Australia is staring down the barrel of a major healthcare crisis, with a projected shortage of 10,000 general practitioners over the next decade. This looming gap is expected to hit regional and remote communities the hardest, especially in states like Tasmania where an aging population is increasing demand for medical care. According to Lee Hanson, there’s no one-size-fits-all solution. Tackling the GP shortage will require coordinated efforts, including stronger backing from both state and federal governments for a university-linked teaching hospital with outreach campuses.
Hanson also highlights the need for creative incentives to get young doctors into the bush. One Nation’s proposal aims to do just that by offering three-year contracts to newly qualified doctors in exchange for wiping out their HECS-HELP student debt. The policy argues that this would be a smarter, more effective use of taxpayer money—one that helps attract and retain much-needed medical professionals in areas that are too often left behind. The idea is simple: invest where the need is greatest to shore up the future of rural healthcare.