Zhi Soon
Banks · Australian Labor Party · Australia
“Let's be clear: if these companies want to do business in Australia, they must obey Australian laws. It is important to note that the legislation passed by the parliament to institute this ban was the beginning and not the end of this reform. The same is true of the legislation passed yesterday.”
“As the compliance update demonstrates, the need exists, and the legislation passed by this House earlier this week is the consequence of big tech failing to respect Australian law and uphold the standards Australians expect.”
“They are worried about the type of content that is out there online that their children could inadvertently be exposed to. They want to see greater protections for their children online. Keeping Australians safe online, particularly children and young people, is a top priority for this government.”
“Unfortunately, though, in March of this year the eSafety Commissioner published their first compliance update, which contained some unwelcome news. The commissioner had serious concerns about compliance and the practices of some of the platforms in the tech industry.”
“I rise to support this profoundly significant matter of public importance put forward by my friend the member for Newcastle—not least because this is an issue that matters to so many people across our great country but also because it matters to so many parents in my electorate of Banks.”
“A number of locals in the seat of Banks were recognised as part of the King's Birthday Honours, and I want to acknowledge them here. Mark Connell of Oatley was awarded an OAM for services to youth through scouting, and, as an integral part of the 1st Oatley Bay Sea Scouts, he has contributed to the outdoor skills and confidence of countle…”
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“The Home Affairs portfolio includes responsibility for Australia's multicultural affairs. I am proud to be part of the most diverse, multicultural parliament in Australia's history. Any young person in this country should be able to look at the parliament and see themselves in this place and, if they so choose to, aspire to be a part of it. My family came from Malaysia, but there are members of this House with heritage from all over the world. They include Chinese Australians, Indian Australians, Sri Lankan Australians, Lebanese Australians and many, many more. The Albanese Labor government believes that every single Australian, whatever their race or religion, wherever they or their parents were born, should be able to feel safe and at home without prejudice or discrimination.”
“They are there to provide essential services to support those in our community, and, unfortunately, with some of their closures, the impact is being felt by those in our community who need their support most.”
“In my first speech to this House, I talked about making government more human. The same applies to our key services outside government. While there isn't a single clear solution to this issue, I think a good place to start would be encouraging organisations like our banks and Australia Post to consider their role in the communities they serve and the impact that constant widespread closures are having on their social licence—in addition, to consider a solution to how we preserve the access to face-to-face transactions, in spite of the dramatic spike in digital banking communications, in order to protect Australians and in particular old Australians in our communities. We must remember: these businesses, including Australia Post, are community businesses.”
“These statistics have been used to justify bank branch closures for quite a while. But the element missing from this equation is the consideration of the community and the social licence upon which these business operate. The ongoing acceptance and approval of a business from the community and other key stakeholders for its operation are the often unseen and unappreciated part of their business success. Organisations like banks and the post office should recognise that the level of frustration in the community with the industry is palpable. Nearly 2,500 people in my community alone have expressed their frustration in little more than a month, and there is an unquantifiable groundswell in the background behind that as well and an ongoing concern about access to services.”
“Suburbs lose their bank branches and post offices, and a large subsection of consumers and community members go to large suburban centres to do their admin and take their business with them, harming the small businesses in the places they live, including in places like Revesby. Research out of the United Kingdom against the background of legislation to protect access to basic banking services from only a few years ago indicated that the closure of bank branches was entirely eliminating access to cash and financial services in some communities. On the flip side, the Australian Banking Association claims that nearly 99 per cent of banking transactions are now taking place digitally, be that online or otherwise, and foot traffic to branches has fallen significantly in recent years.”
“The Senate Standing Committee on Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport conducted an inquiry during the last term of parliament about this very same topic. These studies found significant negative social impacts, including socioeconomic marginalisation and financial exclusion, in the bush. It was also noted that bank closures were devastating small businesses and local economies, with people travelling to larger regional centres to do their banking and doing their shopping while there instead of keeping money in their local communities. Perhaps the most concerning though was that faith in the future of regional towns was dramatically weakened, according to this research. While these effects are particularly pronounced in regional communities, they can also be seen in metropolitan areas, like the one I serve in this House.”
