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

Those opposite obviously stand behind the current health system, which has far too much money wasted in state health bureaucracies. What the Australian people want is that money to be dedicated increasingly to front-line services with doctors and nurses, as well as extra hospital beds. Instead, those opposite seem to be defending the current situation, which they seem to regard as fine and dandy. What did the Leader of the Opposition say recently? ‘It would be good to get back to the good old days.’ That is his forward vision on health.

We have put forward a considered plan for the future. It is funded for the future. What we have had from those opposite was, firstly, an idle commitment five or seven years ago that the Australian government should take over the system. They did not act on that. Secondly, the Leader of the Opposition said, ‘What I will do instead for you is rip $1 billion out of the public hospital system.’ That was real action on the part of the Leader of the Opposition. And, thirdly, he then whacked a cap on GP training places.

I say to the Leader of the Opposition on the health and hospitals debate that we welcome it. I notice it took him until question 8 or 9 to even raise the question of health and hospitals in this place. We are proud of the plan we put forward. Australia is crying out for fundamental reform for our health and hospital system for the future—one funded nationally and run locally. I suggest to the Leader of the Opposition, with his five years of wasted experience as a health minister, that he get behind this program, which is designed to work for working families across Australia.

See this speech in context