STATEMENTS BY SENATORS

Senator WHITEAKER (Western Australia) (13:50): On Friday I visited the Secret Harbour Medical Centre to celebrate their transition to fully bulk-billing their patients—one of the first in the country, ahead of this Labor government's new bulk-billing incentive, which comes into place on 1 November. Secret Harbour Medical Centre decided to be bold and go early and make the jump to fully bulk-billing every patient that walks through their door.

When I spoke to the practice manager, Kat, she told me that their practice was struggling to get patients through the door, and, when they did come in, they had long lists of concerns. Many of them had been waiting months and months—in some cases, years—to see a GP, because they were worried about the cost. So I was thrilled that this practice got ahead of the curve and embraced our policy to strengthen Medicare and make health care more affordable for every Australian.

Once they transitioned to bulk-billing on 4 August this year, their patient base immediately grew. Patients started coming back for follow-up appointments. They started building relationships with their GP and took an active approach to their health care.

When Labor came to government, we made it our mission to rebuild Medicare after years of neglect, because we believe that seeing a doctor should rely only on your Medicare card, not your credit card. From 1 November, Labor's changes to bulk-billing incentives will kick in, giving practices right across the country the incentive to make the jump that Secret Harbour Medical Centre has already made.

It means more local families can see the doctor without worrying about an out-of-pocket cost. It ensures that access to quality health care doesn't depend on how much money you have in your bank account.