Alice Jordan-Baird
Gorton · Australian Labor Party · Australia
“This includes incentives like the Commonwealth Prac Payment, which means students on their mandatory nursing and midwifery placements will be paid for their work, making life easier for our nursing and midwifery students.”
“We took health care to the election, and right across the board we're legislating change. We've capped the cost of PBS-listed medicines at just $25, the lowest it's been since 2004—when I was in primary school—which has seen a saving of more than $14 million in my electorate of Gorton.”
“With competing cost-of-living pressures, these families shouldn't be worrying about the cost of seeing a doctor as well. These families deserve regular access to affordable GP appointments, and that's why this bill matters.”
“Our green and gold Medicare card means opportunity. It means receiving high-quality health care, regardless of your bank balance. I'm so proud to be part of the Albanese Labor government, which is committed to strengthening Medicare for generations to come, and this bill, the Health Insurance Amendment (Incentive Payments and Other Measur…”
“It means that, in Melbourne's western suburbs, people in our community have access to free walk-in care when they need it. With this budget, we're making urgent care clinics like the ones in Melton and Sunshine permanent. Urgent care clinics play a really important role in taking the pressure off our emergency departments.”
“Our introduction of Medicare bulk-billing clinics is really making a huge difference in our communities across the country. I'm really proud to report that, in my community, there are now 24 Medicare bulk-billing practices—up from 13 before our bulk-billing changes were introduced.”
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“I rise to speak in support of the Regulatory Reform Omnibus Bill 2025, brought forward by the Treasurer, and I commend him for doing so. It's great to follow the words of my friend the member for Chifley as well. The Albanese government was re-elected earlier this year on a promise, a promise that we would keep fighting to make government work for Australians, not the other way around. This bill is another important step towards delivering on that promise. In August, the Treasurer chaired the Albanese government's Economic Reform Roundtable, with three days around the cabinet table with representatives and experts from the union movement, businesses and the community sector. This followed more than 40 mini roundtables led by ministers across a range of portfolios. After all these conversations, there was a clear point of agreement.”
“I want to see our migration system continue to deliver great outcomes for my electorate in Melbourne's western suburbs and for all our communities around Australia. I commend the bill to the House.”
“The ART will also be required to consult and take submissions from the parties involved before it decides not to hold a hearing. It's important that we understand that efficiency in the review process cannot come at the expense of applicants having the opportunity to present their case to the ART. This is why our bill will not limit the written information applicants would be able to present to the tribunal in relation to their review. The bill goes hand in hand with the migration reforms passed by the Albanese Labor government. The bill supports the government in ensuring our migration system can give Australia the skills we need. The bill protects our migration system, streamlining the review process and increasing flexibility and fairness.”
“The ART would be able to make its decision based on written materials for applications where the application can be reviewed without the presence of the parties involved and the circumstances do not require a hearing to be held for a decision to be made. Everyone deserves a fair review, and we understand that giving the tribunal members the capacity to adapt their processes to the matters put before them is crucial in maintaining a fair review process. While the bill would strengthen the independence of the ART, it's important that it includes safeguards. Parliament will still be able to disallow regulations extending the tribunal's ability to review applications without holding hearings if such regulations are inappropriate.”
“We're acting to make sure that our review system remains flexible and fit for purpose now and into the future. The bill will also allow the minister to expand the on-the-papers process regulation to include decisions relating to other kinds of temporary visas. In saying that, we recognise that certain visas, such as permanent and protection visas, are complex and involve vulnerable applicants. Visas like these are often applied for by people fleeing war and persecution overseas. These amendments would therefore exclude reviews of these visas from being assessed on the papers. The bill would also amend the ART Act to give the tribunal greater flexibility in terms of the types of cases it can assess on the papers.”
“That's why the tribunal will also be required to invite applicants to give the tribunal written submissions and evidence on certain matters relating to the issues under review; will continue to give applicants certain adverse information and invite applicants to comment on it; will continue to request or obtain additional materials by other means, including making requests or orders for the applicant to provide certain documents; and will make its decision based on the written materials provided by applicants, without holding a hearing. We recognise that the review case loads have changed significantly in the short time since the ART was established. A balance must be struck between efficiency and high-quality decision-making. These changes will better strike that balance.”
