HouseDivision 5 · 2 Jul 2026

Health Insurance Amendment (Incentive Payments and Other Measures) Bill 2026 - Second Reading - Criticism of Government

Not passed39 aye · 92 no

What this vote was about

The majority voted against an amendment to the usual second reading motion, which is "that the bill be read a second time" (parliamentary jargon for agreeing with the main idea of the bill). This amendment was introduced by Lindsay MP Melissa McIntosh (Liberal).

Amendment text

That all words after “That” be omitted with a view to substituting the following words:

“whilst not declining to give the bill a second reading, the House:

(1) notes:

(a) during the 2025 election, the Prime Minister promised on countless occasions that all Australians needed to see their GP was their Medicare card, not their credit card;

(b) the latest bulk-billing rate still sits well below the 88 per cent rate reached under the Coalition;

(c) the latest Medicare data shows average out-of-pocket costs have risen to a record $50.77 per visit, up more than 20 per cent in two years;

(d) the total number of GP attendances dropped by 1.8 million visits in the past year;

(e) these delayed or permanently deferred GP attendances result in Australians getting sicker and ending up in our overcrowded emergency departments; and

(f) the Government is pushing family GPs towards bulk billing, despite the Department of Health’s own modelling showing nearly one in three GPs would be worse off if they switched to fully bulk billing; and

(2) criticises the Government for misleading the public and breaking its promises on primary health care”.

Context written by They Vote For You volunteers (ODbL), reproduced unchanged.

Second reading: The second reading vote decides whether the chamber agrees with the bill in principle. A second reading amendment attaches commentary or conditions to that agreement without changing the bill's text.

Related bills

Health Insurance Amendment (Incentive Payments and Other Measures) Bill 2026

By party

Party	Aye	No
Australian Labor Party	0	89
Liberal–National Coalition	37	0
Independent	1	2
Pauline Hanson's One Nation	1	0
Australian Greens	0	1

Every vote

AYE (39)

NO (92)

Other divisions this sitting day

What the House divided on around this vote, in order.

2 Jul 2026Committees — Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Joint Committee; AppointmentHouse 38–101
2 Jul 2026Committees — Social Policy and Legal Affairs Committee; ReferenceHouse 72–12
2 Jul 2026Committees — Social Policy and Legal Affairs Committee; ReferenceHouse 13–78
2 Jul 2026Business — RearrangementHouse 71–12
2 Jul 2026Motions — Minister for Defence Industry; Attempted CensureHouse 90–41
2 Jul 2026Business — RearrangementHouse 90–42