The National Rural Health Alliance is delighted to support the Parliamentary Friends of Rural and Regional Health. The current co-chairs for the 48th Parliament are Fiona Phillips MP, Helen Haines MP and Sam Birrell MP.
This non-partisan group provides a forum for Senators and Members to ensure the organisations that assist those in regional, rural and remote areas have a communication pathway to the Australian Government and can share concerns and successes.
A Parliamentary Friends group dedicated to rural, regional and remote health issues was established in September 2017 under the 45th Parliament and a dedicated Parliamentary Friendship group has continued in subsequent Parliaments.
The Alliance support Parliamentary Friends events to discuss ways to advance the vision of the Alliance’s members—to improve the health and wellbeing of the over 7 million people that live and work in regional, rural and remote Australia.
Parliamentary Friends of Rural and Regional Health Co-Chairs
Fiona Phillips MP
Helen Haines MP
Sam Birrell MP
Parliamentary Friends of Rural and Regional Health 2025
25 August 2025
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The National Rural Health Alliance released the 2025 Rural Health Expenditure Deficit report. This report prepared by Nous Group provides the latest data and analysis on the rural health expenditure shortfall in Australia.
This important gathering will bring together key stakeholders, parliamentarians, National Rural Health Alliance members and advocates for rural and regional health to explore the findings of our latest evidence-based report. There was opportunity to discuss grass roots strategies for advancing rural health outcomes for the 30% of the population (over 7.3 million people) who live in rural, remote and regional Australia.
The Parliamentary Friends of Rural and Regional Health is co-chaired by:
Ms Fiona Phillips MP, Federal Member for Gilmore
Senator the Hon Anne Ruston, Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate
Dr Helen Haines MP, Federal Member for Indi
- Sam Birrell MP, Federal Member for Nicholls
We thank Members, Senators, NRHA Council members and our stakeholders for their interest in regional, rural and remote health and for their commitment to addressing the challenges these communities face – and championing the innovations and solutions happening in communities. We also acknowledge John T Reid Charitable Trusts for supporting the work to produce the 2025 Rural Health Expenditure Deficit report.
Parliamentary Friends of Rural and Regional Health 2024
19 August 2024
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Parliamentarians and their staff, Alliance Board and Council members, and other interested parties, explored innovative solutions for healthcare delivery in rural Australia at the Parliamentary Friends of Rural and Regional Health event on 19 August 2024 at Parliament House.
The panel chaired by Alliance Chair Nicole O’Reilly featured Don Palmer from Malpa, Marjorie Pagani from Angel Flight, Myf Pitcher from Rural Aid and Jacqui Emery from Royal Far West. It discussed the innovative ways these four organisations are delivering health care to rural and remote Australia. The panellists also had the opportunity to showcase their activities on the ground and how they meet real service gaps and needs. They also identified what they would be able to do if they had more resourcing.
The Hon Emma McBride MP, Assistant Minister for Rural Health and Senator the Hon Anne Ruston, Shadow Minister for Health and Aged Care spoke at the event.
“The real strength that we see in the bush and the regions is innovation. Some of the best solutions that we’ve seen are place-based, community-led,” said The Hon Emma McBride MP.
“We’re very aware of the challenges that we face but we also recognise and acknowledge the success and where that success can be scaled up and rolled out across the country,” she added.
Senator the Hon Anne Ruston highlighted that primary care is in crisis and the further you get from a metropolitan area, the healthcare challenges become almost insurmountable.
“Placement poverty is real,” she said, but adding that “for those who have a good experience when they go out for their medical placements in rural, regional and remote Australia, they are much more likely to stay there.”
The evening was co-chaired by Dr Anne Webster, MP, Federal Member for Mallee and Ms Fiona Phillips, MP, Federal Member for Gilmore.
The Alliance was pleased to see many Parliamentarians and their staff at the event, including Senator Helen Polley, Senator the Hon Bridget McKenzie, the Hon Michelle Landry MP, Mr Rowan Ramsey MP, Dr Helen Haines MP, and the Hon Nola Marino MP, as well as senior advisors from numerous other offices.
Parliamentary Friends of Rural and Regional Health Breakfast 2023
16 March 2023
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Speakers at this breakfast included:
Hon Fiona Phillips MP– Federal Member for Gilmore,
Hon Emma McBride MP – Assistant Minister for Rural and Regional Health, Mental Health, and Suicide Prevention
Senator the Anne Ruston – Shadow Minister for Health and Aged Care
Associate Professor Ruth Stewart – The Rural Health Commissioner
Panel discussion
Moderator Susi Tegen –NRHA CEO
Nicole O’Reilly – Chair NRHA
Judi Walker – Chair of Friends of NRHA
Natasha (Tash) Polzin – Rural Health Student Network
Parliamentary Friends of Rural and Regional Health was relaunched in November 2023, co-chaired by Dr Anne Webster MP, Federal Member for Mallee, Shadow Assistant Minister for Regional Health, and Fiona Phillips MP, Federal Member for Gilmore. The event was opened by Assistant Minister for Rural and Regional Health, Mental Health, and Suicide Prevention, the Hon. Emma McBride. The event was also supported by several other MPs and Senators, including Senator Anne Ruston and Dr Helen Haines MP, member for Indi.
The group will continue highlighting the inequities that rural, regional, and remote Australians face when accessing the same health care as their urban counterparts. The relaunch coincided with the 30th anniversary of the National Rural Health Alliance (the Alliance) and National Rural Health Month.
