Bill Shorten Maribyrnong, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition
2:11 pm
My question is to the Prime Minister. Yesterday, Senate estimates revealed that his government has made no attempt to find out the impact of the GP tax on hospital emergency departments. Why on earth did the Prime Minister introduce a GP tax when he does not even know the impact on hospital emergency department waiting lists?
Tony Abbott Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister
Let's talk about the GP co-payment. The GP co-payment is a sensible measure from this government to try to make Medicare sustainable for the long term. How can members opposite insist that it is right to have a modest co-payment for the PBS and it is somehow wrong to have a modest co-payment for Medicare? It just does not add up.
Ms Macklin interjecting—
The member for Jagajaga likes to interject. Let me quote from the National Health Strategy.
Mr Tony Burke Watson, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance
Madam Speaker, I rise on a point of order. Madam Speaker, I appreciate that there is a question you took on notice as a point of order yesterday relating to the lack of precedence around new standing order 68. The Prime Minister is now going to the exact same point—
Mr Tony Burke Watson, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance
and I think it would be wise to wait—
Opposition members interjecting—
Mrs Bronwyn Bishop Speaker
With respect, the fact of the matter is that I have said that I would take the question of the application of standing order 68 on notice—that is the paragraph to that standing order—and I will give a considered statement on that tomorrow. In the meantime, we will hear what the Prime Minister has to say. I do not think we can anticipate what he is going to say.
Opposition members interjecting—
We will see what he has to say.
Tony Abbott Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister
I am quoting from a document called the National Health Strategy. The National Health Strategy said: 'There is considerable pragmatic appeal in the use of co-payments.' Then I read on:
For further information about the National Health Strategy contact Jenny Macklin, Director, National Health Strategy.
So 'Considerable pragmatic appeal in the use of co-payments.' But it does not stop there.
Julie Owens Parramatta, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Small Business
You don't care about the truth, do you?
Tony Abbott Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister
We know the direct ministerial author of the co-payments was a gentleman called Brian Howe, former Deputy Prime Minister. Jenny Macklin said of Brian Howe:
Brian Howe, as many on this side will know, has been a wonderful source of inspiration to me …
She went on to say:
It is a great challenge now to be able to bring those ideas into this place.
She did not have the guts to do that, but this government does.