“They're also relatively low in complexity, in terms of the materials involved. There simply does not need to be a large backlog and excessive wait times for outcomes. The tribunal process needs to be streamlined so that it makes sense for the issues involved in each case. In saying that, we know how important it often is for applicants to get to present their case to the ART.”
“The bill would strengthen the ART's procedures by allowing the tribunal to instead make decisions under a new on-the-papers review procedure. This means that the procedures will be based entirely on written materials instead of lengthy and unnecessary oral hearings. Every case has unique circumstances and should be treated as such. Allowing the tribunal to be flexible is crucial in preventing backlogs from forming. Student visas are significant when we're talking about backlogs. In 2024-25, almost 40 per cent of applications lodged with the ART were student visa matters. This was almost double the number of student visa matters submitted to the previous tribunal in 2022-23. Because we're a young electorate, student visa matters are raised with my office nearly every day. Student visas are short-term in nature.”
“While long ART wait times exploit our migration system, they also hurt those people who have genuine grounds for review of visa refusal decisions. We on this side of the House recognise that the ART needs the proper resources and flexibility to review applications efficiently. That's why our government has introduced the Administrative Review Tribunal and Other Legislation Amendment Bill. The ART is currently required to hold oral hearings for almost all reviews, even when they're not needed. These hearings are costly and delay the review process. The bill would amend the Migration Act 1958 to remove this requirement when it comes to certain decisions, including decisions to refuse student visa applications.”
“Because of the diversity of my electorate, immigration matters are one of the main issues my constituents contact my office about. My office recently assisted a young woman from the Middle East in receiving advice from the department as to the process for applying for a partner visa. In this instance the application was successful. Receiving a partner visa meant she could be together with her family and contribute positively to our community. Despite her young daughter growing up in Australia, they had been paying international school fees. For this woman, the partner visa meant that her daughter could access our amazing Australian education system. I hear stories like this every day in my office, and I see those stories in the first- and second-generation migrant communities that have decided to call Melbourne's west home.”
“When you receive a visa refusal and you apply for a review of that decision through the ART, you are entitled to remain in Australia on a bridging visa. This has opened the door for people to apply for a review, even though they know they do not have grounds, so they can get access to a bridging visa. This clogs the system with reviews that lack genuine grounds, and everyone waiting for a tribunal review has to wait longer for the outcome. This hurts the vast majority of applicants, who do go through the review process for the right reasons. There are so many cases of applicants who have genuine grounds to apply for a review of a visa refusal outcome. You only have to be in Australia, to walk around my electorate, to see it.”
“It does not make sense for the same resources and time to be committed to cases with different levels of complexity. Timely decision-making is incredibly important for the tribunal's reviews of migration decisions, like decisions to refuse visas. We can't expect applicants to wait several months or even years for a decision on whether or not they're able to stay in Australia. These decisions are life changing, and applicants deserve outcomes sooner. It's not just that the applicants need outcomes; there's also a bigger threat at play. The Rapid Review into the Exploitation of Australia's Visa System highlighted the threat posed to the integrity of our migration system by delays at the tribunal stage. Long ART wait times give people the opportunity to exploit our migration system.”
“They also allow those affected by certain decisions to access a relatively informal review and to achieve an outcome as soon as practicable. The Administrative Review Tribunal Act 2024 formally established the ART, outlining several objectives. One of these objectives was ensuring that the tribunal processes applications as quickly possible, while still giving each application the proper consideration it requires. The ART also aims to process applications with as little formality and expense as needed. In setting out these objectives, we recognise that not every application to the ART is the same. The review process should always be of high quality, and it needs to make sense for each applicant, based on the issues involved.”
“It could not function as an independent body capable of making high-quality decisions. An accessible, efficient and thorough merits review process is critical to maintaining trust in our system of government. This is why the Albanese government set out to abolish the dysfunctional AAT after forming government in 2022. We established the new ART to restore public trust and confidence in an independent system of review, and we designed the tribunal with merit based selection processes to support the appointment of experienced high-quality decision-makers. The ART allows Australians to seek an independent review of decisions made by government departments under more than 400 Commonwealth acts. These reviews ensure that legislation is applied correctly by our departments and authorities.”
