Gordon Reid
Robertson · Australian Labor Party · Australia
“I rise to oppose this MPI on so many fronts. I want to call it out for what it is: a shabby, cynical little stunt from a Liberal Party trying to crawl out from under the wreckage that they created. For those opposite to come into this chamber and lecture Labor on older Australians is not just hypocrisy; it is gall on stilts.”
“And now, apparently, after years of neglect, they found a conscience—conveniently located somewhere between a press release and a media opportunity. As a doctor, I know a bad handover when I see it, and I'm seeing one right now. The Liberal Party handed over an aged-care system in distress—understaffed, underpaid, neglected and unstable.”
“We are delivering support at home so older Australians can stay independent, supported and connected in their own homes, and we are backing aged care workers with real wage increases, because you cannot fix aged care while treating the people who provide it like an afterthought.”
“But now, in opposition, this Liberal Party slithers back into this chamber, draped in concern, pretending that they are the champions for older Australians. Please just spare us the performance. This MPI is not about older Australians. It is about the Liberal Party trying to torch the evidence before anyone reads the file.”
“What they don't deserve is to be dragged into what we've all witnessed here today, this grubby, little memory-loss exercise of the Liberals, the Nationals and One Nation. This MPI should be rejected for exactly what it is.”
“Sue Lamb has dedicated an extraordinary 38 years to nursing, sharing her wealth of knowledge and experience throughout her career. Her unwavering focus on patient care combined with a strong commitment to supporting and encouraging her team to uphold the highest standards of practice has left a lasting influence on all of those who have w…”
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“But what we have seen grow is a generation of Australians burdened by ever increasing student debt, hitting our teachers, our nurses, our engineers and our scientists the hardest. These are the very people that safeguard Australia's future. Access to tertiary education should be for the public good and should not be a debt trap. This is not just an economic issue, at the end of the day; this is a national security imperative. As our region becomes more complex, as it becomes more contested, Australia cannot afford to fall behind. Our strategic resilience depends not just on submarines and satellites but on software engineers, cybersecurity experts, medical researchers, linguists, climate scientists and policy specialists, yet we are pricing bright, capable Australians out of this future.”
“Thank you, Deputy Speaker Scrymgour. It is excellent to see you in that chair. History is definitely being made today. I rise in this chamber today to speak on an issue that is at the very heart of Australia's long-term prosperity, long-term resilience and long-term security—and that is our commitment to tertiary education and reducing that growing burden of student debt that people have been crippled by over the preceding decades. Australia has always had a big presence on the international stage, not because of our size but because of the strength and intelligence of our people. Nothing strengthens a nation more than a well-educated, critically thinking and highly skilled population.”
“Dr Tseng has seen many changes over the years, including a growing community, which has required the clinic to welcome an additional three dentists. On top of his volunteering work and his career as a dentist, Dr Tseng is also the president of the Australia, New Zealand and South Pacific section of the International College of Dentists. The International College of Dentists has been honouring the world's leading dentists since 1920, with more than 12,000 members in more than 140 countries. Fellowship of this college is by invitation only. For Dr Tseng, it's for the great work that he has done in our community. So, on behalf of the Central Coast, I'd like to commend Dr Tseng on his incredible community work and his contributions to dentistry worldwide.”
“There are many amazing leaders in my community on the Central Coast, and I want to take this opportunity to acknowledge one in particular. Dr Tom Tseng of Bensville is truly a local legend. Not only is he a dedicated surf lifesaver at Copacabana SLSC but he's also serving as the club's president. Dr Tseng became involved in Copacabana Surf Life Saving Club when his three children enrolled in the club's Nippers program. Although they are now in their 20s and 30s, Dr Tseng continues to provide his support as president, participating in regular branch meetings and charity monthly board meetings, and to assist with patrols at the beach. In his professional career, Dr Tseng is a dental surgeon practising dentistry at Kincumber Dental Care, which he has done since 1994.”
