CONSTITUENCY STATEMENTS

Mr SMALL (Forrest—Opposition Whip) (16:19): Health care in this country, despite the press releases and the political spin, is under real pressure. In regional communities like mine, the pressure continues to mount on families who simply can't afford it. We're seeing hospitals under strain and emergency departments stretched thin.

Last year, I rose in this very chamber to draw attention to the ambulance ramping crisis in my seat of Forrest, and, since that time, neither Labor government has taken action to address it. Ambulance ramping is unacceptable anywhere, but in the regions it's worse, because there isn't another hospital just down the road. The reality is that, in regional communities like mine, the consequences are sharper and felt more deeply for local families.

I was recently contacted by Kim in my electorate who shared his telling experience with our local healthcare system. Kim doesn't need to see a doctor very often, but, on this occasion, he required a basic consultation by phone. He was told that it would cost him $75 for a few minutes on the phone.

How can we expect that people struggling to manage their health affairs are faced with this as the first point of call with the health system? At the same time, we know that families are dealing with a lot right now. The cost of living is rising.

Groceries, power bills, rents—everything seems to be going up. For those managing an ongoing or chronic condition, those pressures don't just add up; they multiply. What creates that situation is where people are forced into a choice no Australian should have to make—a choice between getting care or keeping up with the bills.

That's just not good enough. Despite every talking point from those opposite, people in the regions don't feel the progress that this government claims to have delivered when it comes to health care. Take, for instance, Margaret River, where a surging population for the last 25 years has placed an ever-increasing demand on healthcare services.

The local community in Margaret River is crying out for upgrades to the Margaret River Hospital because the current situation is simply unsustainable. That's through no fault of the local staff, the nurses and doctors on the ground, who are doing absolutely everything they can to deliver quality care to locals. This is a question of systemic underresourcing.

That's what I've heard from the locals. I encourage everyone in the Margaret River area and the surrounds to have their voice heard in this place by signing my petition to upgrade the Margaret River Hospital. If state Labor won't fund it, federal Labor should.

At the end of the day, someone needs to step in and salvage this totally unacceptable situation for local people. Together, we must stand up for better health care in Forrest, because this Labor government surely isn't.