Parliamentary Friends of Rural and Remote Health Breakfast 2021
16 March 2021
Speakers at this breakfast included:
Ms Nicole O’Reilly – Chair, National Rural Health Alliance
Dr Ruth Stewart – National Rural Health Commissioner
Hon Warren Snowden MP – outgoing Friends Co-chair
Hon Warren Entsch MP – Friends Co-chair
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Calls for an overarching National Rural Health Strategy were well received by politicians from all sides of politics at the recent Parliamentary Friends of Rural and Remote Health event at Parliament House in Canberra.
Alliance Chairperson Nicole O’Reilly welcomed a COVID-safe number of Members and Senators to the breakfast last Tuesday, including Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack, Minister for Regional Health Mark Coulton and Friends Co-chairs Warren Entsch and Warren Snowdon.
In welcoming guest speaker National Rural Health Commissioner Dr Ruth Stewart, Nicole acknowledged the work of the government towards building cohesion in rural health and said a national framework would ensure more effective evaluation of initiatives.
“A new National Rural Health Strategy would complement the strong contribution already made by Ruth as Commissioner, as well as the work underway on the Primary Health Care 10-Year Plan,” Nicole said.
The Rural Health Commissioner said local models of health care needed to be designed in, by, for and with communities, and continued her advocacy of the rural generalist pathway for doctors working in rural and remote areas.
“Because every single town and community has unique issues requiring different health solutions. It’s not a question of what do they need, it is what do they want?”
Alliance CEO Gabrielle O’Kane thanked outgoing Co-chair Warren Snowden for being a champion of rural and remote health since the group was established in 2017.
“The rural sector is very fortunate to have such strong support from across all parties in the Federal Parliament and this is certainly due to cooperative support of the two Warrens and their leadership of the Parliamentary Friends of Rural and Remote Health.
“We will very much miss the input and passion of Warren Snowden when he steps away from politics at the next election,” Gabrielle said.
Parliamentary Friends of Rural and Remote Health 2020
13 February 2020
Speakers at this breakfast included:
Ms Tanya Lehmann – Chair, National Rural Health Alliance
Professor Anthony Capon – Director, Monash Sustainable Development Institute
Professor Jenny May – Rural GP; Director, University of Newcastle Department of Rural Health
Dr Arnagretta Hunter – Physician; Cardiologist; Clinical Senior Lecturer, ANU Medical School
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Climate change and health are inextricably linked, and it is people in rural, regional and remote Australia who are hit the hardest.
That’s the message that the National Rural Health Alliance and a range of expert speakers will deliver to MPs at a Parliamentary Friends of Rural and Remote Health breakfast.
Speakers at the breakfast include Professor Anthony Capon, the Director of Monash University’s Sustainable Development Institute and former Professor of Planetary Health at the University of Sydney; Dr Arnagretta Hunter, cardiologist, ANU lecturer and member of Doctors for the Environment and the Climate and Health Alliance; and Professor Jenny May, rural GP and Director of the University of Newcastle Department of Rural Health.
National Rural Health Alliance Chair Ms Tanya Lehmann and CEO Dr Gabrielle O’Kane will also speak to the Alliance’s position statement on climate change and rural health.
“When it comes to the health and wellbeing of rural communities, we can’t ignore the realities of climate change,” said Dr O’Kane.
“We’re thrilled to be able to bring to Parliament so many engaging speakers with expertise in climate and health as well as those who can speak about the impact of extreme weather events on rural communities.
“The impacts of climate change on people in rural areas are significant and diverse. There’s the obvious fact that rural Australia is more susceptible to extreme weather events, but then there’s the impact on things like food security as well as water quality and availability.
“And let’s not forget that climate change is a risk multiplier and can worsen already substantial social and health inequities between those in rural communities and their city counterparts.
“More broadly, the Parliamentary Friendship Group is a great forum for our 44 member bodies to engage directly with parliamentarians, to discuss ways that we can all work together to improve rural health.”
Members of the second Parliamentary Friends of Rural and Remote Health Group
Mrs Bridget Archer MP, Member for Bass
Senator Tim Ayres, Senator for New South Wales
Hon Chris Bowen MP, Member for McMahon
Mr Russell Broadbent MP, Member for Monash
Hon Linda Burney MP, Member for Canterbury
Senator Anthony Chisholm, Senator for Queensland
Mr George Christensen MP, Member for Dawson
Hon Jason Clare MP, Member for Blaxland
Senator the Hon Richard Colbeck, Senator for Tasmania
Senator Perin Davey, Senator for New South Wales
Senator Patrick Dodson, Senator for Western Australia
Hon Mark Dreyfus MP, Member for Isaacs
Hon Warren Entsch MP, Member for Leichhardt
Senator the Hon David Fawcett, Senator for South Australia
Dr Mike Freelander MP, Member for Macarthur
Hon Dr David Gillespie MP, Member for Lyne
Mr Luke Gosling MP, Member for Solomon
Dr Helen Haines MP, Member for Indi
Ms Ged Kearney MP, Member for Cooper
Hon Nola Marino MP, Member for Forrest
Ms Emma McBride MP, Member for Dobell
Senator Susan McDonald, Senator for Queensland
Hon Dr John McVeigh MP, Member for Groom
Mr Brian Mitchell MP, Member for Lyons
Mr Ken O’Dowd MP, Member for Flynn
Senator Deborah O’Neill, Senator for New South Wales
Mr Tony Pasin MP, Member for Barker
Senator Louise Pratt, Senator for Western Australia
Mr Rowan Ramsay MP, Member for Grey
Senator Janet Rice, Senator for Victoria
Senator Paul Scarr, Senator for Queensland
Ms Rebekha Sharkie MP, Member for Mayo
Senator Marielle Smith, Senator for South Australia
Hon Warren Snowdon MP, Member for Lingiari
Senator Amanda Stoker, Senator for Queensland
Dr Anne Webster MP, Member for Mallee
Parliamentary Friends of Rural and Remote Health 2017
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
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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.