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

I thank the member for Leichhardt for his question, because I know that as a Queenslander he is particularly interested in the outcomes of our early investments in elective surgery and what they have delivered across the country. It is not surprising to me that those opposite, particularly the member for Dickson, have not asked this question, because the previous government’s record on investing in elective surgery was the grand total of zero dollars. Never in their entire time in government did they invest a single dollar in elective surgery, despite the large numbers of people waiting for surgery.

I have released today the latest report of the Elective Surgery Waiting List Reduction Plan. It shows that since our election an extra 76,774 elective surgery procedures have been performed across this country. That is over 70,000 working families, mums and dads, grandparents and others who are having their hip replacements done, who are not waiting as long for their ear, nose and throat surgery and who are having cataract surgery done, all because this government was prepared to invest in elective surgery—something that the previous government never did. If we compare, in fact, the first nine months of 2009 with the same period in 2007, when the Leader of the Opposition was the health minister, 35,000 extra patients received elective surgery because of the blitz money that came online immediately when we were elected to government. What we see now is that the percentage of patients being treated within clinically recommended times has risen from 79 per cent under the Liberal Party to 86.3 per cent now. Of course, we know that there is much more to be done. That is why we have introduced, as part of our national health and hospitals reform plan, a commitment to lifting that over time to a 95 per cent target and making sure that if people are not seen within the clinically recommended time then they are able, under an elective surgery guarantee, to have that procedure undertaken somewhere else.

I was asked specifically about the issues in Queensland and whether there are any impediments to this good news. Of course, the largest impediment to the ongoing benefits flowing from the national health and hospitals reform investments is the Leader of the Opposition. His record is one of pulling a billion dollars out of hospitals, and now the investments in Queensland will be at risk if the Leader of the Opposition is elected as Prime Minister. I am sure that the member for Capricornia would be concerned about the $76 million being invested in Rockhampton Hospital. I am sure that the member for Brisbane would be concerned about the more than $100 million being invested in a new oral health centre in Brisbane. I know that the member for Leichhardt, who is not here today, would be worried that the—

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