Sam Rae
Hawke · Australian Labor Party · Australia
“I thank the member for the question. Firstly, can I extend my condolences to Mr Austin's family. As I said earlier this week, it stands to any reasonable person's judgement that there's not a single person in this place who wants an older Australian to die while waiting for care.”
“We are overhauling the aged-care system—whether it's in-home care or residential aged care—from the ground up. The way that we drive down the numbers, which we've successfully done, is to reduce the wait times for older people to receive the care that they need. The latest data shows that we are well on our way to doing that.”
“This morning I announced that the government will itself, through legislation, establish a new legislated escalation option so outcomes of the aged-care Integrated Assessment Tool can be changed in extenuating circumstances.”
“Let me be clear. Assessments are always conducted by qualified human assessors, with clinical input documented from start to finish. This is about delivering a system that is efficient, accurate and fair so that, no matter where in Australia someone lives or who does their assessment, they are treated equitably.”
“The commissioner will advise on how government should move to improve and expand access to care, and support genuine co-design of policies and programs for First Nations people. They'll promote cultural capability across the sector, so that the people delivering care understand the people receiving it.”
“That placement is deliberate, and it is a strength. It connects an independent First Nations voice directly to the levers that regulate aged care, and builds capability across the sector. It means their advocacy doesn't stop at advice; it will have teeth.”
The complete record
Every one of 203 lines we hold for Sam Rae, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 3 of 5.
“by leave—I move: That: (1) Ms Payne be discharged from the Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters, the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade and the Joint Standing Committee on the National Capital and External Territories; (2) Dr M Ryan be discharged from the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights; (3) Mr Burnell be appointed a member of the Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters; (4) Ms Scrymgour be appointed a member of the Joint Standing Committee on the National Capital and External Territories; and (5) Ms Scrymgour and Ms Urquhart be appointed participating members of the Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters for the purpose of the committee's inquiry into the 2025 federal election. Question agreed to.”
“I thank the member for Gilmore for her question. She is a tireless advocate for older people in her community. Australians have been waiting a long time for aged care to be done properly, and this Labor government is getting on with the job of delivering an aged-care system we can all be proud of. Our implementation of the new Aged Care Act is now less than two months away. Yesterday, Minister Butler and I announced the critical step that locks in our new Aged Care Act and the accompanying Support at Home program.”
“We're one step closer to bringing the key recommendation of the royal commission to fruition with a new rights based Aged Care Act that delivers the dignified care that older Australians deserve.”
“The government has consulted with older people, their families and carers, providers, workers peak bodies, union representatives, health professionals, academics and aged-care advocates every step of the way on these aged-care reforms. We've engaged in positive constructive negotiations with the opposition over this sitting period, and we are grateful for their genuine desire to help us build a better aged-care system. Our government is getting on with the job of delivering generational change to make sure that every older Australian can live with the best care, dignity and support. The passage of this bill brings the reform process one step closer.”
“I move: That the amendments be agreed to. The Albanese Labor government is continuing to deliver generational aged-care reforms. This amending legislation before the House will get the system ready for the Albanese government's once-in-a-generation reforms to our aged-care system. The legislation paves the way for a smooth transition to the new Aged Care Act, making sure the new Support at Home program and strengthened aged-care quality standards operate effectively. Paired with the new act, the legislation continues our work, delivering 58 recommendations of the royal commission to create a fairer system that puts older Australians at the centre of their care. This latest step will give providers more clarity to prepare clients, support workers and ready systems for the act's historic changes.”
“This Labor government is committed to ensuring that older Australians get the care they need and the care that they deserve. The bipartisan passage of the Aged Care and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2025 is the latest milestone in our generational aged-care reforms.”
“The new Support at Home program will help even more older Australians stay at home for longer, with a higher level of care available to support people to stay close to family and community in the comfort of their own homes. This is a responsible decision that will deliver more care, faster, to the older Australians who need it most while maintaining the medium-term fiscal save that was a key pillar of our aged-care reforms last year. To keep up with the increased demand, the Albanese government is fast tracking the release of more home-care packages. We'll make an extra 20,000 home-care packages available in the next eight weeks until the new Aged Care Act comes into effect. Once the new Support at Home program comes into place, we'll provide support to a further 63,000 older Australians in the first eight months, by 30 June 2026.”
