It is a privilege to continue serving in the Shadow Health and Aged Care portfolios to keep working on issues that matter deeply to Australians and their families.
Under the Albanese Labor Government, it has never been harder or more expensive to access essential health and aged care support.
Right now, thousands of older Australians are stranded in hospital beds across the country because they cannot access the support they need through our aged care system.
The wait list for a home care package continues to blow out, with more than 131,000 older Australians currently left waiting for support for an average of 9 months. GP out-of-pocket costs have also never been higher, with Australians now paying more than $50 on average when they visit a doctor.
Ensuring our health and aged care systems deliver timely, affordable and quality support with real choice remains a key priority.
I look forward to working closely with my colleagues Senator Kerrynne Liddle as Shadow Assistant Minister for Health and Aged Care, Henry Pike MP as Shadow Assistant Minister for Mental Health, and Sam Birrell MP as Shadow Assistant Minister for Regional Health to ensure all Australians have access to the care they need, when and where they need it.
I also look forward to working closely with Angie Bell MP as Shadow Minister for Sport on how we can seize the benefits of sport, which is a great source of national pride, to contribute to a happier and healthier nation.
I am grateful to the Leader of the Opposition Angus Taylor for the opportunity to continue prosecuting these issues on behalf of all Australians and to continue serving in both the Shadow Cabinet and Liberal leadership teams.
As part of a focused team, we will work hard every day to hold this terrible Labor government to account for its failures and to fight for better outcomes for all Australians.
ENDS
@Anne_Ruston
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