“In the digital age, it is just so important to make sure people have options. As I mentioned before, scams are more common and complex than ever. It is so important, particularly for older Australians, to have an in-person service, where they can speak to another person within easy reach. The retreat of these two services has derailed that significantly. This has a particular impact when the needs of the individuals are complex, and this is why in-person services are so important. The effects of these services closing have been well known for quite some time. The Hawker inquiry into the level of banking and financial services in regional and rural communities in the late 1990s outlined issues quite clearly. Academics also weighed in at around the same time with studies into the effects on regional and rural communities.”
“Narwee—no bank branch; Lugarno—no bank branch; Peakhurst—no bank branch; Beverly Hills—no bank branch. In Oatley, CBA, St George and Bendigo Bank all closed—and, like the others, there is no bank branch left. In Penshurst, CBA closed a long time ago, and now it has no bank branch. Blakehurst, Connells Point and South Hurstville all have no bank branches. Lastly, in Mortdale, Westpac closed, CBA remains, and, perhaps the strangest of all, it has an ANZ bank branch operating as a cashless bank branch. It is an unfortunate pattern of events that often bank branches close and offer the consolation that you can do your personal banking at the local post office. But, as the post office closed, there is no viable alternative for in-person banking services for many in our town centres and our high streets.”
“While Australia Post has had a significant retreat in terms of the number of retail outlets, it is not the only example of retreat from services in our communities and town centres. Similarly, bank branches have been withdrawn from local communities. While Revesby has been spared the worst of bank branch closures—losing the National Australia Bank location in 2022 and still maintaining the other three big banks—other suburbs in my electorate have not been so lucky. East Hills, for example—no bank branch. Panania used to have four bank branches but, since the CBA closed in 2014, it has none. Padstow has no bank branches since the CBA closed the branch, after justifying the closure at Panania. Picnic Point—no bank branch. Milperra—no bank branch. In Riverwood both the CBA and the National Australia Bank closed—again, no bank branch left.”
“I look forward to continuing to have discussions with Australia Post about the future of the post office in Revesby, and how we can ensure that the community does not lose access to the services that remain much needed by so many. Indeed, I am not the only member of this place that has seen bank branch and post office closures in their electorate. It is, unfortunately, a common story for members across this House. Like many members from greater Sydney, my colleague and electorate neighbour, the member for Barton, currently has a similarly important post office closing in Kingsgrove, and the withdrawal of services at the former Rockdale post office site is another example.”
“Alongside the state member for East Hills, Kylie Wilkinson; Canterbury Bankstown Mayor Bilal El-Hayek; and Revesby ward Councillor David Walsh, I am advocating for this decision to be reversed in the interest of local residents in and around Revesby. In September we launched a petition to demonstrate the strong community support for the retention of the post office at its current location in Revesby. The community has backed it in significantly. As of this morning, 2,338 people have lent their support across Revesby, Revesby Heights, Panania, Picnic Point, East Hills and Padstow. We also got a fair bit of media attention, This includes an online news piece published the same week we went out to the community for input that hadn't been sought by Australia Post.”
“We need more services, not fewer, to cater for the growth in population in the area. As a reminder to the House, while Australia Post may be owned by the government, it was corporatised in 1989. It is incredibly clear to me, and to the community that I represent, that Australia Post has made the wrong call in regard to Revesby post office. Both the closure of bank branches in surrounding suburbs and the centrality of the location, on Selems Parade in Revesby, has made this post office the go-to place for in-person banking through Bank@Post—a service that is so disproportionately used by older members of our community, who have less readily available alternatives, particularly for those not comfortable with online banking. Understandably, this anxiety around using online services has been exacerbated by the proliferation of scams.”
