Christian Porter (Pearce, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Health. Minister, I refer to the Northam GP superclinic in my electorate, which clinic was promised more than three years ago, which clinic is still not open and which clinic is yet to see a single patient. Minister, how have the delays to the Northam clinic affected the delivery of health services in Western Australia?

Peter Dutton (Dickson, Liberal Party, Minister for Health) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the honourable member for his question. He is a former Treasurer in Western Australia. He was charged with cleaning up Labor's mess. He has come to this parliament as a great champion for the people of Western Australia and he is very passionate about health needs within his electorate.

I have reminded the House before on one or two occasions about what Labor hailed as the greatest success in the Health portfolio under the former minister, who has now turned quickly to her iPhone, playing fishes or birds or something on her iPhone.

Ms Plibersek interjecting—

Really? Is that the priority now?

Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Madam Speaker—

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Manager of Opposition Business will resume his seat. The minister will return to the question in a more serious manner.

Peter Dutton (Dickson, Liberal Party, Minister for Health) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It may have been out of order. The point is that this is a $650 million program—$650 million of Australian taxpayers' money that was borrowed from overseas because Labor had already run out of money by this stage. They promised 64 superclinics, and we know that not many of them were open by the time they left government in 2013. The Northam GP superclinic is a very interesting study, because they first promised the Northam GP superclinic in July 2010. They repromised it, of course, at the election in 2013. But, do you know, by the time they had left government, it had not even started construction. Not one patient and not one doctor had visited that vacant lot of land, and it was indicative of what was happening in the program elsewhere.

Now, it can be career-limiting to correct your Prime Minister, but, Prime Minister, during question time today you did say that the member for Adelaide, the former education minister, achieved greater things than the former Minister for Health Tanya Plibersek. I can tell you 10 per cent was a success rate—

Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Madam Speaker, I raise a point of order. The minister is clearly veering away from direct relevance now.

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There is no point of order. The member will resume his seat.

Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Madam Speaker, he is the worst of all of them.

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

That is not a point of order. If the Manager of Opposition Business wishes to remain, he will not abuse the standing orders.

Peter Dutton (Dickson, Liberal Party, Minister for Health) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is true that in a moment of overachievement the former minister for education achieved a 10 per cent outcome in her program—well done. But the former health minister achieved 16 per cent, and I can tell you that that was an overachievement in the Rudd-Gillard years but it did not help patients. The problem is that the GP Super Clinics Program in Western Australia, where they promised six clinics, delivered only one. Only one has been delivered.

But there has been a major development. I am very happy to inform and update the House on the major development in Western Australia. After four years, construction has started. Work has commenced on this particular site and under this government we will deliver services. Under Labor, they promised a lot but they delivered nothing.

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Before I call the honourable member for McMahon, I would remind those members who move from their seats that they are not entitled to interject and, if they do, they will leave the chamber.