Peter Dutton (Dickson, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Health and Ageing) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Acting Prime Minister. I refer the Acting Prime Minister to my visit to Bendigo Hospital last week and to the assessment it commissioned which shows that the hospital will be hit by up to $600,000 due to the carbon tax. Will the Acting Prime Minister explain to Bendigo Hospital and to local residents why it should be forced to forgo treating 150 of its in-patients just to meet the cost of the carbon tax?

Wayne Swan (Lilley, Australian Labor Party, Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Here we go with more of the exaggerations, more of the inaccurate statements—everything the member for Wentworth was talking about—and these inaccurate characterisations of the impact of a carbon price. The Commonwealth Treasury and the Department of Health and Ageing estimate that the impact of the carbon price will be 0.3 per cent on hospital costs. This is the equivalent of only one cent for every $3 spent on hospitals. In addition to that, there is indexation of hospital funding to the states that is very generous. The problem here at the moment is that the state governments are withdrawing money from public hospitals. I have seen it at Prince Charles Hospital in my electorate.

Mr Dutton interjecting—

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

The member for Dickson is warned.

Wayne Swan (Lilley, Australian Labor Party, Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

They knocked off 30 beds the other day and there is more to come. We have just had Campbell Newman announce job cuts of 14,000.

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

On a point of order, Madam Deputy Speaker, the Acting Prime Minister was asked about the effect of the carbon tax on hospitals—nothing else. He should not be talking about Campbell Newman.

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

The Manager of Opposition Business will resume his seat. The Acting Prime Minister has the call.

Wayne Swan (Lilley, Australian Labor Party, Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Unlike those on that side of the House, I have a deep commitment to our hospitals and understand the importance of them. If you are going to sack 3,000 Queensland health employees—as the health minister said before—that has a very substantial impact on frontline services. There are some twisted priorities over there. They are supporting the cuts of 3,000 from Queensland public hospitals and they are making up all these other figures. They ought to get their priorities right and they ought to be out there opposing what Campbell Newman is doing.

Andrew Southcott (Boothby, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Primary Healthcare) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Acting Prime Minister. I refer the Acting Prime Minister to the statement of the Mayor of the City of Onkaparinga, Lorraine Rosenberg—who is in the gallery today—that the carbon tax will cost her ratepayers an estimated extra $800,000 per year. Given that local councils receive no compensation, will the Acting Prime Minister apologise to the ratepayers of the City of Onkaparinga for increasing their council rates as a result of the carbon tax?

Wayne Swan (Lilley, Australian Labor Party, Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Today I have already referred to the exaggeration and misrepresentation that we have seen from those opposite, including the member for Boothby. He came into this House a week or so ago and made a whole set of representations and claims about the Belair Hotel and every one of them was simply wrong—wrong, wrong, wrong. We ought to look at the real facts. I am happy to look at what he has to say. This comes from the member for Boothby, who had this to say on 19 October 2009:

I think that an emissions trading scheme is an important contribution… It is one in a suite of responses.

So here we have another one of them. He has been out there supporting an emissions trading scheme and now coming in here and running a scare campaign.

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Mackellar, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Seniors) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On a point of order, Madam Deputy Speaker, in order to be relevant, even under the old rules, there had to be a link to the substance of the question. To try to do a character assassination of the person asking the question is not relevant; it is out of order.

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

The member for Mackellar will resume her seat. The answer to the question is to the entire question and the question asked about the price on carbon. The Acting Prime Minister has the call.

Wayne Swan (Lilley, Australian Labor Party, Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

He was asking me about the impact of a carbon price, and I think I am entitled to point out that he has been a supporter of a carbon price. Now he is opposing a carbon price and exaggerating a whole set of impacts. But the truth is we know that if they were in government they would keep it.

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

Is the member for Boothby seeking to table a document?

Andrew Southcott (Boothby, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Primary Healthcare) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to table the article in Southern Times Messenger, which provides more detail on the $800,000—

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

The member for Boothby will resume his seat. The Minister for Defence.

Stephen Smith (Perth, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Leave is not granted.