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

I thank the member for Shortland for her question. She has always taken a strong interest in the health reform debate, including hosting forums with health professionals in her own area. This government came to office aware of the challenges facing the health system. It is why we increased hospital funding by 50 per cent, it is why we initiated a root-and-branch reform of the health system and it is why we increased GP training places by 35 per cent. Unlike the previous government, we are upfront about the challenges faced by the system.

Of course, when it comes to not being upfront, the Leader of the Opposition has form. This was the man who attacked cancer sufferer Bernie Banton and who harshly capped GP training places when more than 70 per cent of the country had a shortage of GPs. This is the man who strangled hospital funding. This was the man who was so incompetent and disloyal he was even fired by John Hewson. But he also told bald-face porkies to the public. So let us just turn the clock back to July 2004, a very different time to now in this parliament. There were leadership problems within the Liberal Party. The Liberals were in denial about climate change, the Liberals were running fear campaigns about interest rates.

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