Kevin Rudd (Griffith, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

Those opposite interject as though health and hospitals was their top priority for 12 years in office. Those 12 years in office saw them rip $1 billion out of the hospital system when the honourable member was the health minister. In the period that we have been in government, with the health minister at the helm, we have increased overall funding to the hospital system by 50 per cent. That is what we have done. We have also increased the training of GPs and nurses. We have invested significantly in cancer treatment and research. This is what we have done in two short years. As for the future plan which will be put to the states very soon, I say to those opposite that we will seek to achieve a compromise with the states on one thing.

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