David Gillespie (Lyne, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Health. Will the minister explain to the House the benefits to the health sector of the landmark export agreement with China? And what is the government doing to improve the health of all of Australians?

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

I am delighted to take a question from the member for Lyne about the China free trade agreement and the health of all Australians. As we have heard from the Minister for Trade, this export agreement opens up opportunities for all Australians but in particular Australians in the health sector—something you would think Labor would be interested in, as there are so many people in the health sector who look to the Labor Party for leadership and at the moment are not finding any.

The key thing is the burgeoning of the middle class in China and their access to and desire for new models of health care, private hospitals and medicines, including complementary medicines All of those opportunities that are available to the Australian sector, the workers, the small businesses, are here waiting for Labor's decision. If Labor has no plan on the China free trade agreement, does Labor have a plan for health? Absolutely not. Two years in and there is no vision, no policy—not one, single idea. You would think Labor would support the sensible measures the government is putting in place, and I just want to touch on those, because they are important. We are looking at reforms to health that focus on the patient—

Ms King interjecting—

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

The member for Ballarat!

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

against the background and the context of a landmark health and hospitals agreement between the Commonwealth and the states that recognises that if we work cooperatively together and pool our resources—

Ms Butler interjecting—

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

The member for Griffith!

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

we can avoid about $7 billion of waste in avoidable hospital admissions and we can look after patients at the primary care of the spectrum before they come to hospital. It recognises that what Australians want is a system that looks after their entire journey, that does not allow the clunkiness of different funding models to get in the way.

Look at our approach, which includes new models of primary care, enrolment funding for chronic and complex care design, a review and a rewrite of the MBS—the first in a generation—because it no longer reflects contemporary clinical practice—

Mr Stephen Jones interjecting—

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

The member for Throsby!

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

and our e-health record, which is going to revamp Labor's failed electronic health record, and contrast that with Labor's year of absolutely no ideas in health. As the member for Ballarat often says, 'Look at our record.' Unfortunately we have had to refer to Labor's record: the epic fail of the GP superclinics, the undermining of medical research in this country, the attack on the Medicare safety net when Julia Gillard said, 'That's just for rich people', the attack on the—

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

Mr Speaker, a point of order on relevance: in order to be relevant the minister needs to say—

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

The member for Ballarat will resume her seat. The Minister for Health has the call.

Ms King interjecting—

The member for Ballarat will resume her seat or she will leave.

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

On the comment by the member for Ballarat, the opposition would be kidding itself if it did not recognise that there are challenges and that no area is going to be exempt from cuts. That is all we have had from Labor. (Time expired)

Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Minister for Communications) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I ask that further questions be placed on the Notice Paper.