“I move: That the requested amendments be made. We're delivering once-in-a-generation reforms to aged care that give older Australians more choice, dignity and safe, high-quality care. We've continued to listen to older Australians, the workers who care for them and our aged-care providers, and we're stepping up to deliver more home-care support now and under the new Aged Care Act from 1 November. We've engaged in positive, constructive negotiations with the opposition over this sitting period, and we're grateful for their genuine desire to help us build a better aged-care system. The existing Home Care Packages Program has almost doubled in size in recent years, growing to around 300,000 people compared to 155,000 people just five years ago.”
“There is an established process for verifying and releasing data as it pertains to the national priority system waitlist. At the end of March, around 87,000 people were on the national priority system waitlist, and we're releasing more than 2,000 home-care packages every week up to this point to deal with that question. There is, as I said, a process of verification because the government does not want to release incorrect information when it comes to the national priority system. It's a longstanding process that is the same as was managed under the previous government, and I again refer the Leader of the Opposition to the numbers that I have given repeatedly throughout this.”
“We'll bring forward an extra 20,000 packages in the next eight weeks before the new act comes into effect. Once the new Support at Home program comes into place, we will allocate the remaining 63,000 packages to older Australians in the first eight months by 30 June 2026. This is a responsible decision that will deliver more care faster to the older Australians who need it most, while maintaining the prudent fiscal save that was a key pillar of our reforms last year. Every single older Australian deserves the very best care, and that's what our reforms have always sought to do. This is an important outcome for so many older Australians, their families and the sector, and I thank the parliament for working with the government to ensure that we get it right.”
“The bill before the Senate is the final piece of the puzzle that paves the way for the commencement of the new Aged Care Act and our new Support at Home program. Throughout this reform process we've taken a principled approach to the bipartisan nature of these reforms to ensure that they are enduring and meaningful for generations to come. We're grateful to the opposition, particularly Senator Ruston, for their genuine engagement and commitment to working with us and to getting these reforms right. The new Support at Home program will help even more older Australians to stay at home for longer and with a higher level of care, so people can stay close to family and close to community. To keep up with increased demand, we'll now fast track the release of more home care packages in the lead-up to 1 November.”
“Our government is proud to be delivering our once-in-a-generation reforms to the aged care sector, which will see more Australians get better care faster than ever before. The House has heard remarkably considerable debate on this topic this week, and Minister Butler and I announced a short time ago that the government has reached an agreement to pass the aged care bill currently before the Senate. This is a fantastic outcome for older Australians and their families, who have the certainty that more care is on the way. It's a fantastic outcome for the aged-care providers, who will deliver more care than ever before. And it's a fantastic outcome for the workers, who work day in and day out looking after the people we love.”
“I thank the member for their question. As I have said before, stories that are shared within this parliament and outside of it of older people passing away, whether they are in care or waiting for care, are always saddening, and that's why our aged care reforms are so very important. The decision to defer the implementation of the new act and the Support at Home program that came with it was very broadly welcomed. I've canvassed these matters very extensively in the parliament over the last couple of days, and I refer the member to my previous answers.”
“This is from Silverchain, one of the very large home-care providers, from their media release: As the third largest Home Care Package provider in Australia, Silverchain welcomes the Federal Government's decision to delay the implementation of the new Aged Care Act and the Support at Home program until 1 November 2025. The chief executive went on to say: This is an incredibly ambitious program of reform, and courageous leadership is needed to deliver care differently. We welcome today's—”
“I thank the member for her question. As I said, it is always saddening to hear of any older Australian who dies either in care or waiting for care. It's the best reason for why our current reforms are so very important. This is about ensuring that older people all across our community can get the care that they need, whether it be in home care, as will be delivered through our Support at Home program, or through residential care under our improved quality and standards framework. I remind the parliament again that this decision was made on the basis of very comprehensive advice that came from the sector, from older people and from those that care for them. Perhaps, again, it would be helpful if I reminded the parliament of some of the reflections that were made at the time that this decision was made.”
“Some months have passed since then, but perhaps it would be helpful if I were to refresh the parliament's memory about how that was received.”
