My question is to the Minister for Health and Ageing. How is the Albanese Labor government making medicines cheaper for all Australians? How is this helping to improve the health of Australians with kidney disease?

Mr MARK BUTLER (Hindmarsh—Minister for Disability and the National Disability Insurance Scheme, Minister for Health and Ageing and Deputy Leader of the House) (14:55):

Thanks to the government's special envoy for men's health for that question and for joining me and Kidney Health Australia at their terrific dialysis bus that visited parliament earlier today. More than 2½ million Australians have kidney disease, but 2¼ million of them don't even know it. Frankly, the signs and the symptoms of kidney disease usually only emerge after you've already lost about 90 per cent of your kidney function. That's why regular testing for Australians who are at high risk of kidney disease is just so important—people with diabetes, people with high blood pressure and First Nations Australians who are over the age of 18. Early detection allows patients to get the treatment they need before they get to the point of kidney failure, which is going to require dialysis or even a kidney transplant.

There are terrific new treatments coming onto the market. Last year, we listed Jardiance on the PBS for a small, limited group of Australians with a particular type of kidney disease. But, this week, we are expanding that PBS listing dramatically. From Saturday, 70,000 more Australians will get access to this drug. Right now, they're paying $60 a month. Pensioners like Peter, who joined the member for Hunter and me out the front of Parliament House, will pay just $7.70 a month—not $60 a month but $7.70 a month. That's the magic of the PBS: the best medicines available around the world at affordable prices. We're making those prices even cheaper. Already, Australians have saved more than $1½ billion at the pharmacy counter through our measures. On 1 January, the price for general patients will drop even further, to $25 a script, the same price it was way back in 2004. And pensioners like Peter won't see an increase in their medicines' prices for the rest of the decade.

Returning to what I said earlier, you need to get the test to know if you need the treatment. No-one in this House does more than the member for Hunter, the special envoy for men's health, to encourage people to look after their own health, particularly Australian men, who we know are particularly bad at it. Last month, he helped kick off the Wee for CKD campaign—CKD being chronic kidney disease—at a very big event up in the Mural Hall. Mr Speaker, you'll be pleased to hear that he didn't just give a speech; he gave a sample as well in the Mural Hall. In a real high point in my time as health minister, he got me to hold the sample up for a photo. He's a hard man to say no to. It's just showing how determined we are to do everything we can to strengthen Medicare.