CONSTITUENCY STATEMENTS
Ms COLLINS (Franklin—Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) (16:14): Can I start my speech by saying a big thankyou to the good people of Franklin for supporting me in the recent federal election. Whether they voted for me or not, I want to say that I'll continue to stand up for them, I'll continue to fight for them and I'll continue to make sure that my electorate of Franklin gets our fair share of funding from the federal government.
I was incredibly humbled by the result in Franklin. For the communities and their continued support—I will never ever take it for granted. The people in my electorate of Franklin, and indeed around Tasmania, voted overwhelmingly for Labor.
Four out of five seats in Tasmania are held by strong Labor women. It was a resounding vote for the Labor agenda; for more urgent care clinics, which will take Tasmania's total up to eight; for cheaper medicines; for more free GP visits; for more mental health clinics; and for more support for women's health. As we went around Tasmania and across my electorate, we were told every time how successful the urgent care clinics were and how Labor's policies around cheaper medicines were supporting Tasmanians.
People in this place would know that many Tasmanians have been doing it tough. I came across an older man who was fit and in his 70s. He said to me that he usually votes Liberal but that he was voting Labor this time because, on a weekend, he got unwell and he used an urgent care clinic.
He said that the urgent care clinic made a huge difference to him, and he understands how important health care is. So the urgent care clinics were a tangible thing on the ground that people put their faith in Labor around, and they knew that Labor would continue to deliver for them. And of course it was in Launceston, in Tassie, where the Prime Minister and Minister Butler made the announcement in relation to the $8.5 billion investment in Medicare.
This really matters in Tasmania. Tasmanians have not generally been bulk-billed for health care. It is very hard, in Tasmania, to go to a doctor and be bulk-billed, and it's been very hard for the last 40 years.
This investment will make a tangible difference in many communities in my electorate and in Tasmania. This will really matter. I've come across councils who run health clinics and tell me they are now going to bulk-bill people in these health clinics because of Labor's policies, from 1 November.
That is extraordinary health care in regional communities in my electorate and around Tasmania. I also want to put on record my thanks to the people that helped my campaign in Tasmania, whether they be the branch volunteers, union members or my fabulous and wonderful staff, who I'm sure are watching this. I give a huge, big thankyou to everybody for all of the effort on the ground.
To my colleagues: it's wonderful to have the great new member for Lyons, the new member for Bass and the new member for Braddon joining me in this place. It's an extraordinary team that we have now from Tasmania, and I'm incredibly proud of the result in Tasmania.