Prime Minister Anthony Albanese joins Tasmanian Labor leader Dean Winter on campaign trail

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has joined state Opposition Leader Dean Winter on the campaign trail, talking up federal Labor’s credentials in boosting access to primary health care.

State Labor leader Dean Winter and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese show off their Medicare cards in Hobart on Tuesday July 8, 2025.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has talked up federal Labor’s credentials in boosting access to primary healthcare during a visit to a Hobart Urgent Care Clinic.

Mr Albanese dropped in to the Liverpool Street clinic with state Labor leader Dean Winter on Tuesday, noting that more than 100,000 people had visited the clinics in Tasmania since they had opened.

“It is fantastic to be back in another urgent care clinic, one of five we have operating here in Tasmania, but we have 87 right around the country,” he said.

HOBART, AUSTRALIA - NewsWire Photos - 08 July 2025: Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese outside Spencer's Cafe at Lindisfarne with Tasmanian Labor Leader Dean Winter. Picture: Chris Kidd / NewsWire

“We promised 50 before I was elected in 2022 because what we understood was that we needed to take pressure off emergency departments and provide access to health care for people when they needed it, where they needed it.”

Mr Winter said his plan to open five new fully bulk-billed doctors’ clinics across the state would make primary healthcare even more accessible.

“Too many Tasmanians tell me they can’t get in to see a GP when they need it, and that’s forcing them into urgent care clinics or into hospitals later on. TassieDoc is the solution to solve these problems,” he said.

“It means that Tasmanians will be able to get in to see a doctor that they’ll be bulk billed close to where they live.

HOBART, AUSTRALIA - NewsWire Photos - 08 July 2025: Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese at Ochre Health/ Medicare Urgent Care Clinic in Hobart with (L-R) Ella Haddad MP, Julie Collins MP, Dr Jane Gorman, Tasmanian Labor Leader Dean Winter and Nurse Emma Bawle. Picture: Chris Kidd / NewsWire

“We’re passionate about solving Tasmania’s healthcare problems — they’re getting worse under the Liberals, we need a fresh start to fix them.”

Minister for Health Jacquie Petrusma said the state Liberals deserved more credit for their involvement in the Urgent Care Clinics.

“We’ve invested millions to support the operation of four UCCs in Launceston, Devonport and two in Hobart,’ she said.

HOBART, AUSTRALIA - NewsWire Photos - 08 July 2025: Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese at Ochre Health/ Medicare Urgent Care Clinic in Hobart with (L-R) Ella Haddad MP, Tasmanian Labor Leader Dean Winter, Dr Hamish Meldrum and Julie Collins MP. Picture: Chris Kidd / NewsWire

“It was also our Government that put the heat on the Federal Labor Government for over a year to deliver more UCCs across the State – a call that State Labor ignored at every turn.

“Every Tasmanian deserves access to affordable GP services, including bulk billing, no matter where they live.”