STATEMENTS BY MEMBERS

Ms PAYNE (Canberra) (13:53): Women asked for better health care. The Albanese Labor government has listened and acted, and we are delivering real change. Over one million Australian women are now saving on contraception, IVF, endometriosis and menopause treatments, thanks to our government's reforms.

For the first time in decades, we've added new contraceptives to the PBS, long-term contraceptives like IUDs are cheaper, and, for women undergoing IVF, we've improved access and made fertility treatments more affordable. We've opened 33 endometriosis and pelvic pain clinics across the country, including right here in Canberra at SHFPACT. We did that, and then we expanded those clinics, and we have been able to support women through menopause and perimenopause too.

We've introduced Medicare funded menopause health assessments, and over 125,000 women have already accessed one. These are real changes working to make health care more accessible and affordable for women all across Australia. I commend Senator Marielle Smith for recently establishing the Select Committee on Women's Health and highlighting postpartum care, something that so many women experience—if not the majority—and something we can definitely do much better on.

The Albanese Labor government is listening to Australian women and delivering for them the health care that they deserve.