To the Honourable the Speaker and Members of the House of Representatives assembled in Parliament:

These petitioners of the Division of Shortland and adjoining areas are deeply concerned at the Howard Government's decision to close Belmont Medicare Office. The closure of Belmont Medicare Office will cause serious difficulty and hardship to the residents of the East Lake Macquarie area, especially to lower-income and less-able residents.

Residents will no longer be able to get immediate cash refunds of doctors fees to enable them to purchase required pharmaceuticals from nearby pharmacies and will thereby be unfairly disadvantaged.

Your petitioners therefore respectfully request that the House call on the Howard Government to reverse its decision to close Belmont Medicare Office and to cease its dismantling of Medicare Services.