“Throughout my time in public life, while I've been giving speeches and sitting in parliament, she's been there with her quick wit and that unique sibling ability to keep me grounded. But, behind the jest, is a heart full of loyalty, love and unwavering support. She has been one of my biggest cheerleaders, and I couldn't have done this without her strength, humour and the occasional reality check only a little sister can deliver.”
“You both instilled the values of service, humility and hard work long before I ever imagined a role in parliament. Through the pressures of being the member for Robertson—the long hours, the difficult decisions and the moments of doubt—you have both been my strength to move forward. I know your belief in me has never wavered, and your quiet and sometimes not-so-quiet pride has given me strength. I would not be who I am or have done what I have done without the life that you built for me. I love you both. To my sister, Grace—sorry, Dr Grace Reid: as any big brother knows, having a little sister means never getting too full of yourself, because she'll be the first to bring you back down to Earth.”
“Words cannot express my love for you in this moment. Public life is not something that one does alone, with its demands, pressures and countless absences. You have endured the burdens of this life with quiet grace, resilience and extraordinary patience. Your support has been the steady foundation beneath every step I have taken, and your sacrifice, often unseen by many, has made it possible for me to serve the people of the Central Coast and of Australia. Thank you for being by my side every step of this journey. To my incredible parents, Bryan and Leanne: in my first speech to parliament, I said that there has never been a time in my life when you have not been there for me. It was true then and is true now. Your love and support have been a quiet constant behind every moment of my public life.”
“As we commence the 48th Parliament of Australia, I wanted to take this opportunity to thank the people of Robertson. Your trust and support mean everything to me. Representing our community in the federal parliament is one of the greatest privileges of my life, and I will continue to serve with dedication, humility and an unwavering fairness for progress for all. It was an honour and a privilege to have been the member for Robertson in the 47th Parliament, and I now look forward to continuing my work building a better future for my community and for our region, the Central Coast. Campaigns are particularly challenging, and having a supportive team is crucial for any member of parliament running for election or re-election. There are some exceptional people that must be mentioned here tonight. To my beautiful wife, Shaylee: what a vision!”
“When it comes to Medicare, when it comes to the PBS, when it comes to our urgent care centre network, only the Australian Labor Party, only our Labor movement, can be trusted to protect and can be trusted to strengthen our healthcare services right across this country.”
“These outstanding clinics are helping to take the pressure off our hospital emergency departments and assist Australians with the cost of living. As an emergency doctor, I know how important access to health care is for people on the Central Coast, and that's why I'm thrilled that, as part of our suite of healthcare policies, we will also invest an additional $8.5 billion into Medicare to ensure that more Australians can see a GP, can see a doctor, for free. More Australians on the Central Coast will have more access to bulk-billed GP visits if the federal Labor government is elected this year, with additional bulk-billed consults and a boost to the number of fully bulk-billing GP practices in the region.”
“On the Central Coast, we have been successful in our advocacy for another Medicare urgent care clinic. Now, the federal Labor government has announced that our community will receive another clinic in the northern end of our electorate, servicing suburbs like Erina, Green Point, Terrigal, Kincumber, Avoca, Wamberal and Springfield. This is a phenomenal outcome for our community and will ensure that more people in our community will be able to see a bulk-billed doctor for urgent healthcare matters. This clinic will complement our existing clinics in Umina Beach and Lake Haven, which were 2022 federal election commitments which have been delivered. The Peninsula Medicare Urgent Care Clinic, located at 297 West Street, Umina Beach, opened to our community in November 2023 and since then has seen over 14,000 patients, all bulk-billed.”
“Over the past several months, my team and I have been leading a campaign for another Medicare urgent care clinic for Robertson on the Central Coast. My team and I have door-knocked and phone-called thousands of constituents in Robertson, asking for their support, and, over the course of our campaign, we managed to record over 3,500 signatures and had powerful conversations about healthcare services right across our region. I'm pleased to update the chamber here today and advise that, following our campaign, we have announced that our government will deliver additional Medicare urgent care clinics right across Australia and on the Central Coast. Those are additional Medicare urgent care clinics on top of the already 87 clinics that we have delivered during our term of government.”