“Last year, this government created the ART to replace the former Administrative Appeals Tribunal, the AAT, as Australia's federal merits review body. Under the previous tribunal, the backlog of cases awaiting review totalled almost 70,000 by the 2022 election. More than 80 per cent of those cases were migration and refugee matters. The AAT's backlog caused significant delays for so many migration decision reviews. These delays compromised the functioning of the AAT under the previous government. The AAT was also undermined by a lack of transparency in the process of appointing its members. The previous government appointed dozens of former Liberal MPs, candidates and staffers to the AAT without a merit based selection process. As a result, the AAT was constantly affected by scandals and mismanagement.”
“This decision, made by so many new Australians throughout our modern history, is central to our country's DNA. Migration has enriched countless community groups, religious organisations, sporting clubs and schools throughout Gorton. Migrants also fill a number of crucial skills gaps in our local economy in Melbourne's west. These sectors include health care, manufacturing and construction. In recent times we have seen fringe groups try and divide us by targeting migrants. The Albanese government stands against this division. We're getting on the job of giving our migration system the tools it needs to work quickly and effectively. This includes our merits review system, which allows people to review decisions made by government departments.”
“The Administrative Review Tribunal and Other Legislation Amendment Bill is a key part of our government's efforts to clean up the dysfunctional migration system left to us by the former coalition government. It is so important to my electorate of Gorton that the ART is able to review migration decisions quickly and efficiently. Gorton, in Melbourne's western suburbs, is one of the fastest growing electorates in the country. So many families in the electorate come from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. In fact, Gorton has one of the highest proportions of first and second generation migrants in Australia. I'm incredibly proud to represent an electorate with so many families that made the difficult decision to pack up and start a new life in Melbourne's west.”
“I rise to speak in support of the Administrative Review Tribunal and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2025, brought forward by the Attorney-General, and I commend her for doing so. Our country's history is one of migration. With the exception of our Indigenous and Torres Strait Islander Australians, every Australian is either a migrant or of migrant descent. I couldn't be prouder to stand in this chamber as a member of the Albanese Labor government, a government committed to strengthening the integrity of our migration system. This bill amends two pieces of legislation to ensure that the Administrative Review Tribunal, the ART, can review migration decisions efficiently and flexibly. Debate interrupted.”
“But the big banks don't prioritise our cash-in-transit workers, and workers are rightly fed up. Right now, Linfox is refusing to negotiate with workers—workers who are fighting for pay parity across Armaguard, Prosegur and Point to Point. I'm a strong supporter of members of our community having access to their own money, and it's time that we valued our workers in the same way we value access to cash. This is about fairness, safety and respect—principles that should underpin every Australian workplace. Labor fights for all Australian workers and always will.”
“I rise to stand in solidarity with the Transport Workers' Union and the Victorian and Tasmanian cash-in-transit workers currently taking industrial action to demand better pay and conditions. These workers move cash around, meaning our communities can access their own cash from ATMs and banks and get the right change from retailers. Cash in transit is one of the highest-risk jobs in the transport industry, with workers subjected to daily abuse and attempted robberies, and the take-home pay for this cohort of workers has stagnated. There has also been a loss of conditions and decline in safety standards. The cash-in-transit industry is in crisis. Around 1.5 million people still use cash to make more than 80 per cent of their in-person payments. Without a sustainable funding model, cash in Australia faces the very real risk of extinction.”
“We've increased paid parental leave and increased pay for aged-care and early childcare workers, lowering the gender pay gap to its lowest ever point. 'Elizabeth Taylor, do you think it's forever?' Yes it is, because we've enshrined it in legislation. We have more Labor women beginning with the letter A in the House of Representatives than female members in the Liberal and National parties combined. 'Honey', that ain't right. For the 'eldest daughter', they've done nothing. I couldn't be prouder to be part of a Labor government that is legislating for all Australians. That's what I call 'actually romantic'.”
