My question is addressed to the Minister for Health and Ageing. Would the minister update the House on the government’s plan for a Commonwealth funded, community controlled hospital at the Mersey in Latrobe, Tasmania. Why is it important to preserve public hospital services at the Mersey hospital? Are there any alternative policies, and what is the government’s response?

I thank the member for Braddon for his question. He is not going to give up on this issue, and the Howard government is not going to give up on this issue—

Ms Vamvakinou interjecting

Order! The member for Calwell is warned!

because the people of Devonport, Latrobe, Kentish, Sheffield and Ulverstone deserve their own hospital. They deserve a general hospital suitable for a community of that size. They should not have to go 60 kilometres up the road for any general hospital admission for an acute condition.

The problem is that the Tasmanian government wants to destroy the Mersey hospital, as it has been known, and the Howard government will not let it do this. We have a clear and straightforward plan to preserve the Mersey hospital. The Commonwealth will fund the hospital, the community will control the hospital and the hospital will deliver the range of services that it has safely and effectively delivered for many years at that site.

Mr Kerr interjecting

The member for Denison is warned!

I regret to say that so far the Tasmanian government has totally refused to say how much money it is currently spending at this hospital, how much money it intends to spend and how many services are currently being delivered. In addition, the Tasmanian government is trying to bully hospital staff against talking to Commonwealth officials. I say again that the Tasmanian government should not try to sabotage this proposal out of hurt pride, because this proposal amounts to $45 million a year more for health services in north-western Tasmania.

The federal government is serious about this. I can inform the House that today I have written again to the Tasmanian health minister, enclosing a detailed implementation plan for this hospital’s transition to community control. I have warned her against a politically motivated rejection of this plan. She should not reject this plan because she thinks that is what Kevin Rudd wants. On this topic, as on so many others, the Leader of the Opposition does not know what he thinks or what he wants. I quote from a letter to the Mayor of Burnie in which the Leader of the Opposition says to the mayor:

Labor is currently in discussion with the Tasmanian Government about its clinical services plan, with a view to announcing our plans for hospitals and health services in Tasmania in the lead-up to the federal election.

What a pathetic cop-out from the Leader of the Opposition! It is slippery, it is fake, but it is so typical of this man, who is the least experienced person ever to present himself for national leadership in this country. He has never even run a local council, let alone a national economy.

The people of north-west Tasmania know what they want. They want decisions and they want answers. They do not want more waffle from the alternative Prime Minister of this country. I table my letter to the Tasmanian minister, I table the implementation plan and I also table this pathetic document from the Leader of the Opposition.