Kay Elson (Forde, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is addressed to the Minister for Health and Ageing. Would the minister advise the House of the Commonwealth’s support for dentistry and in particular the 90 per cent of services provided by the private sector? Is the minister aware of any alternative policies, and what is the government’s response?

Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Forde for her question. I think it is important that this parliament notes that at least 90 per cent of all dental services in this country take place in the private sector, and that has always been the case. The former Labor government provided no support whatsoever to 90 per cent of the dental services of this country but, thanks to the private health insurance rebate, the Howard government provides no less than $440 million a year to support dentistry in this country.

This government also supports dental services by massively increasing dental training places. There were just 221 dental training commencements in 1995; there were 312 in 2005; and, thanks to the policies of this government, there will be 560 dental training commencements in 2010. As well, this government provides for the first time some limited Medicare support for dentistry through the allied health professional initiative started in 2004. By contrast it is true that state-run public dental services are failing. Unfortunately, there are now some 650,000 people on state public dental waiting lists right around Australia. This is fairly and squarely the fault of the state Labor governments. I say to members opposite: why is it the Howard government’s fault when the state governments do not do their job properly? How can the Leader of the Opposition say he is ending the blame game when he blames every single problem in this country on the Howard government? Let us be clear about this: between 2000 and 2004, the most recent period for which the figures are available, state dental funding fell from $374 million to $327 million a year. That is according to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Oh, yes, the Howard government made the states cut their dental funding. Members opposite like to regale this parliament with horror stories about people pulling out teeth with pliers. I came across a story the other day—a very sad story. It was a pensioner who waited three years—

Ms Catherine King (Ballarat, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Treasury) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Ms King interjecting

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The member for Ballarat is warned!

Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

to have six teeth extracted and then eight months to have dentures supplied.

Ms Catherine King (Ballarat, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Treasury) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Ms King interjecting

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The member for Ballarat will remove herself from the chamber under standing order 94(a).

Cameron Thompson (Blair, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Cameron Thompson interjecting

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Blair is warned too!

Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

This pensioner waited three years to have six teeth extracted and eight months to have dentures supplied. This poor pensioner was eight months without teeth. You would think that this happened under Howard’s Brutopia but no, this was in 1994 on the Gold Coast when the Leader of the Opposition had been the de facto Premier of Queensland for five years. In 1995, when we had had six years of Christian socialist government in Queensland—

Nicola Roxon (Gellibrand, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Health) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I raise a point of order on ministers answering questions in their area of responsibility. I just refer the minister to—

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The member will resume her seat.

Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In 1995, when the Christian socialist sitting opposite had been the de facto Premier of Queensland for some six years, his own health minister went into the parliament and said, ‘Dental waiting lists of up to three years are unacceptable.’

Kelvin Thomson (Wills, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Manager of Opposition Business in the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I raise a point of order under standing order 104—relevance. I ask you to draw the minister back to the question he was asked.

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am listening closely to the minister and I believe that he will come back to the question.

Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am always being asked what I am doing about dental services, and I am explaining, Mr Speaker, about what the Christian socialist sitting opposite did about dental services—

Justine Elliot (Richmond, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mrs Elliot interjecting

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The member for Richmond is warned!

Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

when he was the de facto Premier of Queensland. His own health minister—

Steve Georganas (Hindmarsh, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Georganas interjecting

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Hindmarsh has been warned; he continues to interject. He will remove himself under standing order 94(a).

The member for Hindmarsh then left the chamber.

Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

His own health minister admitted that dental waiting lists were up to three years and he said that it was completely unacceptable. And this was in the period of the Keating government’s dental scheme. They were taking the Keating government’s money and at the same time the public dental waiting lists were three years. What sort of Christian, I say to the Leader of the Opposition, allowed a three-year dental waiting list? I tell you what: he is not very Christian but he is—

Justine Elliot (Richmond, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mrs Elliot interjecting

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I have called the member for Richmond to order and I have warned her but she continues to interject. She will remove herself under standing order 94(a).

The member for Richmond then left the chamber.

Arch Bevis (Brisbane, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Homeland Security) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I raise a point of order. While we are implementing the standing orders so rigidly, can I suggest that you invite the Leader of the House to refer to members by their title rather than the House having to witness the repeated abuse of that standing order?

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I have been listening carefully to the minister; I have not heard him refer to members by their name. I call the minister and I will listen closely to his answer.

Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

He calls himself a Christian socialist and I simply ask: what is so Christian about a three-year public dental waiting list? I say: do not let this guy wreck Australia’s dental services like he did those of Queensland.

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Has the minister completed his answer?

Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Yes.