will use advanced data analytics to detect emerging threats and provide timely, independent advice.”
“Supporting the director-general will be an advisory council made up of members with deep expertise in relevant fields, including public health, clinical practice, economics, human rights, data, emergency management and communications. At least one member must be an Aboriginal person or Torres Strait Islander and must have expertise in the health needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, supporting our commitment to closing the gap. Transparency is a cornerstone of this reform. One of the most powerful lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic is that Australians expect clarity in public health decision-making. The CDC will be required to publish the advice it provides to governments.”
“The Australian CDC will complement, not duplicate, the work of existing government agencies. It will enhance our national capacity by providing high-quality, independent advice and improving access to timely, reliable data. It will support the Commonwealth and state and territory governments in planning for and responding to health emergencies. The Australian CDC will work closely with states and territories and tailor its engagement to meet the unique needs of each jurisdiction, ensuring that national coordination does not come at the expense of local relevance. To ensure accountability, the Australian CDC will be led by a director-general who reports directly to the minister for health and is accountable to the parliament.”
“Progressive expansion into areas such as chronic conditions will be considered following an independent review of the CDC's funding and operations in 2028. The review will assess the Australian CDC's effectiveness in delivering on its initial priorities and help inform a staged widening of its remit over time. The Australian CDC will consult widely with public health experts, clinicians, academics and communities. It will engage closely with those with lived experience of health threats and response measures to inform its advice. This inclusive approach ensures that the CDC's advice is grounded in real-world impacts and is sensitive to the social, cultural and economic factors that shape health outcomes in nuanced ways across our diverse society. No Australian will be left behind.”
“Establishing a permanent Australian CDC through this bill will deliver on our commitment to create an independent agency that will help protect Australia from diseases and other public health threats. It ensures that Australia joins our international peers in establishing a permanent national centre for disease control. The Australian CDC will be an independent Commonwealth agency separate from the Department of Health. It will draw on the best scientific and technical expertise across the country and serve as a national leader and authoritative voice on public health, helping to set strategic priorities and guide responses to emerging threats. The Australian CDC's initial priorities will focus on communicable diseases, pandemic preparedness and capabilities in environmental health and occupational respiratory diseases.”