“Last week, two huge things happened for young people: first, the introduction of the five per cent deposit for first home buyers, and, second, Taylor Swift dropped her new album. We on this side of the House know that 'the life of a showgirl' isn't about glamour; it's about working hard and getting things done, and that's exactly what this Labor government is doing. I'm not here to 'ruin the friendship' between the Australian people and the coalition, but, while they're wreaking havoc in their own party caucus room, we've cut 20 per cent off student HECS debt—20 per cent, 'cancelled!' For most Australians, better access to bulk-billed care is on our 'wish list'. That's why we've delivered 90 Medicare urgent care clinics right across the country.”
“This $5 million investment will help the temple expand its vital work from food relief to cultural education, but it'll do more than just that; the $5 million investment in the Sri Durga Temple in Deanside will tell our constituents who attend the Sri Durga Temple across Gorton, Melbourne's west and all of Australia that you belong here, and our diverse wonderful Labor government will always send that message home.”
“In 2023-24 we invested $15 million to support 500 community language schools, helping over 90,000 students learn 84 languages across Australia, and we're investing an additional $25 million which will see thousands of children take up another language, fostering pride in their heritage and strength in their Australian identities. In my electorate of Gorton we have committed $5 million for the construction of a brand-new community and education centre at the Sri Durga Temple in Deanside. Sri Durga Temple is the largest Hindu temple in the Southern Hemisphere. It's more than a place of worship; it is a cornerstone of our local community. I was proud to attend their recent Dussehra festival on Sunday, celebrating the triumph of light over darkness.”
“This representation is a statement: you belong here. It's part of the reason I couldn't be prouder to stand in this chamber as part of our Labor government beside the Ambihaipahars and Alys of our Labor caucus, because in this, the 48th Parliament, we have the most multiculturally diverse government this nation has ever seen. We believe that every Australian, whatever their race or religion and wherever they or their parents were born, should be able to feel safe at home, without prejudice or discrimination. That's why, for the first time, we have appointed a dedicated Minister for Multicultural Affairs and we have elevated that position into cabinet.”
“Our community will not be divided by people seeking to intimidate and to hate, because no-one in Australia should have to justify their belonging. Yet we have opposition members in this chamber who continue to tug at that question of belonging with offensive and racist remarks—remarks those members refuse to apologise for but we on the side condemn. What we do and what we say in and outside this chamber as a lasting impact. On this side of the chamber, we know that it is not just what we say and what we do that matters; it's who we are. For the kids in my electorate sitting at home watching parliament and the news on TV, it means so much to see their own experiences reflected back at them and to hear names like Ambihaipahar, Soon, Ng, Ananda-Rajah, Abdo, Aly, Lim and Sitou. Having those names representing their country means so much.”
“While they settle down in our wonderful suburbs, they continue to carry with them vibrant cultures and rich histories of migration. Unfortunately, we have to acknowledge a difficult reality: that those experiences are not always met with open arms and open minds. The anti-immigration protests we saw in recent weeks across Australia, targeting our Indian Australian communities, were abhorrent. On the day of those protests, I had local temple leaders telling their community not to leave their homes because it was safer to stay indoors. In Australia, no-one should have their personal safety compromised. No-one should have to be told that it is unsafe to be in public places because they don't belong.”
“I rise today to speak on the Albanese Labor government's commitment to multiculturalism. My electorate of Gorton in Melbourne's west is incredibly diverse. My community has one of the highest populations of first- and second-generation migrants in Australia. More than 33 per cent of my electorate were born overseas. More than 30,000 of my constituents speak a language other than English at home. And we are growing fast. In Fraser Rise and Plumpton, you'll find the second-highest population growth rate in the country. I'm incredibly proud to represent an electorate with so many families that have made the difficult decision to pack up and start a new life in Melbourne's west. Many of these families are settling in suburbs and estates like Aintree, Fraser Rise, Deanside, Mount Atkinson and Thornhill Park.”
“I could have spent a full day there, hearing from staff and students about how this dynamic school in my local community is thriving. A massive thank you to Principal Gabi Zorko and all of the incredible staff at Springside Primary School for all that you do. At Yarrabing Secondary College in Aintree, Principal John Mitsinikos discussed with me the exciting stage 2 development of more classrooms, expanded recreation programs and growth in their Japanese language program. It's clear the school is committed to giving students every opportunity they need. To all year 12 students across Gorton: I wish you the very best as you approach and prepare for your final assessment and for the next big chapter of your life. We're all cheering for you!”