“I rise today to speak about the shrinking access to services in our town centre—especially banking and post—in my community and, indeed, right across our country. Recently I was made aware that the Revesby post office had been scheduled for closure by Australia Post. This is extremely disappointing news for the community of Revesby, Revesby Heights and Picnic Point, as well as the broader area. The Revesby post office is a key fixture in our local town centre. It's close to the major supermarkets and connected to all of the surrounding suburbs by multiple, regular public transport links, making it by far the most accessible Australia Post location in the area. Further, Revesby is a growing community. A substantial development of new homes has been approved, quite literally across the road from the existing post office site.”
“Once again, thank you, John Shields, for celebrating and recognising the contribution of our armed services here in Australia and in our community.”
“Finally, I would like to recognise local Picnic Point resident John Shields. John is a Vietnam veteran and a proud Australian. Several times throughout the year, John will hold memorial services in the front yard of his home to honour Australia's fallen. On 18 August, I had the honour of joining one of John's services to honour Vietnam veterans and the contribution of the many service men and women during the Vietnam conflict. As always, John's service was well attended and supported by people like Jon Guyer, the senior minister at Panania Anglican Church. I had the privilege of laying a wreath alongside my colleague, the state minister for East Hills, Kylie Wilkinson. I would like to thank John for his work in honouring the men and women who wear Australia's uniform, and I look forward to attending future services at his home.”
“Congratulations to Oatley West Public School's P&C for another successful festival, and thank you in particular to Chris Chuck from the P&C for showing me around on the day. I look forward to returning next year. On 19 August I had the privilege of attending the HSC showcase at Sir Joseph Banks High School in Revesby. It was a great evening highlighting the extraordinary talent of so many students who have completed their year 12 major works. There were textile works, visual representations of computer programs, visual arts and an amazing drama and musical performance that I got to see in person. Congratulations to all the students, teachers and families involved. Further, the state government has begun building a new facility at the high school. I look forward to seeing what the school can do with even more facilities at hand.”
“I rise to acknowledge some of the community groups, organisations and events in my electorate that I've had the pleasure of meeting with over the last few weeks. On Saturday, before heading back down here to Canberra for this parliamentary sitting, I dropped into the Oatley West Community Festival, held at Oatley West Public School. The festival has been the highlight on the community's calendar for more than 40 years and fundraises for the school's P&C. The event on Saturday was a fantastic success. There was a great atmosphere, and it was heartening to see so many families and members of our community enjoying themselves with rides, market stalls, an art show, a silent auction, food and entertainment. I must admit I enjoyed the rides myself as well as some of the food that was on offer.”
“We passed the Respect at Work legislation, which now requires businesses across the country to take proactive steps to create workplaces that are free from sexual harassment. There is so much more I could speak about, be it the APS Integrity Taskforce, strengthening the Public Service Act, strengthening whistleblower protections or the development of a third national action plan for transparency and accountability. The member for Berowra spoke in his remarks about the proposed reforms to the Freedom of Information Act. Freedom of information is a vital feature of our democracy. It promotes accountability and transparency in government, but right now FOI is not fit for purpose and the laws need updating to bring it into the 21st century. The contrast between this government and those opposite could not be clearer.”
“We implemented the recommendations of the Bell inquiry to improve transparency and restore the public trust in Australian democracy that was lost as a result of the secret ministries affair. We created, as my colleague mentioned before, the Administrative Review Tribunal, a new administrative review body that is user focused, efficient and accessible but, most importantly, is also independent and free from undue political influence. We established the royal commission into robodebt and re-established the Administrative Review Council, one of the commission's key recommendations. The council will be an expert body to monitor and advise on the operation and integrity of the administrative review system.”
“When it comes to lectures on matters of credibility, those opposite should be receiving them, not giving them. The Labor government's record on integrity could not be more different from the former government. In fact it's a stark contrast. We are a government that is committed to integrity, honesty and accountability in government. We have already delivered a significant reform agenda to restore public trust in government and create higher standards in the federal public sector. While the former government were all talk on the National Anti-Corruption Commission, this government has been all action. During the election campaign in 2022 we said we would get it done by the end of that year and, guess what, we did, delivering an NACC to deter, detect and prevent corruption conduct across the public sector.”
