Robert Oakeshott Lyne, Independent
3:33 pm
My question is to the Prime Minister. Prime Minister, more than 30,000 Australians who had Medicare claims for cataract surgery between 1 November last year and 1 February this year are hundreds of dollars out of pocket due to the repeated failure of this place and the Senate to pass proposed changes to the Medicare rebate. Prime Minister, will you review the case of 72-year-old Port Macquarie pensioner Patricia Parker, who through no fault of her own is $758 out of pocket after falling victim to this political episode, with your consideration of compensation for out-of-pocket expenses for her and the 30,000 other Australians unfairly affected?
Kevin Rudd Griffith, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister
I thank the member for Lyne for his question. On the question of the constituent to which he refers, can I say that we will obviously examine the circumstances surrounding that constituent. I am advised on my way to the dispatch box by the health minister that there is some gap between one set of arrangements and another, and this may well have affected an individual concerned.
Peter Dutton Dickson, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Health and Ageing
So the answer is no!
Nicola Roxon Gellibrand, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Health and Ageing
You interject!
Harry Jenkins Speaker
Order, the member for Dickson and the minister! The Prime Minister is answering the question.
Kevin Rudd Griffith, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister
On the matters raised by the honourable member, we will examine them further and I will have the health minister respond to him direct.