The first meeting of the group was a breakfast in Parliament House on 12 September 2017, hosted by the Parliamentary Friends of Rural and Remote Health and supported by the National Rural Health Alliance and the Royal Flying Doctor Service.
Speakers at that breakfast included:
Tanya Lehmann, Chair, National Rural Health Alliance
Martin Laverty, CEO, Royal Flying Doctor Service
Katherine Burchfield, Health Director, Royal Far West
Chris Moorhouse, Chair, Friends of the Alliance
Members of the first Parliamentary Friends of Rural and Remote Health
Senator Chris Ketter, Senator for Queensland
Senator the Hon Ian Macdonald, Senator for Queensland
Senator the Hon Bridget McKenzie, Minister for Rural Health
Senator Anne Urquhart, Senator for Tasmania
Hon Damian Drum MP, Member for Murray
Hon Warren Entsch MP, Member for Leichhardt
Dr Mike Freelander MP, Member for Macarthur
Hon David Gillespie MP, Member for Lyne
Ms Michelle Landry MP, Member for Capricornia
Mrs Nola Marino MP, Member for Forrest
Mr Brian Mitchell MP, Member for Lyons
Mr Llew O'Brien MP, Member for Wide Bay
Mr Ken O'Dowd MP, Member for Flynn
Hon Jane Prentice MP, Member for Ryan
Ms Rebekha Sharkie MP, Member for Mayo
Hon Warren Snowdon MP, Member for Lingiari
Mr Rick Wilson MP, Member for O'Connor
The Alliance values the support of the Members of the group and appreciates their interest in improving health and wellbeing in rural and remote Australia.
Parliamentary Friends of Rural and Remote Health Co-Chairs
Hon Warren Snowdon
Hon Warren Entsch
L-R: Tanya Lehmann, Chair, National Rural Health Alliance; The Hon David Gillespie, Member for Lyne, NSW; Michelle Landry, Member for Capricornia, Qld; John Dennehy, Board Member, National Rural Health Alliance
L-R: The Hon Warren Snowdon, Member for Lingiari, NT; Heather Heighley, Member of NRHA Council representing the Australian College of Nursing (Rural Nursing and Midwifery Community of Interest); Senator Pat Dodson, Senator for Western Australia