“My question is to Minister for Health and Aged Care. How is the Albanese Labor government making medicines cheaper for all Australians? Why is it important to make medicines cheaper? And what are the risks to cheaper medicines?”
“In 2019, she was awarded the Trevor Parmenter Award for Excellence in the category of Lifetime Achievement Advocacy. Based on the New South Wales Central Coast, Roslyn has established her own microbusiness called AccessAble Braille Enterprises, helping people live with blindness and low vision to better understand the world around them. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Roslyn for her lifetime of advocacy and education, supporting not only Australians only living with a disability but also those who are our First Nations people.”
“I rise to acknowledge a tremendous constituent in my electorate of Robertson, Roslyn Sackley, who has recently been awarded an honorary doctorate at the University of Sydney. Roslyn is a proud First Nations woman. She lives with a disability and was diagnosed as being blind during her childhood. She's not let her disability get in the way of her living a vibrant and fulfilling life, especially when it comes to her work supporting her community. Roslyn was one of the first Indigenous Australians living with a disability to graduate from an Australian tertiary institution, taking out her first degree in the 1970s. She has subsequently dedicated her life to education, specialising in Aboriginal studies, and has supported the national Indigenous disability network, as well as the blind and deaf communities across Australia.”
“She helped to establish Australia's first drug treatment program for adolescents, in partnership with the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre. Finally, there is Ms Ellen Davies ASM of Green Point, who has received an Ambulance Service Medal, which recognises distinguished service as a member of an Australian ambulance service. I say again: huge congratulations to each of our Robertson 2025 Australia Day honours recipients. Thank you for all of the work that you do in our communities and for making the Central Coast and, indeed, the nation a better place for all. House adjourned at 19 : 59”
“The late Mr Frank Davis OAM of Kincumber South has posthumously received a Medal of the Order of Australia for service to veterans and their families. There is also Dr Karen Douglas OAM of Avoca Beach, who has received a Medal of the Order of Australia for service to medicine as a general practitioner and to the community. Karen has worked as a GP and a practice owner of the Terrigal and Avoca Beach medical centres since 1990 and is a strong advocate for patients and their families, GPs, and other health professionals. There is also Mrs Amanda Noffs OAM of MacMasters Beach, who has received a Medal of the Order of Australia for service to youth through health services. Amanda Noffs is involved with Life Education Australia and the Ted Noffs Foundation.”
“Professor Joe Wolfe is a physicist, composer and professor at the University of New South Wales. He has worked as a postdoctoral fellow at Cornell University, at the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, CSIRO, and the Australian National University. As well as his research, Joe composes music for symphony orchestras and chamber ensembles. Mr Michael Buettner OAM of Terrigal has received the Medal of the Order of Australia for service to the community and to sport. Michael is an Australian Rugby League official and was a professional footballer in the 1990s and 2000s. An Australian international and New South Wales State of Origin representative back, he has played club football for the North Sydney Bears, the Northern Eagles, the Parramatta Eels and Wests Tigers.”
“Matt is a relentless force, breaking barriers and inspiring worldwide. The next recipient is Professor Julie Redfern AM of Terrigal, who has been appointed a Member of the Order of Australia for significant service to cardiology, allied health, research and education, and the community. Julie Redfern AM is a professor of public health and the 2022 New South Wales Woman of Excellence. Julie is also a physiotherapist, director of the Institute for Evidence-Based Healthcare at Bond University, a member of the board of the World Heart Federation and a member of the Cardiac Society of Australia the New Zealand Scientific Committee. The next recipient is Emeritus Professor Joe Wolfe AM of Point Frederick, who was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia for significant service to tertiary education and to music.”
“The Robertson 2025 Australia Day honours recipients include Mr Matthew Formston AM of Wamberal, who has been appointed a Member of the Order of Australia for significant service to people with a disability and to para sports. Matt Formston is no ordinary athlete. With less than three per cent vision, he is a world champion surfer, an Australian Paralympian, cyclist, author, executive coach and international keynote speaker. Matt's extraordinary journey includes surfing giant waves as a blind athlete, documented in the feature documentary The Blind Se a , and running clinics for visually impaired children to embrace the ocean's freedom. His impact extends to launching the award-winning children's book Surfing in the Dark and winning prestigious surfing awards, including a Guinness World Record for the largest wave.”
