Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

We do take Medicare seriously—unlike members opposite, who do not Medicare seriously and do not take this parliament seriously. Madam Speaker, we take Medicare seriously. We are very conscious of the fact that it costs us $20 billion a year now; it cost us $8 billion a decade ago; it will cost us $34 billion a decade hence. We take it seriously enough to want to protect it and preserve it forever. We take it seriously enough to want to make it more efficient and more effective; we take it seriously enough to want to work hand-in-glove with the medical profession to make our great Medicare system better in the future than it has been in the past.

Opposition members interjecting—

Madam Speaker, I conclude this answer by indicating that if members opposite were serious about Medicare, we would not see this constant giggling, this constant caterwauling. If they have serious questions, they will treat the answers with the seriousness that they deserve.

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