Ms Catherine King (Ballarat, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Health) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. Can the Prime Minister confirm that he has abolished the GP after-hours helpline in this budget—a service that provides medical advice to over 200,000 Australians per year, including mums with sick children and elderly patients late at night?

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

I call the honourable Minister for Health.

Sussan Ley (Farrer, Liberal Party, Minister for Health) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am delighted to assist the member for Ballarat with detailed questions about our responses in the budget to important areas like GP after-hours access. In fact, it was the Prime Minister as the minister for health who first introduced the practice incentive payments that specifically assisted general practice to open after hours to support people in those important times after work, particularly with sick children. The funding to GP after-hours will be delivered through our Primary Health Networks. There is a significant allocation. There are two GP after-hours networks—one in the Hunter and the other one escapes me. But there are two that are being provided in the context of the Medicare Locals. Those will have ongoing funding, which has been recently signed off, to continue uninterrupted to provide those services. The other services, if you would let me finish, Madam Speaker—

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

The member for Ballarat on a point of order—and she is not entitled to merely rephrase her question.

Ms Catherine King (Ballarat, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Health) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

No, thank you. In terms of relevance, the question was not about those services; it was about—

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

The member will resume her seat. The minister is totally within relevance.

Sussan Ley (Farrer, Liberal Party, Minister for Health) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The most important thing is that we provide access to families to after-hours assistance. The role that our Primary Health Networks will play in this is significant and fundamental.

Mr Snowdon interjecting—

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

The member for Lingiari will desist!

Sussan Ley (Farrer, Liberal Party, Minister for Health) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The allocation of funds that we make, which is $900 million over three years, to the Primary Health Networks will enable them to provide a coordinated population based approach to after-hours support for the people in their regions. There are two significant services that are being extended, and the rest through the Primary Health Networks.

I appreciate these questions that are coming from the member for Ballarat, but what I really want to know is what Labor is going to do. In the year of no ideas when 100 flowers were going to bloom—

Opposition members interjecting—

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

The members for Charlton and Gellibrand will desist!

Sussan Ley (Farrer, Liberal Party, Minister for Health) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I have not seen a single one. It is a bit like the Minister for Agriculture's drought. I have not seen a single one. All I have ever heard is, 'No area of savings will be exempt from the opposition's approach in this area.' All we have ever heard from the opposition is that no area will be exempt from cuts, which leads us to suppose that you will cut health, hospitals and Medicare—because we have never had a single policy. The Leader of the Opposition, in your budget reply speech, health was not mentioned once. I listened, I hoped, I waited, but there was not a single mention of health or your health policy in your own remarks.

Mr Snowdon interjecting—

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

The member for Lingiari will desist or leave. The choice is his.