Senator McCARTHY (Northern Territory—Minister for Indigenous Australians) (14:37): Thank you, Senator Ruston. It is good to see the interest in health, and I am certainly interested to know more about your position on Medicare. There is certainly no higher priority for this government in the health portfolio than strengthening Medicare and rebuilding general practice. After nine years of cuts and neglect by the former government, primary care was in the worst shape it had been in in 40 years and bulk-billing rates were in freefall. The former government froze the Medicare rebate for six years, ripping billions of dollars out of primary care and causing gap fees— The PRESIDENT: Minister, please resume your seat. Senator Ruston? Senator Ruston: It's a point of order on relevance. My question was very tight. It was in relation to what the bulk-billing rate is today. I'd ask you to bring the minister's attention back to my question. The PRESIDENT: The first part of your question went to bulk-billing rates before COVID. I believe the minister is being relevant. I will continue listening carefully. Senator McCARTHY: In the 2024-25 budget and 2024-25 MYEFO, the government provided $34.8 million over two years for the general practice incentives fund— The PRESIDENT: Minister McCarthy, please resume your seat. Senator Cash? Senator Cash: It is a point of order on relevance. A little like the housing question, our questions are drafted quite specifically. The PRESIDENT: Senator Cash, you need to just get to the point of order. Senator Cash: We're asking for figures. The question says: the bulk-billing rate—what is it now? The PRESIDENT: Yes, Senator Cash, and, as I just explained to Senator Ruston, it also made reference to rates before COVID. Minister Wong? Senator Wong: President, I'd also submit to you that policy which is about addressing bulk-billing rates is entirely relevant to the answer. I know that the coalition may not like the fact that we are actually working to lift bulk-billing, but the minister is going directly to policies that are about bulk-billing. The PRESIDENT: Thank you, Minister Wong. As I said to Senator Ruston, Senator Cash, on the same point of order, the minister is being relevant. I'll continue to listen carefully. Senator McCARTHY: We've tripled the investment. We've seen a turnaround in bulk-billing, a national increase— Opposition senators interjecting— Senator McCARTHY: If you'd let me finish—a national increase of 1.9 percentage points in the 14 months— The PRESIDENT: Minister McCarthy, please resume your seat. I have Senator Wong on her feet. Senator Wong: I ask if the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate could come to order. The PRESIDENT: I would like everyone in the chamber to come to order, particularly those on my left. Senator McCARTHY: As I was saying, we have tripled the investment, and it's 77.5 per cent. The PRESIDENT: Senator Ruston, first supplementary?