House debates Questions without Notice
Australian Hearing
Bill Shorten Maribyrnong, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition
2:45 pm
My question is to the Treasurer. Yesterday I met Jacob Floyd. He is a marvellous nine-year-old boy, from Bendigo, with profound hearing loss. Jacob's parents have done a wonderful job raising him and their other children. Jacob's parents are worried what the government's privatisation of Australian Hearing services means for families in the regions of Australia. Why is the Treasurer asking children like Jacob to get by with less support once they sell and privatise Australian Hearing?
Joe Hockey North Sydney, Liberal Party, Treasurer
That is just complete, unmitigated rubbish—
Unidentified interjection - Hansard doesn't record who said this
Opposition Members:
Opposition members interjecting—
Joe Hockey North Sydney, Liberal Party, Treasurer
and you should be above that. I will tell you why. The Leader of the Opposition should be above that. When the coalition was last in government and I was the minister—
Opposition members interjecting—
Mrs Bronwyn Bishop Speaker
This is an extraordinary sensitive and important question and there will be silence for the answer.
Joe Hockey North Sydney, Liberal Party, Treasurer
When we were last in government and I was the Minister for Human Services I had responsibility for Australian Hearing. I know it does an outstanding job, in particular in relation to research. It was the coalition government that significantly increased funding for Australian Hearing. So I can tell you that there is no doubt that we have been more supportive of hearing-impaired Australians than almost any other government at any time. And for the Leader of the Opposition to come in here and use that family, which is obviously doing it incredibly tough, as some sort of pointscoring, competition fodder, is just a disgrace.
Mr Brendan O'Connor interjecting—
Mrs Bronwyn Bishop Speaker
The member for Rankin will desist and the member for Gorton will desist.
Joe Hockey North Sydney, Liberal Party, Treasurer
Australian Hearing competes with a range of other private sector providers. It competes in the private market. Is the Leader of the Opposition suggesting that those other providers do not provide appropriate services?
Mr Brendan O'Connor interjecting—
Joe Hockey North Sydney, Liberal Party, Treasurer
Is that what he is suggesting? Is he actually suggesting that Australian Hearing is the only provider of hearing services to Australians? Is that right?
Opposition members interjecting—
Mark Dreyfus Isaacs, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Attorney General
Madam Speaker, I rise on a point of order. The Treasurer was asked: 'Why is the government selling Australian Hearing?'
Mrs Bronwyn Bishop Speaker
The member will resume his seat. A point of order is not repeating the question and it is time he knew that. The Treasurer has the call.
Joe Hockey North Sydney, Liberal Party, Treasurer
I always thought the Leader of the Opposition aspired to go back to yesterday; I never knew he wanted to go back 30 years. Because in that time the Labor Party were simply opposing the sale of assets for the sake of opposing the sale of assets but then there was a reforming Labor Party, a reforming Labor Party that actually understood—
Mr Brendan O'Connor interjecting—
Mrs Bronwyn Bishop Speaker
The member for Gorton will remove himself.
The member for Gorton then left the chamber.
Joe Hockey North Sydney, Liberal Party, Treasurer
that if there were a government entity competing in the provision of services with others in the marketplace, then that government should not be involved in those enterprises. That is why the Labor Party sold Qantas, that is why the Labor Party started selling the Commonwealth Bank and that is when the Labor Party had principles—when it actually believed in something. But now, 25 years later, we have a Labor leader standing up before us, trying to run a scare campaign against the most vulnerable in the community on the basis of total misinformation. And all it does is illustrate that the Leader of the Opposition is a complete hypocrite.
Mr Shorten interjecting—
Mrs Bronwyn Bishop Speaker
The Leader of the Opposition will desist and the Manager of Opposition Business on a point of order.
Mr Tony Burke Watson, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance
Madam Speaker, an unparliamentary term was used and should be withdrawn.
Mr Tony Burke Watson, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance
The Treasurer.
Joe Hockey North Sydney, Liberal Party, Treasurer
Madam Speaker, I withdraw—he contradicted himself.