“Let us not forget that when those across the chamber were last in government they also oversaw robodebt, which caused untold suffering to nearly half a million Australians over debts they didn't even owe. They gave us an administrative appeals tribunal full of Liberal and National candidates that was beset by delays, mismanagement and cronyism. They promised an anticorruption commission and then didn't deliver as much as a thought bubble around it for three years. They made no response to Respect at Work, had inaction on privacy and whistleblower reform and left Australians vulnerable to money laundering. They also oversaw programs such as sports rorts, car park rorts, the Building Better Regions Fund and the purchase of the Leppington triangle at 1,000 per cent of the face value to boot.”
“The shadow Attorney-General has brought us here today to talk about secrecy. While I have a lot of respect for the member for Berowra, it has to be said at the outset that the idea that that party—the party of five secret ministries—could attempt to lecture anyone in this place about secrecy is amusing, though I suppose the Liberals and the Nationals know a thing or two about a culture of secrecy, seeing as the former prime minister swore himself and one of his allies into a whole bevy of portfolios without telling his colleagues. In fact the inquiry conducted found that Liberal members enabled a culture of secrecy that has a corrosive impact on public trust and undermined the basic principles of our system of government.”
“We have lost far too many men too early to prostate cancer. Don't leave it to chance. This government takes health care seriously. You only need to look at our agenda to see that. For the first time ever, we have a Special Envoy for Men's Health to draw attention to men's health issues and to advocate for new and innovative solutions, particularly those in the mental health space. I can think of no better person in this Labor caucus for this role than the member for Hunter. Everyone in this place knows the depth of his passion for men's health, and he's thrown himself into this new role. I look forward to working with him to ensure that we lose fewer men too soon, be it to prostate cancer or to other mental health challenges. I thank him for bringing this very important motion to this parliament.”
“Issues in the men's health space are incredibly complex. Statistics from Movember show that as many as two in every three men are foregoing health support due to real or perceived social pressures and gender stereotypes, with around half believing avoiding health check-ups is normal. We need to find ways to get men talking about their own health, and this government is partnering with Movember to provide training to primary healthcare workers and develop a strategy and a campaign to encourage men to visit the doctor. Often, the first step to diagnosing and treating prostate cancer is a trip to the GP and a simple blood test. I encourage men, especially those over 50 and with higher risk factors, to get to their GP to talk about the risks and the steps they can take to prevent and detect it.”
“In addition to this investment, there's $35.4 million over four years to continue supporting the prostate cancer nurses delivered by the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia, an organisation that does fantastic work in this space. The government has also listed a number of medications on the PBS to ensure life-changing treatments are affordable and accessible for all Australians. Earlier this year, talazoparib was listed for the first time to treat patients with metastatic prostate cancer and is expected to benefit 180 patients per year. Without this subsidy provided by the PBS, a course of treatment will cost patients around $101,000. Further, the government listed darolutamide for patients with metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer, making treatment accessible and affordable for about 5,000 men across this country.”
“That is why access to general practitioners, specialists and the entire healthcare workforce is so important to detection, diagnosis, treatment and recovery for patients, and we acknowledge the life-changing, life-saving work that they do today. This Labor government is working hard to improve the early detection and treatment of prostate cancer. In 2023, we invested $166 million in the Australian Cancer Nursing and Navigation Program, a first-of-its-kind initiative that improves access to high-quality, multidisciplinary and integrated cancer services for all patients, irrespective of their type of cancer or whether they live as part of the biggest investment in cancer nurses on record.”
“I rise to support the member for Hunter's motion. Like many of my colleagues have mentioned, September is Prostate Cancer Awareness Month, drawing attention to one of Australia's most commonly diagnosed cancers and the most commonly diagnosed cancer amongst Australian men. Sadly, in 2024, it was estimated that we lost more than 10 men to prostate cancer every single day. It is the simple but too often tragic reality that, if you can't get diagnosed, you can't get access to care, and, as the motion rightly notes, unfortunately, the barriers to diagnosis in our rural and remote communities are the largest, delaying access to timely care for patients.”
