I am delighted, and honoured to have been reappointed to the Health Portfolio in the Shadow Ministry and am extremely grateful to Bill Shorten for the opportunity to continue to lead the fight to save Medicare.
This month’s election sent a powerful message that the Australian people will not tolerate any further attempts by the Turnbull Government to undermine our extremely successful, and much loved universal health system.
Despite this, the Turnbull Government remains committed to undermining Medicare through its ongoing freeze on GP rebates, and its determination to make further cuts through its attacks on pathology and diagnostic imaging as soon as parliament resumes.
As we did in the last Parliament, Labor will once again resist furiously any attempts to attack bulk billing, increase out of pocket costs and undermine the rights of all Australians to access decent, affordable health care.
I am extremely proud of Labor’s record in defending Medicare under Bill Shorten, and look forward to working with my colleagues in this superb new Labor team.
I would like to pay tribute to Katy Gallagher, Stephen Jones and Warren Snowden for their magnificent work in the health portfolio, and congratulate them on their new roles in the shadow Ministry.
I congratulate Julie Collins on her elevation to Shadow Cabinet in the role of Shadow Minister for Ageing and Mental Health and Helen Polley as Shadow Assistant Minister for Ageing. I also congratulate Tony Zappia on his appointment as Assistant Minister for Medicare and look forward to working closely with them in the health portfolio.
I look forward to continue working with and listening to the views of various stakeholders and the community, while holding the Turnbull Government to account and ensuring that Labor once again has the policies to deliver a better and fairer health system at the next election.