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

I think we are going to be in for a very long and unedifying toing and froing, because I am answering the shadow minister's question by explaining to him that this piece of legislation does not deal with financial penalties to the states. It did not when we introduced it into the House and it does not with the amendments that are moved today. This is a fundamental misunderstanding by the shadow minister of the purpose of performance reporting. The purpose of performance reporting is not solely to be able to deal with one isolated, tragic incident that might occur in a particular hospital. We all know that the reality of people being unwell and presenting at hospitals can have tragic consequences. This is about moving beyond one isolated, tragic circumstance and looking at how we actually lift the standard across the board, across hospital services and across each and every hospital in the country. This sets up a system that enables us to provide information that is collected at arm's length and rigorously checked and therefore can be held up to the states, as systems managers order the local hospital networks to say: 'This is your performance. Look how it compares to everybody else's. You need to lift your game, and we will give you resources to do this and we'll do a whole range of other things.'

The shadow minister for health cannot come in here and ignore every other part of the health reform bill and use this as an opportunity to have a general spray at the government. I know he does not agree with a whole range of things. Frankly, I am a little bit surprised to hear him say that he is now a big advocate of the reforms that were proposed by Prime Minister Rudd, because I seem to remember him and his leader in here ranting and raving, opposing them. Now that an agreement has been struck with every state and territory leader—which is different from but maintains the fundamentals that were put forward by Prime Minister Rudd—they are now actually advocates for that.

Those opposite have no idea what sort of health policy they would adopt if they were in government. They did not take any policy to the last election and they are not formulating any that they are making clear here. Whilst I am happy to answer genuine questions about matters that relate to this bill and the amendments, it is not an opportunity to raise each and every other issue. I cannot be clearer in answering the question: this bill and these amendments do not go to any financial arrangements between the states and the Commonwealth.

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