Julia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Health and Manager of Opposition Business in the House) Share this | Hansard source

I move:

That so much of the standing and sessional orders be suspended as would prevent the Minister for Health and Ageing from:

(a)

being required to provide this House with a full and proper explanation as to why he claimed:       “I did actually look at the highest safety net benefit payments in NSW. I looked at those on an electorate by electorate basis. Not Wentworth, not Bradfield, not, I regret to say Warringah Mr Speaker, the highest safety net benefits per electorate in NSW were actually in the electorate of Grayndler”,        when this claim is totally untrue;

(b)

being required to correct the grossly inaccurate and misleading statement he made in this place during question time today, a statement which reveals his incompetence as Health Minister, and his preparedness to misuse his portfolio for cheap political advantage;

(c)

apologise to all Members in this place, for a clear and serious breach of his duties as Leader of Government Business and Minister for Health; and

(d)

apologise to the Member for Grayndler and his constituents for falsely claiming the electorate of Grayndler received the highest payments under the Medicare Safety Net when figures released by the Minister himself show that the:

• Electorate of Wentworth received $7.8 million
• Electorate of North Sydney received $7.5 million
• Electorate of Bradfield received $6.9 million
• Electorate of Warringah received $6.3 million

whereas the Electorate of Grayndler received $3.6 million.

It is a disgrace for a minister to come in here and deliberately not tell the truth.

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