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

I confess I do not have this on good authority, but I understand that his application for membership of the Surfers Paradise Golf Club is still pending. I wish him good luck. But in all seriousness, I was very concerned to hear the member for Dickson out spruiking that any increase in the premiums was an outrage. He was asked on radio this morning what premium increase he would have approved. His response, at least initially, was quite a sensible one. He said, ‘I would allow a reasonable amount.’ Fair enough. But he was asked what that reasonable amount would be, and he said, ‘Well, uh, I can’t put a figure on it.’ So he is happy to go out and criticise us for an increase which is smaller than was projected by the industry and the media and was smaller than the record of the leader that the operates under, but he actually has no figure to put forward himself.

The facts are very clear: since we have come into government an extra 474,000 people have taken out private hospital cover and coverage has increased to 44.7 per cent, which is the highest level of coverage since 2001. The facts are very clear: private health insurers are enjoying growing membership, the government has acted to keep premium rises to a minimum and the Liberals simply stand for premium-hike free-for-alls. As the shadow Treasurer said, he would not want to intervene in a free market and wants to sell off Medibank. Of course, they also stand for rebates for millionaires. It is not a very good record. I am happy to offer these golf balls to the member if he would like some.

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