“I thank the Leader of the Opposition for her question. It is always saddening to hear of older Australians, whether they are in care or awaiting care, passing away. I extend my deepest condolences to any family who faces that affliction. The decision to briefly defer the Aged Care Act was a difficult one that I made in consultation along with my colleagues. Minister Butler and I announced that brief deferral, and we did it after an extensive consultation. When I first became the minister, I spent many days and weeks speaking to older people across our country, speaking to the workers who care for them and speaking to the providers who provide their care. The overwhelming feedback that was provided was that there needed to be a brief deferral to ensure the continuity and quality of care for older Australians.”
“The new aged-care assessment system we're rolling out is designed to be faster, reduce wait times and improve the overall experience for older people and their families. Instead of requiring multiple assessments with different providers, the new system will make it simpler for older Australians to access the right level of care when and where they need it, especially as their needs change over time. We recognise—I've said this before—that current wait times for aged-care assessments are longer than they should be, and we're working hard to address this in every corner of Australia. Median wait time for an aged-care needs assessment from when a referral is issued to when the support plan is completed is currently 25 days, and these wait times are continuing to reduce under our single-assessment system.”
“I thank the member for the question and appreciate her interest in this matter. I also thank her for raising the matters relating to Kevin and, as I extended to a colleague yesterday in this House, if she is able to provide me with Kevin's details after question time, I will personally follow up and see where Kevin's matter is at. Kevin's story is such a great example of why our aged-care reforms are so very important. Our government is driving landmark reforms to in-home care, ensuring that older Australians get the care they need in the comfort of their own home for as long as possible. In line with recommendation 28 of the aged-care royal commission, we're delivering a single streamlined assessment process that will help people just like those the question refers to.”
“The short deferral of the commencement of the new Aged Care Act is about ensuring that workers, providers, advocates and, importantly, older people are fully prepared for these generational reforms that will ensure that older Australians get the care they need and that they deserve.”
“When the Support at Home program commences, from 1 November this year, the Albanese government will release more than 80,000 additional new home-care places in the first 12 months of the program. In the meantime, my priority, as I've said before, is ensuring that every older person across our country continues to receive the services they need. That's why we're releasing packages every single week to older Australians waiting for in-home care. At present, we're releasing more than 2,000 packages every week, ensuring the support continues to flow to those who need it most. And, as I've said before, we will continue to ensure that those who are assessed by the clinical assessment process as 'high priority' receive their home-care packages within a month.”
“The Albanese government's reforms will deliver aged care of the highest quality for older Australians—those who've contributed so much to our nation and who deserve nothing less than the very best care. At the heart of this reform is the Support at Home program, which will enable older Australians to live independently in their homes for longer, with access to higher levels of care, while staying close to their loved ones and connected to their communities. As the Australian population ages, demand for in-home care has also been growing very rapidly. There are currently more than 300,000 Australians receiving care under the home-care packages program, and this is roughly double the number of just five years ago. I've said before and I will say again that, right now, we are delivering more care to more people than ever before.”
“I thank the Leader of the Opposition for her question. Australians expect us to get aged care right. Through our reforms, we're making sure that older people get the safe and dignified care that they deserve. Now, the decisions on the new Aged Care Act and the Support at Home program that accompanies it were made by this parliament—or, rather, the last parliament—here in this place in the last term. They were led by my wonderful predecessor, the now minister for communications, but they were supported by the opposition on a bipartisan basis. They were supported by the crossbench. There was once-in-a-generation cooperation across the parliament to ensure once-in-a-generation reforms.”
“Big reforms don't happen overnight, but we're working hand in hand with assessment organisations—including the states and territories, who provide the majority of assessments—to ensure a smooth transition to minimise impacts on older Australians and, importantly, to get them the very best care that we can as quickly as possible.”
“Record levels of Australians are seeking home-care services. Last year alone, over 521,000 home-support and comprehensive assessments were completed. This is an incredibly complex system, and the assessment waitlist contains those seeking lower level care along with crossover and duplication of numbers on the MPS. The two systems can't simply be jammed together to create a bigger number. For example, 99 per cent of people waiting for a home-care package at their approved level are already receiving home care through a lower level home-care package or are approved for Commonwealth Home Support Program services and so may already be receiving a level of care. These matters that we've discussed today are exactly why we're reforming this system from the ground up.”
