MEDIA RELEASE 28 July 2025
Shadow Cabinet Secretary and Federal Member for Fisher, Andrew Wallace MP, has slammed the Albanese Labor Government today for its failure to deliver affordable healthcare to everyday Australians, following alarming new data showing plummeting bulk billing rates and skyrocketing GP costs.
Speaking in the Federation Chamber earlier today, Mr Wallace stated “Labor promised Australians they’d only need their Medicare card. Not their credit card, to see a doctor. But the truth is they’re now reaching for both,” Mr Wallace said.
“Under this Government, bulk billing has fallen from 88% to just 77%. That’s 40 million fewer bulk billed GP visits in the last year alone, and out-of-pocket costs are now the highest on record, up 45% since Labor came to power.”
“When it comes to healthcare, Labor is all spin and no substance. They promised Australians the world and gave us an atlas,” Mr Wallace added.
New analysis from Cleanbill reveals the Sunshine Coast has become one of the hardest places in Australia to see a bulk billing doctor. Of the 42 suburbs surveyed across the region, 41 have no bulk billing clinics available for new adult patients without concessions. Not one locality recorded 100% bulk billing.
“Labor said they’d fix Medicare; they’ve made it worse,” Mr Wallace said. “Here on the Sunshine Coast, patients in Sippy Downs are now paying over $55 just to see a GP. And in Caloundra, it’s not much cheaper. That’s not accessible healthcare, that’s unaffordable healthcare.”
“The Cleanbill report is devastating. It shows what I’ve been hearing at my listening posts for months: locals can’t get in to see their GP, and when they finally do, they’re hit with a hefty bill they didn’t budget for.”
Mr Wallace also criticised the Government’s claims that its expanded bulk billing incentives – due to take effect from 1 November 2025, would fix the crisis.
“Labor is now pinning its hopes on changes that won’t deliver the promised outcome. The data shows the vast majority of GP clinics, especially in metro areas, won’t bulk bill under Labor’s new incentive because it simply doesn’t stack up financially,” Mr Wallace said.
“The Cleanbill forecast is clear: unless the policy’s financial impact increases by 20 to 30%, there’s no chance of hitting Labor’s target of 4,800 fully bulk billing clinics.”
The Coalition has also raised concerns about Labor’s decision to halve Medicare-funded mental health sessions, ignoring expert advice and leaving 372,000 vulnerable Australians without support.
“Access to Medicare mental health support is now at its lowest level in a decade. And instead of strengthening mental health care, Labor abolished the National Mental Health Commission and refused to meet with its own experts,” Mr Wallace said.
Mr Wallace reaffirmed the Coalition’s commitment to a sustainable, accessible, and affordable health system:
“We believe that your ability to see a doctor should never depend on your bank balance. That was our record in government and it remains our mission in opposition. We’ll keep fighting to make sure Australians aren’t left behind by a government that just doesn’t get it.”
Labor’s Mediscare campaign has come back to haunt them as bulk billing collapses on their watch. If they cared half as much about Medicare as they do about scaring pensioners, Australians might still be able to see a doctor.
[ENDS]
You can read the full transcript and watch Mr Wallace’s speech here: https://andrewwallacemp.com.au/speeches/labors-medicare-failures-are-hurting-everyday-australians/
Media Contact: Brendan West
M | 0402 556 646
E | Brendan.west@aph.gov.au