Wednesday, 15 November 2023

Payroll tax

Emma KEALY (Lowan) (14:20): My question is to the Minister for Health. Kilmore and Broadford medical centres have said they will be forced to close because of the government’s health tax. These centres take 200,000 appointments each year. Where will patients go when these medical centres close?

Mary-Anne THOMAS (Macedon – Leader of the House, Minister for Health, Minister for Health Infrastructure, Minister for Ambulance Services) (14:20): I welcome this question. Those on the other side just will not let go of this issue. But let me tell you, let me say this: our government has always been up-front that right now primary care is challenged because of a failure of those on the other side’s mates in Canberra. For almost a decade they neglected primary care. There was a six-year freeze –

The SPEAKER: Order! The Manager of Opposition Business on a point of order. Make it succinct.

James Newbury: On a point of order, Speaker, on standing order 58, the minister is clearly debating the question.

The SPEAKER: I ask the minister to come back to the question that was asked.

Mary-Anne THOMAS: The question related of course to the viability of general practice in our state, and let me tell you, the number one reason why GPs are under stress at the moment is as a consequence of the Medicare freeze that was imposed by the previous federal Liberal–National government. Ask any GP and they will tell you that that has been a live issue for many, many years now. Not only that, no other state government or indeed any government has done more to support –

Emma Kealy: On a point of order, Speaker, on relevance, it was a narrow question: where will the patients go when these centres close because of Labor’s health tax?

The SPEAKER: A point of order is not an opportunity to repeat the question. The minister was being relevant, but I do ask the minister to come back to the question.

Mary-Anne THOMAS: I do want to make the point, though, that no other state government or indeed any government has done more to support general practitioners than the Allan Labor government. And we have done that of course – we have got a $32 million package to support more GPs taking up training. But let me say this as well: because of the challenges that general practices face as a consequence of the failure of the previous federal Liberal–National government to invest, we established 27 priority primary care centres. We have established the Victorian virtual ED. Together these services have seen more than 360,000 people –

Members interjecting.

The SPEAKER: Order! The member for South-West Coast can leave the chamber for half an hour.

Member for South-West Coast withdrew from chamber.

Emma Kealy: On a point of order, Speaker, I ask the minister to come back to the question. She is referring to priority primary care centres, which specifically say – at Craigieburn, the nearest centre – it does not replace your usual appointments with your –

The SPEAKER: There is no point of order. The minister was being relevant.

Mary-Anne THOMAS: One would have thought that one who prides herself on her vast experience in our health system would understand that primary care is the responsibility –

Members interjecting.

The SPEAKER: Order! I expect when a question is asked that you want to hear the answer.

James Newbury: On a point of order, Speaker, on standing order 118, this is the third time today a minister has cast an aspersion on another member.

The SPEAKER: I do ask the minister to come back to the question. The minister has concluded her answer.

Emma KEALY (Lowan) (14:24): Kilmore Medical Centre has said:

We’re struggling to keep our head above water and the only hand this government has given us is one that will drown us …

Why is the government punishing patients by forcing the Kilmore Medical Centre to close?

Mary-Anne THOMAS (Macedon – Leader of the House, Minister for Health, Minister for Health Infrastructure, Minister for Ambulance Services) (14:25): Once again I will make this point: the RACGP and the AMA have been clear for many, many years that the Medicare rebate has not kept up with the real cost of delivering primary care health services here in Victoria and indeed around the nation.