PRIVATE MEMBERS' BUSINESS
Mr GOSLING (Solomon) (11:52): I want to thank the member for Clarke for this motion and acknowledge the previous speakers, the members for Macarthur and Kooyong, for their contribution to the health of Australians. All Australians deserve access to the affordable health treatments and devices that they need to stay healthy and to live full and productive lives.
Our world-leading healthcare system is built on a foundation of strong public and private sectors working together to deliver quality care to all Australians. As my friend Dr Mike, the member for Macarthur, said, our hybrid system only works when we efficiently connect health services for our people, and I'll provide a practical example of this from the north shortly.
Private health insurers must ensure their members are getting value for their money. Australians deserve transparency, fair pricing and confidence that their premiums are being directed where they are needed most. Our government is committed to improving choice and transparency for Australians with private health insurance.
Our government is also committed, in a way that I think that no other previous government has been, to the extent of the work that we're doing to ensure that our Aussie public health system is strong and sustainable. The Albanese government is delivering record funding for Northern Territory hospitals, the biggest investment by any federal government ever into Territorians' health: an additional $741 million for NT public hospitals through the National Health Reform Agreement, with total Commonwealth hospital funding reaching $3.5 billion over the five years.
This funding will help improve hospital waiting times, reduce ED crowding and free up hospital beds. We're also providing $95.5 million over two years from 2026-27 for primary health care services in remote Northern Territory—the area of the Territory that you so ably represent, Deputy Speaker Scrymgour. There's also a one-time, top-up payment of $66 million in the 2026-27 financial year for the Territory to address many challenges that smaller jurisdictions like ours can face in delivering health services.
That's record funding for the Northern Territory from federal Labor. In addition, our Medicare urgent care clinics are making a real difference in the Territory, helping people get the care that they need while taking pressure off our EDs. As I mentioned in this place previously, our Darwin urgent care clinic opened in May to complement the one in Palmerston, as well as the ones in your electorate, Deputy Speaker.
This means not only that Territorians are getting urgent care outside of hospital, but it's also freeing up ED beds for people who really need them. They're fully bulk-billed, open seven days a week, and they are working. That's good for patients and good for Royal Darwin Hospital.
In July, our prime minister came to Darwin and announced $10 million to upgrade maternity services at Royal Darwin Hospital following the closure of Darwin Private Hospital's maternity ward in June last year. The investment will upgrade existing birthing suites, maternity wards and neonatal services to improve facilities and accommodate increased demand. Now why is that needed?
Well, it needed an upgrade anyway, but also approximately 250 additional births are expected at Royal Darwin Hospital annually following the closure of private maternity services. While our investment will improve public maternity facilities, it does not replace the private maternity service that was previously available in Darwin. The NT government were made aware that Darwin Private Hospital would close its maternity services in September 2024, not long after they came to government.
Healthscope made this public on 20 February 2025, with the ward ultimately closing on 6 June 2025. At the time, the NT government acknowledged that it had been aware the service was under pressure for months prior to the closure announcement. Last month, the CLP government welcomed Calvary Health Care as the new operator of Darwin Private Hospital, and the Chief Minister of the Northern Territory has promised a return of full private health maternity services at Darwin Private Hospital.
We look forward to seeing that full return of a full private maternity service at Darwin Private Hospital becoming a reality. In the meantime, our federal Labor government will continue to have record funding into Territory health.