Nicola Roxon (Gellibrand, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Health and Ageing) Share this | Hansard source

Perhaps those who are interjecting opposite might want to tell us which programs the Liberal Party wants us to stop funding so that they can actually move these measures. Do they want to remove the cancer drug avastin from the PBS, a measure that was only introduced in the budget because these savings measures were expected to be delivered? Perhaps the Liberal Party do not want to fund new regional cancer centres that were promised in the budget. Perhaps they should ask their colleagues in the National Party whether not funding those regional cancer centres is a good idea. Or perhaps the rural health package is what they have got in their sights.

Back at budget time the shadow Treasurer made clear that each and every measure in the budget would be supported with the exception of private health insurance. All of them would be supported. But now we see that the member for Dickson is not backing the shadow Treasurer. It also seems he is not backing the leader. Yesterday he held a press conference at the same time as the Leader of the Opposition, in competition with the Leader of the Opposition. He is not backing sensible health reform, he is not backing sustainability in the health system; he is certainly not backing the constituents in Dickson as he runs off to try for another seat on the Gold Coast. I do have one suggestion for what it seems possible that the member for Dickson is backing, and that is found at Sandown today, horse number 7, race 7. The name of the horse: Cut and Run. That is what the member for Dickson is backing.

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