House debates

Wednesday, 27 August 2014

Questions without Notice

Budget

2:53 pm

Photo of Joe HockeyJoe Hockey (North Sydney, Liberal Party, Treasurer) Share this | Hansard source

The great irony in relation to the Labor Party's concern about asking pensioners, for example, to contribute when they go and see the doctor is that the Labor Party had a system in place. When pensioners went to get a prescription they had to pay up to $360 for the first 60 prescriptions. So they paid $360 for the prescriptions, but nothing to go and visit the doctor. What we are saying is that we are asking pensioners to pay $70 if they go 10 times to see the doctor—$70. But, no, Labor is outraged about $70; but they were not outraged about asking pensioners to pay $360 for prescriptions.

What hypocrisy! What abject hypocrisy! They were never outraged about asking pensioners to pay for the first $360 of prescriptions, but they are outraged to ask pensioners to pay $70 for the first 10 visits to the doctor. And it was the Labor Party that came up with the whole concept of paying to visit the doctor. They legislated it in this place under the Hawke and Keating governments—they legislated it! Of course, the shadow Assistant Treasurer is a great advocate for it. Even in his book—which I am going to get to in a moment—the member for Lilley said that the shadow Assistant Treasurer is not being properly listened to.

Opposition members interjecting

Well, let's give him a chance.

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