My question is addressed to the Minister for Health and Ageing. Is the minister aware of reports that Goulburn Hospital is closing its children’s ward on the weekend? Does the government have a response to this threat to health services in my electorate and how important is it for state governments to adhere to the provisions of the Australian health care agreements?

I thank the member for Hume for his question. I appreciate his concern to preserve rural health services, a concern which is shared by many members on this side of the House, led by the Deputy Prime Minister, as demonstrated recently. I am aware that the New South Wales health department will close the specialist children’s ward on weekends at Goulburn Hospital starting this weekend. A children’s ward that is shut on weekends means that children will have to face potentially dangerous transfers. I quote Dr Andrew Keegan of the New South Wales AMA, who said:

Young children on drips or needing oxygen will need to be transferred to adult wards or to other hospitals such as Canberra, an hour’s drive away. There is a strong likelihood of cross-infection.

This weekend closure of the specialist children’s ward at Goulburn Hospital comes on top of the closure last year of 12 surgical beds at Goulburn Hospital. This is not the first time that the Greater Southern Area Health Service has been in trouble. I am advised by the member for Eden-Monaro that last year small businesses in his electorate had to wait up to four months to have their bills paid by this health service. I am advised by the member for Riverina that the Greater Southern Area Health Service hospitals in her area have sometimes had no milk because the local milk vendor had not been paid. Sometimes motor vehicles have been grounded because the registration has not been paid and the ambulance has not been operational because the petrol bill has not been paid.

Mr Bowen interjecting

Order! The member for Prospect is warned!

This is simply unacceptable behaviour from a New South Wales agency. Whatever is happening in Goulburn and elsewhere in this health area, there is certainly no lack of money in Macquarie Street. The Commonwealth government is giving New South Wales public hospitals almost $14 billion under the health care agreements. Then of course there is the $10 billion that the New South Wales government is getting this year through the GST.

I want to say to the New South Wales government that the closure of the children’s ward at Goulburn Hospital is a clear breach of the Australian health care agreement, and I call on the New South Wales government to immediately honour its obligations to the people of Goulburn and to other people living in southern New South Wales.