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New and returning rural MPs put rural health on the agenda
04th August 2025
With Parliament resumed, the Albanese Government has moved to introduce legislation to cut the price of Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) medicines, amongst other health initiatives. The Prime Minister attended the Northern Territory's Garma Festival on Saturday, amid scrutiny of progress on Closing the Gap, documented in the results released last week. Meanwhile, new and returning rural New South Wales MPs are making their first impressions on the new Parliament, with rural health high on the agenda.
The rural electorate of Parkes encompasses 51% of the landmass of NSW. Before making his maiden speech, which touched on the need for mental health, aged and health care investment in rural areas, the Nationals’ newly elected Member for Parkes, Jamie Chaffey MP, told social media followers “Kicking off my first week in Parliament… my very first meeting was with Rural Doctors Network CEO Richard Colbran and COO Mike Edwards. I specifically arranged for this to be my first meeting to highlight just how critical access to adequate healthcare is to the people of the Parkes electorate.”
The Independent Member for Calare, Andrew Gee MP, told social media followers that in the first Question Time for the new Parliament he “launched into it with a question on the disgraceful rural doctor shortage crisis. We have shorter life expectancies in the country, yet governments spend more per capita on the health of city people. I asked when the crisis was going to be fixed and also when the Charles Sturt University medical school was going to get more student places.”
Labor’s Member for Eden-Monaro, Kristy McBain MP, announced to her followers that the Government’s newly appointed Special Envoy for Men’s Health and Member for Hunter, Dan Repacholi MP, will be joining her at the Goulburn Railway Bowling Club on 8 August for a men’s health community discussion. “Dan is working with local communities, experts, and advocates to help shape a health system that actually works for blokes,” Ms McBain said.
In her first speech, the Nationals’ newly elected Member for Lyne, Alison Penfold MP, reflected on the magnitude of the task ahead for her electorate to recover from the 2025 Taree Floods. She also nominated “housing and health, community infrastructure, aged and disability care” as local priorities she would pursue and called upon the Albanese Government to commit to an urgent care clinic for Taree, which she described as “a gaping hole in the network” that does not exist between Coffs Harbour and Newcastle.
First Speeches are now available to view on Parliament’s website.