“I thank the member for her question. The Labor government is delivering very ambitious reforms to the in-home aged-care system to make sure that every older person can get the care they need in the comfort of their own home for as long as possible. Recommendation 28 of the aged-care royal commission called for one single assessment process, and that's what the government is currently delivering. We're rolling out a new aged-care assessment system, one that'll be quicker, reduce wait times and improve the experience for older people and their loved ones. Rather than older Australians needing separate assessments as their needs change, the system is designed to make it easier for them to access the care they need. We acknowledge that wait times for aged-care assessments are longer than we would like, and we're working on that as we speak.”
“I thank the member for her question. When I became minister a few months ago the first thing I did, the first focus I had, was to go around to speak to as many older people as I could and their families and their communities, to speak to people across the sector—to providers—and to speak to workers and their representatives. The overwhelming response I got from all of those groups was that they needed a brief deferral of the implementation of the new aged care act to ensure the implementation would be smooth and would meet the needs of older Australians. As I have previously referred to, the supported home program relies on the legislative framework that the new act heralds, and from 1 November we will be able to deliver more care to more people as we achieve the next milestone.”
“I thank the member for his question. What I said was that the implementation of the new act provided the legislative framework for the Support at Home program. The implementation of the new act was scheduled for 1 July. On the basis of feedback from older people all across our country and from the sector themselves, we made the decision to briefly defer the implementation of the new act to 1 November. From 1 November, we will be introducing an additional 83,000 packages in the first 12 months of Support at Home, which will be the growth component of the more than 300,000 Australians who are currently receiving care under our Home Care Packages Program.”
“I thank the member for her question. As I said, in the last parliament, the Minister for Communications passed the new Aged Care Act with the support of those opposite and with cooperation from across the parliament. The new Aged Care Act brings along with it the Support at Home program, to which the member's question relates. While it's encouraging to hear that there are providers who are enthusiastic, at this point, about delivering additional packages, we want these reforms to be delivered in a way that minimises disruption for older people. This is a system-wide reform that changes the way that care is delivered. We're spending each and every day until 1 November making sure that this system works for older people.”
“That will happen on 1 November, and from 1 November we will deliver an additional 83,000 packages under the Support at Home program as well as continue to support the more than 300,000 Australians who are currently cared for under our record Home Care Packages Program.”
“I thank the member for the question. I'm always saddened when we hear of older Australians, whether they are in care or waiting for care, passing away. It's always distressing for people across the parliament and from any political party or crossbench group to hear of those stories. I offer my condolences to those families. It's the greatest example of why our reform process is so very important. The deferral to which the member's question refers is essentially arising from the nature of the legislation, which had bipartisan support and was passed through the last parliament. The legislative framework for the Support at Home program is enshrined within the legislation. The Support at Home program cannot begin before the legislation comes into effect.”
“I thank the member for their question. This is clearly an important case to the member and to the community. I acknowledge the difficulties being experienced by people such as the member's question refers to. If the member can provide me with the details, I'll personally follow up as a matter of urgency to see what can be done.”
“We know the system is not fit for purpose, and that's exactly why we're reforming this system from the ground up. Big reforms don't happen overnight, but we're working to deliver a smooth transition in just two months from today—one that minimises impacts to older Australians and gets them the care that they need quicker than it has been done before.”
“The assessment list contains those seeking lower level care, along with significant crossover and duplication of numbers on the national priority system. For example, 99 per cent of people waiting for a home-care package at their approved level are already receiving home care through a lower level home-care package or are approved for Commonwealth Home Support Package services and so are already receiving some level of care. The median wait time for an aged-care-needs assessment, from when a referral is issued to when the support plan is completed, is currently 25 days and continues to reduce under our new single assessment system. There are a number of reasons why home-care packages have freed up, but the important thing here is that every allocation of a package means another older Australian gets the care that they need.”
“Those assessed as high priority will continue to receive their packages within a month. I'll say it again: those assessed as high priority will continue to receive their packages within a single month. Assessment for broader aged-care services forms a different process—a related one but a different one. We acknowledge that wait times for aged-care assessments are longer than we would like, and we are working to address this. Record numbers of Australians are both seeking and receiving home-care services—more care to more Australians than ever before. Last year alone, over 521,000 home support and comprehensive assessments were completed, and we currently have more than 300,000 older Australians receiving home-care packages. Only some people waiting for an assessment will ever end up on the national priority system.”
