Mr GREG WARREN (Campbelltown) (10:52): I am delighted to speak on behalf of the Government, joining the Parliamentary Secretary and the member for Bega in contributing to debate on the Health Services Amendment (Hospital Helipads) Bill 2024. As members opposite are aware, the Government opposes the bill. The member for Kiama has introduced another bill, but I am advised that he has again undertaken little consultation with key people. That said, from the outset I acknowledge the importance of investing in the health system. I draw attention to the reference the member for Vaucluse made to Milton hospital. The House should be aware that when members opposite were in government, they closed that hospital. They cared so much about Milton hospital and health services that, as a first step, before building helipads, they shut down hospitals. It is impossible to build a helipad on a hospital once it has been closed. I might be silly—I do not know.
I note that the member for Shellharbour is in the Chamber and I acknowledge her longstanding and steadfast advocacy on Shellharbour Hospital. A lot of work has been done at that hospital, and the member for Shellharbour has been a formidable advocate. She understands that we should not be shutting down hospitals; we should be future-proofing hospitals. That is exactly what this Government is doing at Shellharbour Hospital. Why is that happening? It is because the Minister for Health and his team, like the member for Shellharbour and other members of this Government, understand the importance of investing in health services. Why? Because there are not too many more important things that we do in this place than put people's health first. We have been in government for a couple of years, and, yes, we have had some challenges. I could go through them. I am not going to politicise the subject because I do believe in the importance of making sure we have a well-funded health system.
I note that the bill is not just about Shellharbour Hospital; it is about every public hospital in New South Wales. My health and regional health Parliamentary Secretary colleague the member for Bega is right to draw attention to the monetary facts of funding such an initiative. The reality is it would cost an absolute bomb. So, as a government, we be sensible. The Minister is sensible. I have referred to my good mate the member for Keira as the patron saint of health care. But, jokes aside, the Minister is passionate about health care in New South Wales. He is not just passionate about it; he is sensible and honest. He will call things out when they need to be called out.
The Minister will be happy to scrutinise and criticise where needed, but he will also give credit where it is due, and he has done that on multiple occasions. Even yesterday in question time, when the Minister was asked a question about midwifery and nursing numbers, some members opposite tried to drag him and the question into the gutter. They said, "Oh, are you going to blame us?" The Minister, in his honourable way, said, "No, I'm not going to blame you." He gave credit to former Ministers Jillian Skinner and Brad Hazzard for the things they did at certain times. Why? Because it is not about politics; it is about good policy.
That is why the Government has had some good policy initiatives, even as a new government, and now as we head towards the third year of this term. With the House's indulgence, I will give some examples. Those initiatives include a record high health budget of $35.1 billion in 2024-25, comprising of $31.9 billion recurrent and $3.4 billion in capital works. That reflects underlying expense growth of 5 per cent on the previous year and 12.1 per cent above 2022‑23, which was the former Government's budget. In dollar terms, it is $1.4 billion more than the previous year and $3.2 billion more than 2022‑23. On top of this, in December the Government announced that we would invest a further $200 million into local health districts, including towards fast‑tracking planned surgeries and boosting capacity.
Some $480 million has been invested into emergency department relief packaging, helping over 290,000 people avoid a visit to the emergency department, saving 76,000 hours of waiting and 8,900 bed days every year. There is a $188 million bulk‑billing support initiative to clean up the mess of payroll tax created by those opposite and to protect the bulk-billing rates of seeing a GP for families across New South Wales. It would be remiss of me at this time not to refer to the Federal election. I congratulate the Albanese Government on its return and also acknowledge its commitment to not only save Medicare but also invest in Medicare.
Mr Justin Clancy: Point of order—
The DEPUTY SPEAKER (Ms Sonia Hornery): The member for Albury rises on a point of order. Members will remain silent so that I can hear it.
Mr Justin Clancy: I ask that you direct the member for Campbelltown to return to the leave of the bill.
The DEPUTY SPEAKER (Ms Sonia Hornery): I did not realise that the member had strayed from the leave of the bill as I could not hear him. The member for Campbelltown will speak to the bill.
Mr GREG WARREN: That comes as no surprise because Medicare is relevant not only to members on this side of the House but to every man, woman and child in New South Wales and the rest of Australia. It complements this Government's position to work with the Federal Government to not only save Medicare but also enhance Medicare. If members want an indication of the flawed policies of those opposite, they do not need to reflect on the 12 years of incompetence that those opposite provided the people of New South Wales; they just need to refer to that comment from the member for Albury. I will hold him to that, because the relevance is that Medicare matters to local patients, carers, health workers, nurses and doctors. What an ignorant point of order to take. That said, the Government will not be distracted from what matters most in our health system, and that is our patients and health workers.
The DEPUTY SPEAKER (Ms Sonia Hornery): It being 11.00 a.m., pursuant to standing and sessional orders, debate is interrupted for question time. I set down resumption of the debate as an order of the day for a later hour.
Debate resumed from an earlier hour.
Mr GREG WARREN (Campbelltown) (12:18): I am delighted to return to my contribution to debate on the Health Services Amendment (Hospital Helipads) Bill 2024. I was talking about how much Government members like Medicare and Opposition members do not. At the outset, I acknowledge the broader point of the importance of health funding and adequate resourcing, particularly for emergency departments. However, it would be remiss of me not to highlight that if the member for Kiama and the former Government had their way, they would have sold every hospital in the State. We are talking about Milton and Shellharbour being privatised.
Ms Anna Watson: Goulburn.
Mr GREG WARREN: Yes, Goulburn and Maitland.
Mr Gareth Ward: Point of order—
Mr GREG WARREN: The reality is the hypocrisy of this bill—
TEMPORARY SPEAKER (Mr Alex Greenwich): The member for Campbelltown will resume his seat. The member for Kiama rises on a point of order. What is the point of order?
Mr Gareth Ward: My point of order has two parts. Firstly, attacks on members must be done by way of substantive motion. Secondly, under Standing Order 76, the bill has nothing to do with the privatisation of hospitals, which is not even on the table.
TEMPORARY SPEAKER (Mr Alex Greenwich): I thank the member for Kiama. I will continue to listen closely to the contribution by the member for Campbelltown.
Mr GREG WARREN: My contribution is directly relevant. My point is: If the member for Kiama had had as much passion for health services and investing in our health system when he was a Minister in government as he does now, we would all be better off. But we now find ourselves in a position where this Government continues to sweep up and repair the carnage left by well over a decade of government by those opposite.