“It was truly a pleasure to stay for morning tea and get to talk directly with awardees and hear their hopes and dreams of what they want to do after school. Thank you so much to Principal Brendan Watson OAM for having me. At Parkwood Green Primary School I met with year 5 students gearing up to deliver their school leadership speeches. We practised power poses and other ways to stay calm before public speaking. A huge shout-out to Emma Cornwill and all the dedicated teachers at Parkwood Green. Springside Primary School's inspiring cultural mural of student handprints in their gym, thriving kitchen garden and reconciliation garden is a reflection of how schools are nurturing both creativity and a strong sense of community.”
“I want to give a massive shout-out to six winners local to Gorton, Witchmount Estate Weddings and Events, Jungle Lab, Australian Integrated Care Services, ANZLENS, and Desir Wine and Cocktail Lounge, and to our finalists, Springs Dental Group, We Love Aintree, Enviro Pest Control, Pep & Gusto, Stix dessert bar, Pizza Speciale, All In One Accounting Solutions, and HK Career & Life Coaching. Small businesses are the backbone of our community. They create jobs, support families and drive innovation and growth, and they're a hallmark of our diverse and wonderful community in Melbourne's western suburbs. At CRC Sydenham, I attended the years 11 and 12 student awards. What an incredible assembly filled with outstanding musical performances that really showcased our students' talent and creativity!”
“I give hearty congratulations to Peter Burquest and Bobby Matthewman, members of the Caroline Springs RSL sub-branch, who were recently awarded lifetime membership of RSL Victoria. Both Vietnam veterans, they've shown unwavering commitment to our veteran community, dedicating their time and energy to supporting ex-service personnel. Peter and Bobby are ensuring the legacy of the RSL continues to thrive through the younger generation, and it was an absolute honour to celebrate with them and members and supporters of the RSL recently. The story of the Caroline Springs sub-branch is showcased in the amazing documentary Those Who Serve , which is now available on SBS On Demand. Go check it out. Congratulations to all finalists and winners of the 2025 Melton business excellence awards.”
“It's the difference between an outdated and inadequate healthcare system and one that better serves our diverse and wonderful Australian community—to support people like the Wintringham residents in Delahey, in my electorate, to support the doctors and healthcare workers like my best friend, Melanie, and to support families in my electorate and those right across the country. These amendments matter, and I commend the bill to the House.”
“We're supporting simplified and streamlined billing for privately insured hospital systems so they do not have to deal with bills from multiple providers. We're clarifying wording to ensure that any eligible person covered under a private health insurance policy can assign their own Medicare benefits on behalf of the person in whose name the policy is held. The details are the difference between hospital staff spending unnecessary time on paperwork billing multiple providers and hospital staff spending time dedicated to their patients thanks to a streamlined billing system. It's the difference between bureaucratic delays and a patient having access to a doctor and receiving that treatment sooner.”
“Initiatives like these will see Australian women and their families saving thousands of dollars on health related costs across their lifetime. We're also backing men's health because for too long men's health and mental health in Australia have been overlooked. We have established and are expanding a network of Medicare mental health centres, helping Australians to have better access to mental health services. We're delivering $11.3 million for Movember to provide men's healthcare training to primary healthcare workers and to develop a campaign to encourage more men to visit the doctor. That's in addition to $20.7 million invested into grassroots initiatives that support men's mental health and wellbeing in community settings. This bill is cleaning up largely technical issues, because clearing up details like this is really important.”
“We have been putting in the work to improve access to health care by expanding the availability of free Medicare urgent care across the country. I was lucky enough to open the 90th urgent care clinic in Melbourne's west with the Prime Minister and my friend the member for Fraser last month. But we are not stopping there. We've already opened 90 urgent care clinics right across the country and we've committed to another 50. We're investing landmark commitments in women's health. For too long, women's health issues have not been adequately addressed. We are working to reverse decades of neglect to women's health, with $570.3 million to deliver more choice, lower costs and better health care for women. We have opened 22 endometriosis and pelvic pain clinics and are opening another 11.”
