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

My question is to the Prime Minister. The government is cutting some $270 million from the Medicare safety net meaning cancer patients receiving life-saving radiation oncology could pay $12,000 for their treatment. Reports today state that the government has delayed legislating this cut until after the Canning by-election. Is this not just another example of the Prime Minister hiding cuts from voters before an election? And do not the voters of Canning deserve the truth?

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

The truth is that when members opposite were in government, they cut $1.8 billion out of Medicare. That is what they did.

Ms Plibersek interjecting—

Tony Smith (Speaker) | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Sydney.

Ms Plibersek interjecting—

The member for Sydney will cease interjecting.

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

The proposals that this government has to make some adjustments in the area that the shadow minister mentioned—

Ms Macklin interjecting—

Tony Smith (Speaker) | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Jagajaga will cease interjecting.

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

flow from independent reviews conducted by the former government in 2009 and 2011.