Last Friday I stood with my Labor colleagues from across the Hunter and local GPs, in a fight to save yet again our GP Access After Hours Service.

This is a vital frontline primary health service, yet the Morrison Liberal Government is standing by, doing nothing to prevent families from the Hunter region receiving the worst possible Christmas-present ever.

From Christmas Eve, the after-hours GP clinic at the Calvary Mater Hospital in my electorate will close completely and the operating hours at the John Hunter Hospital, Maitland Hospital, Belmont Hospital and the Toronto Polyclinic will be significantly reduced.

This petition signed by more than 11,100 people in the last 3 weeks alone tells stories of loss, disbelief, and anger that the Morrison Liberal Government would even contemplate cutting this essential frontline health service. But this is not a one-off.

This Liberal Government has a long history of cuts to bulk-billing incentives and freezing Medicare rebates, undermining our universal healthcare system time and time again.

Today, I table this petition, which will then be presented to the petitions committee on behalf of the 11,100 people across the Hunter region who say hands-off our GP Access After Hours service.

Prime Minister, its time for you to take responsibility and restore the funding to our GP Access After Hours Service immediately. Newcastle and Hunter families deserve nothing less.