COMMITTEES

Senator ASKEW (Tasmania—Chief Opposition Whip in the Senate) (12:01): At the request of Senator Canavan, I move: That the following matter be referred to the Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport References Committee for inquiry and report by 30 June 2026: The Government's changes to rural, regional and remote Medicare access and funding, with particular reference to: (a) the impact of the 1 November 2025 Medicare changes on access to primary care, including telehealth, for rural, regional and remote Australians; (b) the financial sustainability of independently owned rural general practices under current Medicare funding and incentive structures; (c) the extent to which current Medicare settings contribute to avoidable emergency presentations and preventable hospital admissions in rural, regional and remote areas; (d) the adequacy of Medicare support for the mixed-team models of care required in rural, regional and remote communities, including the roles of general practitioners, nurse practitioners, nurses, allied health professionals and visiting specialists; (e) the impacts of current Medicare rules and incentive arrangements on large corporate providers compared with small, community-embedded rural clinics; (f) reforms needed to ensure Medicare is fair, workable and sustainably funded for rural, regional and remote Australians, including the requirement for rural stress-testing of future changes; and (g) any other related matters.

Question agreed to.