Kevin Rudd (Griffith, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I refer to my previous question to the Prime Minister and the Prime Minister’s rejection of the premise of that question, which was that he had axed the Commonwealth Dental Health Program in 1996, which has resulted in 650,000 Australians now waiting for public dental care. I refer to the government’s budget speech of 1996-97, which states:

As waiting times for public dental health services have now been reduced, funding for the Commonwealth Dental program will cease from 1 January 1997, saving $399 million over 4 years.

Prime Minister, on what basis do you contend that the government did not abolish the Commonwealth dental program?

John Howard (Bennelong, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The program was introduced by the Keating government to reduce the waiting lists; the waiting lists were reduced and therefore the program had served its purpose. I think what this side of the House would like to know is: what has the Leader of the Opposition done with the missing $100 million? Last night this measure was debated in the House—and be it recorded that the Labor Party voted against a measure providing $384.6 million over four years—

Jill Hall (Shortland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Ms Hall interjecting

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

Order! The member for Shortland!

John Howard (Bennelong, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

to assist about 200,000 Australians who are amongst the sickest and most needy in our community, to provide $4,250 worth—

Jill Hall (Shortland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Ms Hall interjecting

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

Order! The member for Shortland is warned!

John Howard (Bennelong, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

of Medicare funded dental treatment at a dentist every two years to people with chronic and complex conditions like diabetes, heart disease or cancer who are referred by their GP to a dentist under a care plan. It includes dental assessments, preventative services, extractions, fillings and other restorative work and dentures. It was estimated to cost $384 million over four years.

That program is due to start in a few weeks time, and the Labor Party have promised to abolish it and they are going to rip almost $100 million out of dental care for older Australians. They are not going to replace it with their program; they are going to give $290 million to the states. If you look at the way in which public health is managed in this country, why would anybody give Morris Iemma or Anna Bligh or what’s-his-name, John Brumby—they change so fast these days I lose track—or Mike Rann, and so it goes on, Commonwealth dollars and take those dollars away from Australians in need of dental assistance?

Here is another example of how the Leader of the Opposition operates. He says: ‘We won’t have a program—that’s too hard. We’ll abolish our program. We’ll take $100 million out of it and we’ll hand $290 million to the states.’ Let me say: that is no way to run this country. It is no way to run this country to abolish a Commonwealth program, take $100 million along the way and then hand $290 million to the states with no guarantee that the states will spend the money wisely, with no guarantee that waiting lists will be reduced and with no guarantee that the dental health of older Australians will be improved. I think it is a disgrace that the Labor Party voted against a program that is going to bring improved dental health to hundreds of thousands of older Australians, and the Labor Party stands condemned for such a policy.