“We are making the single largest investment in Medicare ever. That's delivering an additional 18 million bulk-billed GP visits every year so more Australians can see a bulk-billed GP. We're tripling the bulk-billing incentive for people who need to see their GP most often, helping pensioners, concession card holders and families with children. We have made it cheaper and easier to see a doctor, having restored bulk-billing for 11 million Australians and having created an additional six million bulk-billed GP visits. We've delivered the biggest-ever reduction in the cost of PBS prescriptions and frozen the cost of PBS medicines at just $25, the lowest it's been since 2004. We've made hundreds of medicines cheaper for Australians.”
“It also allows for work completed by the bonded participant in good faith consistent with program objectives to be counted towards their return-of-service obligation. These legislative amendments build on a suite of other reforms Labor has introduced to strengthen Medicare and our healthcare workforce. We took health care to the election, and, across the board, we're legislating change. We're growing the health workforce to deliver more doctors and nurses than ever before, including the largest GP training program in Australian history and hundreds of scholarships for nurses and midwives to extend their skills and qualifications. This includes incentives like the Commonwealth prac payment, which means students on their mandatory nursing and midwifery placements will be paid for their work.”
“The proposed amendment will also extend the existing grace period from the HECS census date, meaning a student can withdraw from the bonded medical program without consequence at any time until they are awarded their medical degree. Removing the requirement for students who withdraw to repay the cost of their Commonwealth supported place under the program is a better fit, and it's recognising that the decision to withdraw is a difficult one, often reached because of challenging personal circumstances. The amendments aim to ensure the consequences of breaching a condition and/or withdrawal from the program fairly balance both the personal circumstances of the bonded participant and the broader interests of the community.”
“We have a workforce shortage in Australia. My best friend, Dr Melanie Johnston, is a medical doctor working across multiple Melbourne hospitals. She has worked very hard to get where she is, and she is saving lives every single day. She often tells me about the extraordinary hours, hospital staff shortages and lack of specialists across the system, which lead to burn-out for so many. A six-year Medicare ban for bond doctors does not properly address the workforce shortage issue. In fact, it's reductive. A six-year Medicare ban is not in the interests of the individual bonded doctor, nor is it in the interests of the Australian community. Removing this ban will also ensure consistency for all bonded doctors when it comes to the consequences of breaching return-of-service obligations.”
“Modernising Medicare is just another step in our plan to protect and strengthen the vital healthcare system that Australians rely so heavily upon. The final part of this bill, the amendment to the Health Insurance Act 1973, is about ensuring consistency for healthcare workers and protecting good faith in program activities. At the moment, former Medical Rural Bonded Scholarship Scheme participants who voluntarily opt in to the statutory program and who fail to complete their return-of-service obligation within the allowed 18-year period or withdraw from the program earlier face a six-year Medicare ban. Subjecting these doctors to a Medicare ban jeopardises continued service provision and access to care for Australians living in regional, rural and remote communities and in other areas of workforce shortages.”
“Again, we're talking about reducing barriers to more Australians accessing better care. Schedule 3 to the bill allows regulations to be made to modernise assignments of the Medicare benefits process, the process that underpins Medicare bulk-billing. Last year, the Albanese Labor government passed legislation to modernise and simplify how patients assign their Medicare benefits. These changes recognise that patients and healthcare providers are no longer using paper based processes that existed when Medicare was first set up over 40 years ago. The amendments in this bill will build on these important changes, remedying legal and technical issues. This means that Labor's 2025 election commitment of providing $7.9 billion in bulk-billing incentives will not be adversely impacted by non-compliant business software.”
“We're doing everything we can to have more healthcare providers in our workforce and more health services in our health system, and that's what this bill is all about. Schedule 2 to the bill, the amendments to chapters 2, 5 and 6 of the Private Health Insurance Act 2007, is about supporting the affordability of private health insurance and access to private healthcare services. The private health insurance rebate is an initiative designed to make private health insurance more affordable for Australians by funding part of their premiums. As a result of systems limitations, some elements of the registration and claims-processing system were being administered inconsistently with the requirements of the act, and these amendments will break down these unnecessary barriers.”