“I rise to acknowledge eight outstanding Australians from my electorate of Robertson who have this year received 2025 Australia Day honours. The Australian honours and awards system recognises the outstanding service and contributions of Australians. Recipients come from right across the country and from all walks of life. While some are well known, the majority are unsung heroes. While typically they haven't sought thanks or recognition, they deserve both. The honours and awards system gives Australians a chance to celebrate and acknowledge those who work tirelessly to improve local communities and to make Australia a better place, and I would like to take this opportunity to recognise each of these eight recipients who have dedicated themselves consistently and tirelessly in their respective fields.”
“My question is to the Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs. Why is it important to maintain integrity in Australia's visa system, and is the minister aware of any approaches which threaten the integrity of that system?”
“Professor Roger authored over 100 publications in peer-reviewed journals and delivered over 105 lectures sharing his expertise in erythropoietin, iron and pharmacological treatments for hyperkalaemia. At the onset of his career, the hospital's renal services cared for around 20 patients, with this service expanding to over 500 patients under his leadership. Professor Roger was instrumental in setting up the kidney supportive care service on the Central Coast as an alternative treatment for end-stage kidney disease. The renal team expanded to include an advanced trainee, three consultant nephrologists, a renal social worker, dietetics and a dedicated renal pharmacist. Professor Roger's dedication to developing renal services has been felt by his colleagues and the constituents of the Central Coast. Well done, Professor Roger.”
“Professor Simon Roger is retiring this year from clinical medicine after working on the Central Coast for over 32 years. Starting in 1992, Professor Roger was the first nephrologist appointed by the Central Coast local health district. Along with practising nephrology in both the public and private setting, Professor Roger was instrumental in leadership as head of the division of medicine for 10 years, and as medical staff council chairman and head of department for renal medicine for 30 years. During his career he served the community and looked after an enormous number of kidney disease, dialysis and transplant patients on the Central Coast.”
“As we know, the Leader of the Opposition was voted the worst health minister by Australian doctors, and he ripped tens of billions from our public health system. And that has repercussions. That has effects and flow-on effects over years. That means underresourced hospitals; that means understaffed hospitals—all because the Leader of the Opposition didn't have the gumption and the commitment to serve the Australian people and ensure the health care of every Australian citizen right across this country.”
“Patients will be able to go to the pharmacy and get the treatment they need, or go to the GP and get the treatment they need, or, if they are really unwell, come and see me at the hospital in the middle of night. You'll be able to get the care that you need when you need it. Really, it is only the Australian Labor Party, under the Albanese Labor government, with a terrific team of ministers and assistant ministers, and the great caucus that we are, that has made this possible, because, without the election of the Labor government in 2022, none of this would have happened. I guarantee you: bulk-billing would have been abolished. There would have been an ED entry fee. There would have been a GP tax that would have been introduced. We'd be paying— A government member interjecting That's exactly right; we'd be paying more for medications.”
“It's also about making sure that women on the Central Coast can have their say about what they would like to see, whether that's access to primary care, access to pharmaceuticals or access to the new schemes for our pharmacies as to the treatment of UTIs and the provision of oral contraception. I think that that expanded scope of practice and making sure that all of our clinicians across Australia are working at the top of their scope is absolutely paramount, because that way Australians will be getting the care they need when they need it. The forum will be a great chance for people to have their say about that and really nail down those details to what that means every day. It means that you won't have to go to the doctor as frequently. I guarantee you: our GPs in the community will not be short of work!”
“It is absolutely fantastic that, later next week, in my electorate of Robertson, we'll be holding a women's health forum—the second Central Coast Women's Health Forum, in fact. It'll be at the Impact gym at Erina, starting at 5.30; RSVP through my office. The first women's health forum gave women on the Central Coast a place where they could talk openly and safely about the issues that are affecting them, particularly with access to health care. That's what this second forum is about. It's about ensuring that I, alongside the assistant minister, can provide information on what the government is doing with regard to women's health care.”