“While the changes made by the Health Legislation Amendment (Improved Medicare Integrity and Other Measures) Bill 2025 might not get the headlines, they are no less important as we deliver the healthcare system that Australians deserve and expect. It is this government that continues to invest in Medicare, it is this government that continues to invest in the PBS, and it is this government that continues to invest in our healthcare workforce to make our healthcare system one of the best in the world. I commend this bill to the House and look forward to continuing to support our government's agenda in the health space in order to make sure it continues to remain affordable, of the highest quality and in line with what our communities expect to make sure that we have healthy Australians of all ages for generations to come.”
“The agreement means Australians will benefit from better funded hospitals—like the one I visited in Bankstown on Friday last week—shorter waiting times in emergency departments and shorter waitlists as the government continues to work in partnership with the states and territories to deliver a five-year funding agreement for public hospitals. This is in stark contrast to those opposite, who cut $50 billion from public hospitals under the stewardship of the former leader of the opposition and member for Dickson. As I said, this government's health agenda is substantial. It covers the length and breadth of the portfolio.”
“The reduction in cost from the government is a cut of more than 20 per cent to the maximum cost of a script, which will save Australians a further $200 million each year, and the government's initiative to make 300 medicines available on 60-day prescriptions and lower the PBS safety net threshold will make sure Australian patients save more than a billion dollars on the cost of their scripts thanks to this government's commitment to making medicines cheaper. This is what tangible cost-of-living relief for Australians looks like, as we continue to put downward pressure on inflation while supporting our healthcare system. The Albanese Labor government has delivered a significant boost for public hospital funding, with $1.8 billion invested on 1 July this year, including $408 million for hospitals in my state of New South Wales.”
“Across the whole network, more than 1.8 million patients have been seen and have received fully bulk-billed care. That is an astounding number of people who didn't have to wait in an emergency department or, even worse, forgo medical treatment altogether. I had the opportunity last week to speak on the National Health Amendment (Cheaper Medicines) Bill 2025, and I'm so glad to be able to reiterate to the House the government's fantastic achievements in this space. In 2023 we cut the cost of PBS prescriptions from $42.50 to $30, and the legislation that passed the House last week will cut them from $31.50 to just $25 as well as maintain the $7.70 freeze for pensioners and concession card holders in our communities.”
“By 2028 we'll be funding the training of 2,000 new GP trainees every year alongside measures such as fee-free TAFE and the prac payment, which are helping more nurses and other healthcare professionals get qualified in our communities, to help develop our healthcare system further. During the election campaign in 2022, Labor promised that we would open 50 medical urgent care clinics across the country. We overdelivered, with 87 clinics nationwide, and I look forward to being part of the delivery of a further 50, as we promised at the latest election. The clinics that serve my community in Bankstown and Carlton have filled a gap in our healthcare system and taken the pressure off the emergency departments and the hardworking staff at the Bankstown-Lidcombe and St George hospitals.”
“Bulk-billing rates began to climb in every state and territory as a result of millions of additional trips to the GP that wouldn't have been possible without our tripling of the incentive. Now, the Albanese government is making the single largest investment in Medicare since its creation, with $8.5 billion to deliver more bulk-billing for all Australians, meaning that nine out of 10 GP visits will be bulk-billed by 2030 and that triple the number of practices will be bulk-billing all of their patients. Only this side of the House respects the noble work that is done by our healthcare professionals and understands that nothing we do in this place can be implemented in the health system without them. It's why we're investing $662 million in the healthcare workforce, which will expand the largest GP training program in Australia's history.”
