STATEMENTS BY SENATORS

Senator DAVID POCOCK (Australian Capital Territory—Independent ACT Whip) (13:47): I welcome today's news that Minister Butler has asked for options to start to deal with the growth in fees to see a specialist in this country. Unfortunately, I wasn't surprised to learn that Australians have paid over $4 billion out of pocket to see a specialist. It's grown by 75 per cent since 2019, and Canberrans pay the highest gaps in the country.

We pay on average $605 out of pocket per service. This is $355 higher than the national average. Everyone here has a story about how expensive it is to see a dermatologist, to get checked for breast cancer, scans to have a baby or to have your hip replaced.

It is a growing weight on people's budgets, particularly for older people, who may have to see a few specialists throughout the year. Don't even get me started on ultrasounds. Here in the ACT, they'll set you back $120 on average.

You can go just across the border to Queanbeyan, and you're paying $40. In fairness, Medicare rebates for specialists have basically not increased in decades, and affordability matters as much as access. As people in Canberra and anyone who lives in a regional area know, distance and waiting lists are a huge part of the problem.

It seems to me that we've not been training the right number of specialists and are struggling to keep them in the right places, so I commend the minister for his focus on this. I encourage him to pursue urgent reform. I'm looking forward to following it for people in the ACT.