QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE

Mr BUTLER (Hindmarsh—Minister for Disability and the National Disability Insurance Scheme, Minister for Health and Ageing and Deputy Leader of the House) (14:57): Thank you to the member for Braddon, part of the mighty Tasmanian Labor team. A bit like South Australia, Tasmania is a little older than the national average, with a higher rate of most chronic diseases, and that makes a stronger Medicare there even more important.

The member for Braddon and her colleagues never miss an opportunity to talk up the interests of their beautiful state when it comes to health, and this government is delivering. Yesterday, Tasmania's hardworking public hospitals were finally freed of the shackles of the substandard Morrison-era hospitals agreement. Under that deal, their funding would have been capped at just $750 million this year.

But, under ours, they'll receive an increase of more than 20 per cent, or an additional $160 million in this year alone, which means more doctors, more nurses and better care in Tasmania. We're also taking pressure off those hospitals, with urgent care clinics in Burnie, in Devonport and in other parts of Tasmania, and with a revival of bulk-billing. I'm pleased to report to the member for Braddon that bulk-billing in her electorate is up 12 per cent because of our investments and now sits at over 93 per cent for pensioners.

It's at over 97 per cent for people without a concession card. It's increased by a whopping 25 per cent because of our investments. This is the sort of real change you get from hardworking Labor members like the member for Braddon.

But earlier today we were all in here voting on the latest instalment in the member for Lindsay's ongoing but thus far unsuccessful campaign to rebrand the Liberal Party. Even while we were reading about the opposition leader giving his party room a tongue lashing about rebranding, the member for Lindsay was moving a motion promoting the Liberal Party as the party of Medicare and the Liberal Party as the party of bulk-billing.

I say to the member for Lindsay, in broad terms, good luck; in broad terms, strength to your arm! But the Australian people know what the Liberal Party has always thought about Medicare. They remember John Howard describing Medicare as the Hawke government's greatest failure.

They remember John Howard describing bulk-billing as an absolute rort. They remember Tony Abbott trying to abolish bulk-billing altogether. They lived through that infamous decade of cuts and neglect.

Australians, if they're interested in Medicare, know the Labor Party is the party to deliver the real change and a healthier Australia.