“As I indicated before, these provisions are not flashy and probably won't get on the front page of the paper, but they are an important part of the government's wider health agenda, making sure that we can deliver the high-quality, affordable and accessible health care that Australians expect and need. When Labor came to government in 2022, it had never been harder or more expensive to see a doctor. This is why Australians put their faith in us to repair the health system. That continues in this term of the 48th Parliament. The Labor government did the hard work and, in the last term of parliament, made record investments in Medicare to restore bulk-billing rates for those who need it most and got results.”
“Further, this legislation makes changes to the Public Health (Tobacco and Other Products) Act that remove the restrictions on the public service performance compliance enforcement activities as well as enable the refresh of health warnings on tobacco products and packaging to ensure these measures are effective in deterring the uptake of smoking and in the promotion of the cessation of smoking as an important preventative initiative. The specific provisions of the legislation will ensure this refresh can be undertaken without unnecessarily or excessively burdening business owners or retailers.”
“In recent years, we've seen the spread of vaping and e-cigarettes, including in concerning numbers among young Australians. The Minister for Health and Ageing, Disability and the National Disability Insurance Scheme has led the reform in this space, ensuring that we keep vaping products out of the hands of young people and stop the sale of illegal vapes. This legislation continues to move forward in this space, with measures to support compliance and enforcement activities undertaken in relation to vaping goods and to support existing legislation.”
“Overall, this suite of measures will collectively improve the power to detect, respond to, investigate, disclose and deter misconduct, fraud and non-compliance, and it will support the ability to conduct efficient, timely and effective compliance enforcement activities. It is important for this government to ensure that the PBS is not being exploited by bad actors out there, but it's equally important to ensure that the department is able to respond to shortages in the pharmaceuticals that Australians need. This legislation does just that. This bill makes amendments to the Therapeutic Goods Act to enhance the department's capacity to manage the situation and alleviate the effects on patients by allowing approval of the import of substitutable products when it becomes clear that there is a looming shortage.”
“Further, the bill amends the National Health Act to improve the efficiency of the process by which the minister may exercise discretion to approve a pharmacist, by combining two stages of the existing process, as well as restricting repeat applications, amongst other measures that will reduce administrative burden and support more timely access to medications and pharmaceutical benefits for Australian patients. While these legislative changes are hardly the flashiest part of the government's agenda in the healthcare space, they are both timely and important for the long-term sustainability of our healthcare programs.”
“There are also unnecessary restrictions on the ability to search with consent and on the retention of important evidence, which can frustrate efforts to pursue prosecution in some serious instances that are dealt with under the Criminal Code. This Labor government isn't just strengthening the PBS by cutting the price of prescriptions to a maximum of $25; we are strengthening it by ensuring that the small handful of people out there who abuse it can be held accountable.”
“Overall, patients and practitioners can expect to benefit from better protected health benefit schemes that will provide more secure access to safe, quality healthcare services. Where genuine fraud exists in our healthcare system, it is our responsibility to investigate it and pursue it through the avenues available. At present, the legislation does not provide adequate paths for government to take action in this regard. The investigative powers in part IID of the Human Services (Medicare) Act apply inconsistently across all of the health benefits programs, and, as a result, investigators do not have access to the full suite of powers for numerous offences, with particular weaknesses in relation to the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme.”
“The government has a responsibility to act to ensure that community expectations are met in all aspects of our healthcare system. These amendments are necessary to protect the integrity and support the ongoing sustainability of the Medicare Benefits Schedule, the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme and the Child Dental Benefits Schedule and ensure patient safety is protected in all aspects of our healthcare system. Importantly, the measures introduced in the bill before the House will only directly impact the small percentage of practitioners and businesses engaged in noncompliance or fraudulent activities. The vast and overwhelming majority of practitioners and patients who do the right thing should notice no difference.”
“The budget delivered by the government for financial year 2023-24 funded the establishment of the Medicare Integrity Taskforce to consider the findings of the Philip review and implement its recommendations. The Philip review referred to the need for the integrity activities to identify and respond to any actors in the system who are unintentionally or dishonestly obtaining payments. Australians know that the overwhelming majority of our doctors and healthcare professionals are honest and hardworking and comply with the Medicare rules—general practitioners and specialists are pillars of the community in my electorate—but unfortunately there are a small proportion out there who don't act with the integrity that the Australian people expect.”
