Stephen Jones Throsby, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Regional Development and Infrastructure
2:44 pm
My question is to the Prime Minister. Prime Minister, on Sunday, the member for Hume emailed his constituents, telling them: 'The GP co-payments will not apply to those who cannot afford to pay.' Clearly, this is wrong. Prime Minister, why are you, your MPs, ministers, continuing to tell falsehoods about the budget?
Mr Champion interjecting—
Tony Abbott Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister
I am not sure what letter might have been sent out by the member for Hume; but I tell you what, it would not have been any better than the member for Fraser's letter:
But there's a better way of operating a health system, and the change should hardly hurt at all … the ideal model involves a small co-payment—
Mr Tony Burke Watson, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance
Madam Speaker, on a point of order: if direct relevance now means that if the question says 'a letter' then any letter is relevant, this takes direct relevance to a bizarre place.
Mrs Bronwyn Bishop Speaker
There is no point of order. The member will resume his seat. The Prime Minister has the call.
Tony Abbott Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister
I am trying to compare the letter of the member for Hume with the letter of the member for Fraser. I am sure the member for Hume's letter was a fine letter, but I doubt whether he would have been able to do as well as the member for Fraser, who said:
But there's a better way of operating a health system, and the change should hardly hurt at all … the ideal model involves a small co-payment—not enough to put a dent in your weekly budget, but enough to make you think twice before you call the doc.
Good on the member for Fraser, who went on to say:
And the idea is hardly radical.
So, if the member for Hume is simply repeating the wisdom of the member for Fraser, good on the member for Hume.
Mr Champion interjecting—
Tony Abbott Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister
Members opposite made a big mistake with the member for Fraser. When they heard he was at the ANU they thought it was the AMWU—that is what it was. But it was a university, not a union!
Opposition members interjecting—
Tony Abbott Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister
It was a place where they are committed to the truth, not where they are committed to slush funds and corruption.
Honourable members interjecting—
Mrs Bronwyn Bishop Speaker
The Prime Minister will resume his seat. We cannot hear the answer.
Honourable members interjecting—
The noise is so loud that the Prime Minister could not hear my request for him to resume his seat. I would say to the member for Fraser that he has given himself a yellow card. Next time it will be a red card and he will take an hour's leave.