“There was also the announcement that was made recently regarding women's health—an absolutely outstanding announcement, a tremendous announcement, from the assistant minister and from the minister for health, looking at ensuring women's access to contraceptive devices and pharmaceuticals, and to clinics that can help diagnose, evaluate and then go on to treat things like endometriosis and chronic pain. And also, as to contraceptive access, I think it is absolutely outstanding and really should be commended, because, at the end of the day, whether you work in health care or whether you have the honour to serve in this chamber here, the idea is that you want equitable access for all Australians, and that's exactly what this does.”
“This is in association with our cheaper medicines legislation, making sure that people can access PBS medications when they need it and where they need it— Thank you, member for Macarthur! That's whether they are blood thinners or diabetic medications, or whether they're inhalers. These medications are important not only to sustain life but also to ensure that there are no other exacerbations of these chronic illnesses so that patients don't end up in the emergency department.”
“We've gone through what silicosis is, how it's caused and what this bill means, but, again, as I was saying, it strengthens the health care of Australians and it goes to the heart of what this side of the House is all about—that is, ensuring that the health care of all Australians is accessible, affordable and equitable. I've spoken today in a private member's motion about strengthening Medicare and the tripling of the bulk billing incentive. In Robertson, we've seen tens of thousands of people able to access a bulk billed GP for the first time in years. We saw the opposition today in question time spruiking numbers of falling bulk billing rates, which was absolute rubbish. We know that bulk billing rates are on the rise—they are in Robertson, and they are in other parts of the country.”
“This isn't just another example of the Australian Labor Party strengthening health care and strengthening the rights of workers; this is also making sure that we're streamlining our administrative processes to make it easier for our Public Service to operate and make our community safer for all Australians. Another question that gets asked is, 'Can engineered stone still be imported?' The import ban is intended to complement the domestic ban under the WHS laws, as I said before. Almost all engineered stone in Australia is manufactured overseas and imported. The import ban will provide an additional layer of deterrence at the border. Regulations to enact the import prohibition are currently under development, with funding of $32.1 million over two years provided in the 2024-25 budget for the ABF to enforce the intended import prohibition.”
“Managing engineered stone as a prohibited import without this amendment may result in a significant increase in the volume of seized goods that are required to be stored and an increase in associated work at the border. That will impact the Australian Border Force's capacity to effectively regulate and administer other border operations and protect Australians, at the end of the day. Streamlining the logistics and administrative tasks related to managing seizures for the intended new engineered stone prohibition will allow for a more efficient compliance process, resulting in the Australian Border Force having an increased ability to allocate resources across those priority areas.”
“I spoke about chronic kidney disease before. With silica exposure, that airflow limitation can contribute to chronic bronchitis as well, and also to early lung malignancy and lung cancer. They're just some other conditions that have been associated with chronic silica exposure. Outside of those health related changes that are absolutely essential and need to be made in order to prevent silica exposure, why else is this change needed? As engineered stone products are a bulk good, management of seized engineered stone products at the border poses significant challenges in terms of storage, transport, disposal and administration.”
“But there's another thing that I wanted to run through with silicosis, and that's the link of chronic silica exposure to other diseases, which is a bit of a lesser-known aspect. Some links are stronger than others, but it is important, I think, to bring up. An example is rheumatic heart disease. We know that silicosis as a condition is associated with the production of autoantibodies, such as antinuclear antibodies and rheumatoid factor, which is interesting. You normally associate those types of autoantibodies, those circulating chemicals in the blood, with autoimmune diseases—things like lupus, discoid lupus, systemic lupus, erythematosus and other autoimmune diseases—but you wouldn't necessarily associate them with silica exposure. That's an area that absolutely needs a lot more research, but it's an interesting link to consider.”
