Election 2025

This year’s federal election is going to be called any day now and it’s rumoured to come down to the wire.

Neither of the two major parties clawing for the vote have a spotless record when it comes to general practice; Liberal Party leader Peter Dutton was once voted worst health minister in living memory, while Labor’s decision to freeze Medicare rebates in 2013 has cast a long shadow over the sector.

Medicare is set to be a key battleground, amid mounting public pressure to tackle GP out-of-pocket costs at a time when many are struggling financially.

Follow along with The Medical Republic as we cover every primary healthcare-related promise, soundbite and gaffe as Australia prepares to head to the polls.

Health policy pledges by party:

Promise	Cost	Date
Expand bulk billing incentives to all Australians	$7.9 billion	22/02/25
Introduce a new PIP for practices that commit to universal bulk billing	$7.9 billion
2000 new GP training places per year by 2030	$265.2 million
Incentive payment for GP registrars	$204.8 million
Paid parental and study leave for GP registrars	$43.9 million
Extra 200 primary care rotations for junior doctors	$44 million
50 additional urgent care clinics	$644 million	1/03/25
Invest in digital mental health services, offering free services for vulnerable groups	$135.2 million	05/03/25
Upgrade Medical Costs Finder to automatically display fees	$7 million	17/03/25
Expand free public mental health care services	$1 billion	08/04/25
Establish a health and engineering wing at Central Queensland University’s Cairns campus	$27.5 million	10/04/25
Aged care capital assistance plan for the Northern Territory	$60 million	11/04/25
Strengthen Medicare to deliver more inclusive LGBTIQA+ healthcare	$10 million	14/04/25
Expand the emergency department at Fairfield Hospital	$80 million	22/04/25
Invest in Street Side Medics	$2.6 million	22/04/25
Rebrand Healthdirect to 1800 MEDICARE and expand its services	$200 million	27/04/25

Promise	Cost	Date
Extend the tripled bulk-billing rebate and improve general practice training pathways	$8.5 billion	23/02/25
20 subsidised mental health appointments via Better Access per year	$500 million	23/02/25
Regional Australia Future Fund	$20 billion	10/04/25
Roll over funding for Suicide Prevention Australia	$15 million	11/04/25
Upgrading regional medical training facilities nationwide	$100 million	16/04/25
Improving online safety for kids	$6 million	16/04/25

Promise	Cost	Date
1000 free local healthcare clinics across Australia	$31.7 billion	03/10/24
20% increase to Medicare rebates for long appointments, bulk billing incentives open to all	$21.5 billion
Closing the pay gap for GP registrars	$900 million
Remove service caps on Chronic Disease Management Plans and raise rebates to match out-of-pocket costs	Uncosted
Hospital Funding	$30.6 billion	29/01/25
ADHD and Autism assessments	$181 million	26/02/25

Health policy pledges by party:

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