Bill Shorten (Maribyrnong, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. I refer to the Prime Minister's previous three answers about his decision to abolish bulk-billing for diagnostic imaging services and about the extra costs to people with breast cancer, thyroid cancer and liver metastasis. Is the Prime Minister seriously not aware of the consequences of the decisions that he has made or is it that he just does not care?

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I call the honourable the Prime Minister, who may ignore the last part of it as being debate.

Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The propositions that are being put by members opposite are simply false. They are simply false. At the moment diagnostic providers that bulk bill receive 95 per cent of the rebate and the bulk-billing incentive. Under our proposal, if they charge a $7 co-payment they will receive 95 per cent of the rebate and the low-gap incentive, which is exactly the same. The Leader of the Opposition should stop running around the countryside trying to scare people and start dealing with the facts. We simply want to replace bulk-billing with a very modest $7 co-payment—that is all. It is exactly the same as Bob Hawke wanted to do—and he was a Labor legend.

Bill Shorten (Maribyrnong, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Madam Speaker, the Prime Minister has said that things are false when in fact they are true, and I seek—

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

This is not a time to debate. The member will resume his seat.

Bill Shorten (Maribyrnong, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek to table the document from the Australian Diagnostic Imaging Association, which contradicts the Prime Minister.

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The answer is no.