“That's what Labor governments do. We do this sort of reform. It doesn't matter whether it's here with silicosis and silica or when we look at things like asbestos; bulk-billing, universal health care and access to those health services that every Australian requires—it's really only this side of the House that has the wherewithal and the gumption to get that done. There are two outstanding health professionals and parliamentarians that are sitting here in the chamber now: Assistant Minister Kearney and the member for Macarthur, Dr Mike Freelander. They've always been champions of our universal health system and making sure that patients can get access to the treatment that they deserve. It's absolutely outstanding.”
“Then there is chronic airflow obstruction and chronic bronchitis. We hear these terms thrown around when we talk about pulmonary diseases in the community, but, looking at what some of these things mean—chronic airflow obstruction and chronic bronchitis—we're talking about an inflammation of our airwaves. Eventually the end stage of this disease, if it either is untreated or cannot be treated, is essentially suffocation. You stop taking in air. You stop changing over that carbon dioxide to the oxygen that you need in your cells to live, and, at the end of the day, you will eventually suffocate to death. Making sure that we control this silica and that we rid it from our society is so important because people have died from this. No doubt people will die from this in the future, which is an absolute tragedy. But we need to prevent it.”
“In particular, with silicosis you've got an increased risk of things like microbacterial infection, chronic necrotising aspergillosis, lung cancer, rheumatic disorders, kidney disease, chronic airflow obstruction and chronic bronchitis. Going through some of these things, there's not only a cost to the patient but also a cost to the healthcare system. When someone develops pulmonary renal syndrome, where the lungs are failing because of silicosis, and then the kidneys begin failing—is that person then going to end up on dialysis? Is that person going to need renal replacement therapy? That's a huge medical intervention that people require. That involves staffing, dialysis machines and access to tertiary medical services in some instances. That can have a huge impact on our country and our society.”
“It's not until they present late at night coughing up blood with chest pain, or they go to their GP because they've got this intractable fatigue that they just can't get rid of, or weight loss, that they are diagnosed. It really, really is a dangerous pathology. This customs amendment goes to the heart of it. The more that we can control this issue and stop it from hitting our society, the better and healthier we will all be. I've gone through the spectrum of what silicosis is—the acute, the chronic and the like—but there are other complications that can actually be associated with silicosis, along with the other pneumoconioses too, which are the other occupational lung diseases.”
“You've got acute silicosis on one end, which is that hyperrealisation of symptoms, including dyspnoea—shortness of breath, particularly at rest. You could have pleuritic pain—pain around the chest and lungs. You can have haemoptysis—the coughing up of blood—as well as fevers and the like. All of those can range from acute to chronic silicosis, and it can actually occur from hours to days after exposure to silica, as well as up to multiple decades after exposure. You might be exposed to it at one point and then you won't know, or you won't present to the doctor, until many years later, which is what makes this such a dangerous thing in our society. Those in the occupations who are on-site with the tradies won't necessarily know that they've become unwell.”
“I want to talk a little about the disease of silicosis because silicosis changes the lives of not only the patient but also the family, friends and the clinicians that support, treat and care for them into the future. We know that silicosis is actually a spectrum of pulmonary disease. It's caused by the inhalation of free crystalline silica, or silica dioxide. There's actually written evidence of silicon related occupational lung disease dating back to ancient Egypt and ancient Greece. There's been documented evidence and information relating to this disease for quite some time. The clinical presentations of silicosis, the diagnostic work-up, the evaluation and the pulmonary disability that occurs with silicosis actually has quite the spectrum.”
“The Australian government is committed to protecting Australian workers from harm associated with silicosis and silica-related diseases. On 1 July 2024, the government joined with states and territories to implement a world-first prohibition on the use, manufacture, supply, processing and installation of engineered stone benchtops, panels and slabs within Australia. The measure is supported and strengthened by the prohibition on the importation of engineered stone, and that was implemented on 1 January 2025. The Customs Amendment (Expedited Seizure and Disposal of Engineered Stone) Bill 2024 will amend the Customs Act 1901. The amendments in this bill are essential to supporting the effective operation of the import prohibition by enhancing existing seizure and disposal powers under the Customs Act.”
