Yvette D'Ath (Petrie, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Health. Will the minister update the House on the federal government's partnerships with the states and territories to deliver health and hospital services for Australians? Why is state cooperation vital in making sure that families can get access to these services?

Tanya Plibersek (Sydney, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Health) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Petrie for that very important question. I have to say that, by and large, the Commonwealth and the states have worked very well and very cooperatively together on health reform. In fact, last year we struck a deal that will increase hospital funding by $20 billion over the next decade. In the case of Queensland, Labor have committed about $13½ billion for health facilities and for hospital services under that agreement. These investments have ranged from very big ticket items, like almost one quarter of a billion dollars for the Townsville Hospital upgrade or $210 million for seven regional cancer centres across Queensland, to smaller but no less important investments, like half a million dollars for the extension of the Bloomhill cancer therapy house, which I was delighted to open with Senator Claire Moore recently. Indeed, in the member for Petrie's electorate there is investment like $7 million into the North Lakes hospital renal unit.

I hear today that there are plans from those opposite to outsource health to the states. I am all for devolving decision making to a local level where we can. Indeed, that is why we have established 136 local hospital networks and that is why we have established Medicare Locals. It is curious, however, that the only single health policy we have heard from those opposite is the smashing of Medicare Locals. So, on the one hand, we have the finance shadow minister talking about outsourcing health to the states and then, on the other hand, we have another shadow minister talking about smashing devolution—

Mr Dutton interjecting—

Ms Anna Burke (Chisholm, Deputy-Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Dickson.

Tanya Plibersek (Sydney, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Health) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

and smashing the very services that deliver better after-hours care, better access to psychological services—

Ms Anna Burke (Chisholm, Deputy-Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The minister will resume her seat. The Manager of Opposition Business on a point of order.

Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Education, Apprenticeships and Training) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Madam Deputy Speaker, I rise on a point of order and draw your attention to the ruling of the Speaker in 1981, which was that the minister will—

Government members interjecting—

You don't believe in precedence?

Ms Anna Burke (Chisholm, Deputy-Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Manager of Opposition Business has the call.

Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Education, Apprenticeships and Training) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The ruling was that the minister will answer the question and not engage in irrelevancy such as contrasting the government and the opposition. I put it to you that the Minister for Health is engaging in the irrelevancies—

Ms Anna Burke (Chisholm, Deputy-Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Manager of Opposition Business will resume his seat. I have heard the question. The minister has the call.

Tanya Plibersek (Sydney, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Health) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We have smashing outsourcing and we have outsourcing. What you see when you outsource health to Queensland are cuts. We have seen cuts to Breastscreen Queensland. We have seen reported cuts of $80 million to hospital services in Brisbane. We have seen plans to cut 4,000 jobs from the health service, the axing of 30 beds from the Prince Charles Hospital in Chermside and surgeries put on hold at the Princess Alexandra Hospital. You know what? We wanted to build 55 mental health beds in Queensland. Here it is in this 2011 budget press release—

Ms Anna Burke (Chisholm, Deputy-Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The minister will not use props.

Tanya Plibersek (Sydney, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Health) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

bids in Bundaberg, Hervey Bay, Maryborough and Toowoomba, but it is all of a piece. Queensland did not want those beds under Campbell Newman because this Leader of the Liberal Party, when he was health minister, cut $1 billion out of hospital services.

Opposition members interjecting—

It's wrong, is it? Here it is in your own budget papers. Here it is—minus, minus, minus, minus—$1 billion out of hospital services.

Ms Anna Burke (Chisholm, Deputy-Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The minister will no longer use the prop.