“I thank the member for Indi for her question and acknowledge her genuine interest in ensuring that our reforms to aged care deliver safety, dignity and compassionate care to older Australians across all of our communities. In the last term of parliament, as I said, the Minister for Communications, with support from across the parliament, passed the new Aged Care Act, and we're preparing to implement it on 1 November, which is just two months from today, along with the Support at Home program to which the member's question pertains. At 31 March this year, the quarterly national priority system waitlist showed 87,597 people who have been approved for a home-care package through the clinical assessment process. As I said earlier, we continue to allocate an average of more than 2,000 home-care packages to people on the NPS every week.”
“Secondly, as I mentioned before, in the meantime, we will continue to deliver packages each and every single week—the average being above 2,000 packages per week—to ensure that Australians continue to receive the care that they need; we will ensure that every single Australian who is assessed as high priority will continue to receive their package within a month; and, from 1 November, we will continue to invest in the Support at Home program as the key mechanism for delivering the in-home care that older Australians tell us that they want.”
“I thank the Leader of the Opposition for her question, and I can perhaps assist the Leader of the Opposition to better understand some of the matters to which she refers. Firstly, the Support at Home program, to which the opposition has been supportive in moving the initial legislation, provides the legislative framework for Support at Home. The members opposite will understand that the legislation they voted for is a requirement for Support at Home packages to be delivered, so those 83,000 can begin to be delivered from the time the legislation comes into effect.”
“In federal government expenditure terms, that growth looks like 800 per cent growth over a decade. Now, the Leader of the Opposition is quite right. Support at Home, which will come into effect from 1 November, along with the new Aged Care Act, will deliver an additional 83,000 home-care packages in the form of Support at Home, which will mean that 83,000 additional older Australians, on top of the more than 300,000 who are already receiving care—”
“I thank the Leader of the Opposition for her question. In the last term of parliament, the now Minister for Communications moved the new Aged Care Act through the parliament with bipartisan support and, indeed, with cooperation from those on the crossbench as well. As part of the new Aged Care Act, which provides for a rights based framework for older people receiving care in Australia, we also see the Support at Home program, to which the Leader of the Opposition's question pertains. This is an entirely new program. It is an overhaul of the old home-care packages program. We've seen enormous growth in the demand for home care across our community. In fact, since 2020, the home-care program has grown from 155,000 people to over 300,000 people.”
“Veterans, their families and the local community gathered to pay our respects to all those who served in the Vietnam War. We acknowledged their courage, sacrifice and resilience. Thank you to the Melton sub-branch of the Vietnam Veterans Association for their hard work in organising this important service, including Wayne Gillies and Jim Fitzgerald. I also acknowledge fantastic leaders of our veteran community locally—Reg Cook and Russell Pettis, amongst others.”
“I also had the pleasure of officially opening the newly upgraded Navan Park in Harkness last week, alongside my state colleague Steve McGhie and many representatives of Melton City Council, including the mayor, Steve Abboushi. Once again, this project was a product of local, state and federal governments coming together to deliver better facilities for local families in our community. In a fast-growing community these investments ensure that public spaces are modern, accessible and fit for purpose. Upgrades to local parks are about more than infrastructure. They are about community and wellbeing, and I look forward to seeing Navan Park serve our community for many generations to come. I was honoured to attend the Vietnam Veterans' Remembrance Day memorial service at the memorial in Melton last week.”
“Last week I saw firsthand proof of what we can achieve when federal, state and local governments work together to deliver better services for our community. Last Thursday, I got the chance to visit the site of the new Copplebank Community Services Hub, where construction is well underway on a project that will transform local services in Melton. Thanks to a $15 million dollar investment by the Albanese Labor government, as well as funding from the Melton City Council and the Victorian government, this hub will be a one-stop shop for community services in Hawke. This brand new, five-storey facility will host a range of education, employment, family violence prevention, health, rehabilitation and refugee services for the Melton community and the broader communities surrounding.”
“Over the weekend, I had the privilege of joining the volunteers and supporters at the Melton Fire Brigade to celebrate 90 years of volunteer service to the community of Melton and surrounds. Since 1935, this dedicated volunteer service has worked day and night to keep our community safe in some of the toughest conditions you could imagine. From grassfires in Rockbank to bushfires in the region, the Melton Fire Brigade always steps up without hesitation. I extend my deepest congratulations to Stephen Hirt, John Dodemaide, Barry Mattinson and Alan Squires for their dedication and their service to our community over such a long period. I say a special thanks to Captain Anthony Rhodes and Lieutenant Bailey Rhodes for organising this special event and for their leadership of the Melton Fire Brigade over many years.”