“I'd like to take the opportunity today in this chamber of the Australian parliament to formally recognise John Szabo and to thank him for his unwavering dedication to public transport, to the people of New South Wales and our incredible place that we call home, the Central Coast. It is one of the greatest places in this country, if not the world. I know the member for Hunter might disagree with me, but the Central Coast is one of the best places on earth. Also, I'd like to make a quick shout out to my mother-in-law, Mandy Hilton. Happy birthday! I hope you have a great day!”
“I rise to commend Gosford's oldest train driver, Mr John Szabo, who is this year marking 56 years of driving trains in New South Wales. John is an incredible public servant, whose career started following high school in 1969. John began as a trainee engineman on steam trains in Sydney before moving on to driving diesel trains in 1976. Nowadays, John continues driving trains, although they are a little different to the steam trains of yesteryear that he started his career on. John drives trains all along the Sydney-Central Coast-Newcastle line which has about a million passenger trips per month. It's a very busy line across the public transport network and one that requires an experienced train driver like John. I know that our community is so appreciative of John's commitment over the past 5½ decades.”
“This is in stark contrast to the Leader of the Opposition, who as health minister cut $50 billion from our public hospitals, tried to end bulk-billing by creating a GP tax and was voted the worst health minister in the history of Medicare by Australian doctors.”
“With federally funded Medicare urgent care clinics located in Lake Haven and in Umina Beach, the Central Coast desperately needs a clinic in the middle ring suburbs. Over the coming weeks and months, my team and I will be taking our petition door-to-door to encourage as many people as possible to sign and support our campaign. To date, the petition has reached over 2,000 signatures and we aim to reach more. I look forward to updating the parliament on the outcome of this campaign because when it comes to strengthening Medicare, only the Australian Labor Party can be trusted to look after the health of Australians.”
“Further, our cheaper medicines legislation has helped our community save $8,786,696 via approximately 1,001,792 cheaper scripts, as well as our 60-day scripts that have saved just shy of $1 million in my community from 150,000 scripts. All of these initiatives are examples of the federal Labor government building Australia's future by stronger Medicare. As an emergency department doctor and the federal member for Robertson, I could not be happier with the progress we have made so far, but there is more work to do. That is why I have launched a petition calling on the federal government to establish a second Medicare urgent care clinic in Robertson. I want to ensure that as many people as possible in our community on the Central Coast have access to a Medicare urgent care clinic.”
“The staff, including both nurses and doctors, were highly professional, providing excellent care for my daughter, offering reassurance, and giving clear options for any follow-up care if needed. It is clear that our bulk-billed urgent care clinics are having a real impact in our communities and are helping people see a doctor quickly, but most importantly for free. We continue to invest and strengthen Medicare in other areas of health care as well, like our historic tripling of the bulk-billing incentive which has increased the bulk-billing rate in Robertson to 75.4 per cent—that's an increase of 2.4 per cent, which equates to an extra 39,507 patients seeing a bulk-billing doctor.”
“The abscess needed draining and the Dr and Nurse who sore to her were just fantastic—this is a game changer for medical care on the peninsular, we're grateful this service was available to us. Or Carmel, another young mum, from Narara who wrote this about the Peninsula Medicare Urgent Care Clinic: The Umina Urgent Care Clinic is an invaluable resource for our community. I recently took my nine-month-old daughter there when she was unwell, and the experience was incredibly smooth and stress free. I was triaged quickly and seen by a doctor right away, which saved me from a trip to the Gosford Hospital Emergency Department. The visit was also covered by Medicare, which was a huge relief.”
“These outstanding clinics are helping to take pressure off our hospital emergency departments and assisting Australians with the cost of living. My office has received some tremendous feedback from patients who have seen a doctor for free at our local Medicare urgent care clinics. For example, Claire, a young mum from the peninsula, wrote this email following her visit to our clinic. Claire wrote: This morning, we woke to a nasty surprise on Abigail's back—a suspected spider bite had turned really nasty and infected. We weren't able to get into our usual medical practice so presented to the new UCC in Umina. Well it was smooth, efficient and so very professional.”