E&OE…
Topics: 2018 year in review.
JOURNALIST:
It’s the last day of parliament sitting today for the year; do you think your government has achieved what it set out to?
GREG HUNT:
2018 has been about saving lives and protecting lives in health.
In mental health, what we’ve seen is major breakthroughs with regards to youth mental health programs; programs in relation to Australian seniors.
In medical research – a $20 billion medical research future fund which is about delivering clinical trials; the Australian Brain Cancer Mission; the national genomics mission; and now the Frontier Science Program that will help save lives and protect lives and create Australian medical research jobs.
As well as that, support for our GPs; amazing breakthroughs in relation to what we’ve been doing with hospitals and making private health more (inaudible).
We set out with a plan – at the end of this year we’ve achieved the things we set out to do. Now we go forward in this next year to make sure that there’s even stronger support for medical research because medical research brings us the medicines that ultimately save and protect lives for Australian patients.
JOURNALIST:
And any exciting plans for 2019?
GREG HUNT:
Absolutely.
So for me, 2019 is about ensuring that we have more medicines, more devices, and more support for our doctors so as they can support our patients. At the end of the day, there’s one test and that is: will our Australian patients be healthier and have more options to protect their health.
JOURNALIST:
Thank you.