“This bill will streamline the application process for health practitioners, enabling them to receive a Medicare provider number quicker and provide healthcare services sooner. This is a technical change, but it's an important one. It takes between 10 and 15 years for a local GP to be fully trained. Internationally qualified health practitioners take 35 to 130 weeks to be ready to practise in Australia, nurses and midwives take up to 91 weeks and OTs take up to 135 weeks. When we need GPs in our hospitals and our clinics, we don't need qualified and trained GPs to be prevented from practising because of unnecessary wait times on Medicare provider numbers. The same goes for all healthcare professionals.”
“We built Medicare, and today we're here to strengthen Medicare. The automation of Medicare provider numbers is just one of the measures we're taking to update and protect Medicare. This is about reducing unnecessary barriers to healthcare professionals practising and to bringing on more skilled health practitioners in Australia. Currently, Medicare provider numbers are allocated by the Chief Executive Medicare as one of their functions under the Human Services (Medicare) Act 1973. At the moment, the Chief Executive Medicare is unable to approve the use of computer programs to make appropriate non-discretionary decisions to allocate Medicare provider numbers. This bill will change that.”
“Wintringham residents are a fantastic group of people who have an op shop open every fortnight on a Tuesday. But many are burdened with a number of chronic diseases, which means they are constantly in and out of hospital, trying to navigate appointments, scans, specialists and outpatient care. I want to see better health outcomes for people in my community in Gorton like those Wintringham residents. This bill, along with the suite of healthcare reforms introduced by the Albanese Labor government, is so important for my community in Melbourne's west and for all Australians. The proposed amendments in this bill will take significant steps towards modernising Medicare and simplifying bulk-billing and insurance rebates. Most importantly, they will break down barriers to accessing health care and to training and qualifying doctors.”
“In so many ways, my electorate represents Australia as a whole, with its vitality, its rich cultural and linguistic make-up and its aspirations for the future. An electorate like mine—young, diverse and aspirational—has many needs that have yet to be met. One area that struggles to keep up is access to health services. Gorton residents experience significant disadvantage in accessing health services. In the city of Brimbank, a staggering 28 per cent of residents aged 18 and older have been diagnosed with two or more chronic diseases, conditions that need to be managed throughout their lives. I recently met with some residents at Wintringham in Delahey, in my electorate. This service provides quality care and accommodation to elderly men and women who are financially disadvantaged, homeless or at risk of homelessness.”
“Workforce shortages mean increased workloads for health practitioners, and, importantly, they mean Aussies having reduced access to care and poorer patient outcomes. Around 40 per cent of Australians wait at least 24 hours to see a GP for urgent care. Some six per cent of people wait longer than 365 days for elective surgery, with some waiting more than 500 days. When we don't have a strong and supported healthcare workforce, Aussies pay the price. I've seen this firsthand in my electorate of Gorton, in Melbourne's west, one of the fastest-growing electorates in the country. There are over 47,000 families across the electorate, and new ones are created every day, with 10 babies a day born in the city of Melton alone.”
“The amendments in this bill clean up technical issues, making things fairer and easier for our healthcare workers and supporting the growth of the health industry in Australia. The independently led Kruk review of health practitioner regulatory settings highlighted shortages in Australia's healthcare workforce, and these workforce shortages are significant. In the June quarter of 2023, 44 per cent of health professional vacancies were unfilled. An extra 13,000 medical practitioners, 40,000 nurses and 27,000 allied health professionals are likely to be needed by 2026. These workforce shortages exist in all Australian states and territories, and they are widespread across medicine, nursing, midwifery, and allied health professions, including dentistry, OT, physiotherapy, psychology and radiation therapy.”
“I rise to speak in support of the Health Legislation Amendment (Miscellaneous Measures No. 1) Bill 2025, brought forward by the Minister for Health and Ageing, and I commend him for doing so. Health care is fundamental to the wellbeing of Australians, and Medicare is at the heart of our healthcare system. In 1984 the Hawke Labor government introduced Medicare, and in 2025 strengthening Medicare was the beating heart of our election campaign, because that's what good governments do: they invest in and protect our public healthcare system. I couldn't be prouder to stand in this chamber as part of the Albanese Labor government, legislating to protect and improve our healthcare system.”