“Part of strengthening our country's healthcare system is protecting the integrity of the Medicare program, supporting the Therapeutic Goods Administration to manage goods shortfalls and enforce legislation and enabling more effective preventive health measures to deter the take-up of tobacco and nicotine products. The health legislation amendment bill before the parliament makes amendments to various pieces of legislation, including the National Health Act, the Health Insurance Act, the Human Services (Medicare) Act and the Dental Benefits Act, to respond to a range of issues that affect our health system as well as the administration and provision of our health benefits program. These changes come as a result of the Independent Review of Medicare Integrity and Compliance undertaken by Dr Pradeep Philip.”
“I rise today to support the Health Legislation Amendment (Improved Medicare Integrity and Other Measures) Bill 2025, and I am so glad to have another opportunity to speak on this government's healthcare agenda. Australians know that it was a Labor government that created Medicare, the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme and their predecessors. These programs help Australians pay for the health care they need in a world-class system. It is only Labor that stands to protect these programs and, in turn, strengthen Australians' access to reliable, affordable, quality health care.”
“This legislation is good for our nation's health and good for our country's hip pocket. I commend the legislation and thank this government for supporting the community of Banks by making sure that it isn't a trade-off between health care and the balance in their bank accounts.”
“Bulk-billing rates began to climb in every state and territory as a result of millions of additional trips to the GP that wouldn't have been bulk-billed without our tripling of the incentive. When I spoke to the constituents in my electorate about bulk-billing, they appreciated what the government had achieved in this space, but they also wanted to know what else the government could do to make it easier for them to see a doctor. I was so pleased to be able to present the government's commitment to the largest investment in the history of Medicare to ensure that nine out of 10 visits to the doctor would be bulk-billed by the end of the decade. In conclusion, I'd like to reiterate my support for this legislation. It delivers on cost-of-living relief and greater access to health care in one package.”
“We have also introduced programs such as fee-free TAFE and the paid prac payment that supports aspiring nurses and healthcare professionals to get skilled, to get qualified and to get into our healthcare workforce without being financially worse off. While those opposite don't like to admit it, when we came to government bulk-billing rates were falling, as were the number of GPs able to bulk-bill all their patients as a result of nine years of cuts and neglect. This government did the hard work, made record investments in Medicare in the last term of parliament to restore bulk-billing rates for those in our communities who need it most, and got results.”
“The government is investing in the mental health services available to all Australians, backed by Medicare, including the commitment to 31 new and upgraded Medicare mental health centres that offer free walk-in medical health care to anyone who needs it, and to boost the mental health workforce, with 20 new specialist care centres as well as 58 new, upgraded or expanded headspace services for young people aged between 12 and 25, including one that serves my community in the suburb of Hurstville. The government understands the noble work of looking after others. This is why we are investing in our healthcare workforce so that those who care for our sick, our injured and our vulnerable are supported and recognised, not just in rhetoric but in their pay packet.”
“The government is also investing in women's health to deliver more choice, lower costs and better health care for women across Australia and demonstrate that women's healthcare needs are being taken seriously, including the first PBS listing for new oral contraceptives in more than 30 years, expanding the network of endometriosis clinics to 33, expanding their scope to include menopause care and adding more endometriosis medications to the PBS.”
“While this government is boosting hospital funding, we're also making sure there are more ways for Australians to interact with the healthcare system. I'm sure I don't need to remind anyone in this place that, at the election in 2022, Labor promised to open a network of 50 fully bulk-billed urgent care clinics and delivered 87. Banks, my community, is served by the clinics in Bankstown and Carlton, and they have been a tremendous success, keeping more than 10,000 patients out of our local emergency departments at Bankstown-Lidcombe and St George hospitals or, even worse, from not being able to access care at all. As the government further expands the network of urgent care clinics to more than 130 nationwide, more and more Australians will be able to access these fantastic services.”