“I couldn't do any of this without your extraordinary love and your support, and I love you all so very much. Serving the people of Hawke over the past three years has truly been the greatest privilege of my professional life. Earning your support and your trust to represent our community for another three years continues to be the honour of my professional life. My job in this place is to make sure that prosperity and the opportunity of our nation reaches every street across Hawke. That means safer and quicker commutes, more local training for the jobs that are hiring, a stronger Medicare and cheaper medicines, and care that treats every Australian with dignity. There's a big job ahead of us but, as your local member, that is exactly what I'll be fighting to deliver.”
“To my office manager, Di McAuliffe, and our electorate office staff: thank you for keeping everything steady, organised and running smoothly behind the scenes. To Avtar, Gurdashan and the community at Khalsa Shaouni: thank you for your friendship, your faith and your overwhelming support. To my friend Sam Lynch and the mighty Transport Workers Union—my union—thank you for being there every step of the way. And to the RTBU, the AMWU, the HSU and HACSU: thank you for standing up for working people and for standing with us through this campaign. To the Victorian Trades Hall: thanks for backing us and for fuelling this campaign with your strength and your solidarity. To my mum, Penny, and to my partner, Zoe, and our kids Hunny, Banjo and Mac: thank you for keeping me grounded.”
“To the Ballarat East branch and all the legends in Ballan: I'm incredibly grateful for your hard work. To Jesse, Amy, Shammi, Josh and everyone from Josh Bull's office: thank you for your support. Thanks also to Michaela Settle and Steve McGhie for your support and friendship throughout the campaign. To our legendary field team: Nordin Hammouche, Gabi Saffer, Erin Kelly, Oscar Dobson, Ryan Drage, Dennis Southon, Bella Conroy, Tal Pelach and the crew at ACT Young Labor: thank you for your doorknocks, your phone calls, your hours spent on prepoll and the respect that you afforded to my people across our community. Thank you to Millie Page and Henry Fox, who led the campaign efforts with humour and determination—two extraordinary young people who will continue to make such a profound impact on our community and our country moving forward.”
“Our promise and our plan is simple: more supply, the right infrastructure and practical help to get first home buyers into the market. The election result in Hawke was a massive team effort. We knocked on thousands of doors and made thousands of phone calls to the community. To our Hawke Labor branches and branch members: you are the foundation of everything that we do. To Daryl Baker, Derrick Simpson, Chris Wells and the whole team at the Bacchus Marsh branch: thank you for putting in the work and turning up every day against incredibly difficult opponents. To Geoff Dawson, Ravinder Kaur, Nathan Miles, Nat Davies, Bob and Jean Rau, Jasmeen Kaur, Rhonda Edmonds, Barry Agg, Jarrod Bell, Ross van Brink, Anthony Rhodes, Andrew Jeynes, and Kylie Spencer: thank you for your hard work on the ground.”
“People in Hawke are often young first home buyers looking to settle down close to essential services. Homes for Australia is the centrepiece of the Albanese Labor government's plan to cut costs and give Australians a leg up. Already Labor's expanded Home Guarantee Scheme is helping first home buyers into a home of their own, with a five per cent deposit and no lenders mortgage insurance. We've delivered a 45 per cent increase in Commonwealth rent assistance, the biggest back-to-back increases in more than 30 years. We've started the biggest housing build in Australia's history, with an ambitious plan to build 1.2 million homes over the next five years, and we're delivering 55,000 social and affordable rental homes for the Australians that need them most.”
“I'm proud to say that the Medicare urgent care clinics are now operating in Melton and Sunbury, providing free, extended-hours, walk-in care for urgent but non-life-threatening needs, taking pressure off emergency departments and saving families time and money. Doorknocking across Hawke through the election, I met dozens of families who have used these services, whether it's for sick kids or injuries on the footy field. In fact, my own family has seen the inside of the urgent care centre pretty regularly, and we're very grateful for the care and support that the nurses and doctors there continue to provide. Labor governments will always protect and strengthen Medicare, and I'm proud to see firsthand the differences that these policies make to families in my community.”